Yard Dogs: What is the metal thing that hangs in the front?

Really? My experience has been a mechanic walks by a truck that is leaking antifreeze, diesel fuel and oil and sees - - - - -NOTHING. Until the truck has been written up, brought into the garage by the driver and the problems pointed out to him.

Hopefully though, this won't apply to every company.

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4364315]Thanks dfo. It looks like it isn't wide enough to prevent the yard horse from picking up a bolt, but must be just a general picker-upper. I was going to have 1 on each side in front of the steer tires. At least someone cares. I can guarantee this isn't at a RR facility. They couldn't care less. I got the idea from my ex-brother in law, that did a lot of roofing, and customers were complaining of flat tires after a roof job, so he rigged up a long magnet on little wheels that he'd push around after the job was done. Now I see Menard's sells a similar item.[/QUOTE]

Yes, they are just for generally sucking up metal objects off the ground as they run around the yard. They are not designed specifically to protect the truck they are attached to.

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4364315]Thanks dfo. It looks like it isn't wide enough to prevent the yard horse from picking up a bolt, but must be just a general picker-upper. I was going to have 1 on each side in front of the steer tires. At least someone cares. I can guarantee this isn't at a RR facility. They couldn't care less. I got the idea from my ex-brother in law, that did a lot of roofing, and customers were complaining of flat tires after a roof job, so he rigged up a long magnet on little wheels that he'd push around after the job was done. Now I see Menard's sells a similar item.[/QUOTE]

That magnet did look a little skinny, most that I have seen are a little wider, but I don't recall seeing one so wide it covers the entire path of the steer tires. Like you said, I think it's just there to generally pick stuff up. If it was too wide, it could catch on the thick lugs of the steer tires under acceleration or catch on corners of stuff when maneuvering. And you're right it's definitely not from a rail yard, if that was a rail yard that yard truck would have one working headlight, a door held on by one hinge, mismatched tires on every wheel, and the mirror post tilted out a 30* angle.

 

Dang it. Late again. All the SA remarks are already in play. No worries, OP, just some of the gang having a light moment. At your expense of course. Welcome, and please, ask more questions. You're a fun poster.

 

And on that note, few months back, went to pick up a load at the UPRR. 53' container, the RRO had a deep cut in the sidewall, not road safe. The RRI had real bad tread sep., about a 8" section of tread was missing, took it back to roadability. I pointed out those items to the supervisor, I also said for them to check the air in the tires. SO, they replaced the two bad tires, checked the air in the others, and called it good.


Notice, I didn't say they inflated the other tires.

Next morning, I went to get it, found the LRO and FRO were still low , when I pointed this out to the mechanic, his exact words "well, you only reported the two tires as bad, and asked us to check the air in the others, you didn't ask us to inflate them" . With God as my witness, this is the truth.

 

you're bad,lol

 

I just wonder if being called "Yard Dog" is why they all seem to have such bad attitudes?

 

I actually thought this was a joke!

 

Or? Maybe it's because they have bad attitudes their called yard dogs?

 

Hey striker, as someone who spent 5 years going to the yards in Chicago, that doesn't surprise me at all. It's like you have to do their thinking for them. They are MASTERS at doing only what they are told to do.