Why is it OK to send drivers to unsafe places not meant for trucks

Dead end streets are just narrow cul-de-sacs, not U-turns.

 

then you would have NOT liked my former job doing downtown Boston with a 53 footer.

i had to have the tandems fully forward. but that still did not keep me from climbing up and onto the traffic islands when "pop up" construction was taking place.

it did not stop me from driving down into the loading area, and back up onto the street, then back down to the docks.

now, I HAVE BEEN to chicagoland a time or 2...there are "go arounds", if you buy a chicagoland street maps. i had if i recall, 4 of them.and NO, they were NOT for cars. they were from Halstrom(??) which specializes in city street maps.

you cannot and should not depend on your GPS in ANY city..!!

get local maps. many times, these can be bought at service plazas, or truck stops, make sure they specify TRUCK ROUTES..!!

dispatchers DO NOT KNOW all the problems you will run into, unless you gripe about it, as well as any other drivers from your company gripes about it as well...

one driver griping about a tight place, may get looked over...several might get the company to re-think things.

in the ene, you signed up for this industry, you have to do the job, pure, plain and simple.

 

Technically it’s still a u-turn, but I remember years ago when safety personnel were scared for their jobs to explain in class if there were any u-turns that were acceptable. Eventually, someone started clearing stuff up, but it wasn’t written down anywhere, just word of mouth. The explanation was that “controlled” u-turns on public roads were acceptable. For example, cul-de-sacs and Texas turnarounds. However, it was mentioned that turnarounds on highways were only acceptable if there was sufficient space to fit the entire equipment or if there was a stop sign (see images). U-turns were also allowed on private properties such as shippers, receivers, Walmart, and so on.

 

I feel its much easier to do a 3 point turn , given the room , than it is to do a u turn.. Atleast in a spread axle

 

My previous company also prohibited what they call a T-turn, which seems to be the same as the 3-point turn you’re talking about. Crazy times I was living in. I’m so glad I get to make my own rules now.

 

Office people NEVER consider anything except an email, phonecall, text or memo. Unless one of those says "customer is in an area needing a helicopter" a customer is a customer. They don't drive so driving considerations are not in their "workflow".

 

Just remember, if it is an established business, you are not the first truck to have to get there, soooo, there is a way, maybe not a good way, but it is possible.
I used to pull double tankers with hot oil, every new road job they set up the asphalt plant different and at times in some bad places. I only ever went to one that I was liucky enough to be the first load, that was impossible to get where I could unload. I walked in and looked at it and ask them where they wanted me, he, told me you have to be right there, but there is no possible way to get there. lol

I never worried too much about bad places pulling single trailers, always figured if, I got it there I could get it out, but doubles is a whole nother ball game.

 

There is one place in Connecticut that was for straight trucks only. Here I show up with a 18 wheeler. They say stick it where you can. I eyeball the chainlink fence and that told me where I can put a 18 wheeler. Pull along side of the straight trucks missing by a inch on the right. Get to the wide dock spot and then come out and circle. Now the 48 foot has the tandems way back so the overhang was very little and not much to do but pivot.

I slowly ram the chain link and push it down with a application of horses carefully. Then am able to back into dock. After a period of time chainlink has come back partially to where it was before I pushed it.

Getting out required a right turn. On that corner was a bus stop bench and three newspaper boxes near it.

The outside tires went up against it and with a tiny bit of pull in granny low moved all 4 items a smidge enough to get out. No one is going to be moving them back.

Dispatcher was told that he should not send anyone there ever again. He looked at me and said sure, That wont happen, you did damage a fence and a bus stop to load out of there.

It was a good thing we had steel wheels in those days. They slowly rusted in the new spots where the paint was scraped.

And from those days Ive been in many places you do not take a truck. But there we were tiptoeing around everything with a game of inches and a audience intent on seeing if they will have damage or not.

Once in a while there is a place that just wont fit. Those are the ones you call the boss and say you aint sending a 18 wheeler in here ever. Oh Rly? That's fine, you were the first I sent there to try it.

Now you tell me.

One load spouse and I had as a married team, were aiming at houses with carports on cul de sacs blind side to try and unload oranges by hand at 2 am in NY state. That was partially successful. It's something you never can do with a semi and something no one ever teaches you. One house in particular, I managed a dock of sorts. That one kind of hurt the front end a little bit and it finally showed up a month later when it finally went out of alignment. That was fixed fast enough.

 

I pulled a transfer one year in the prescott Az area. I followed a contractor out in the hills one day with a load, when he turned up a goat trail. I waited tlii he came back and told him I would drop the trailer there and just bobtail up. I think maybe he didn't understand how a transfer worked, but he told me to just pull the trailer, there was plenty of room.
Well about 2 miles up that single lane steep switch back loaded goat trail, I hit a switch back with a solid granite wall on the inside and a 100 foot or more drop off on the other, with one loan crooked tree right in the middle of it. Try as I might, it was impossible, and backing back down was also impossible with that rig, so I was sitting there scratching my head when he came back looking for me, at which point he decided it was better to just leave and don't come back for some reason. lol
I called in on the company radio and told them I was stuck, they ask if I needed them to send another truck to pull me out, nooo, do I need them to send another truck to take my trailer, NOOOO, so what do you need . My answer was a freaking helicopter. lol
I wound up removing the outside duals, removing the mirrors, luckily I was hauling riprap, so I hand unloaded the trailer and built a ramp out of it about 4 foot tall to clear a big piece of granite sticking out, where I could drag the trailer over it. It was way after closing time when I got in, nobody arund anywhere, so instead of parking in the parking area, I just parked where my motorcycle was at and went to the bar. When I came in the next morning, the owner was putting my truck back together and when I went in the office, his wife told me the way the truck looked, they really didn't expect me to return. lol