Man Got Backing Skills

[speerk]

I'll still be there trying to to hit the dock

https://uberhumor.com/this-guy-trucks

[tjc transport]

he probably does that 2-3 times a day, and can do it in his sleep!

[Licensed to kill]

I dunno, he had to pull ahead once, B+😀. 

[HarryS]

How about the doubles guy next to him.

[mechohaulic]

you know what helps alot in those situations; (besides skill)  very slight pressure on the trolly brake. it makes it easier for the trailer to make a tight piviot . in the delivery days, i had one stop in a small parking lot with double row of cars and a loading dock. 45ft trailer . brakes on slightly with trolley and sand on pavement made line up to dock slick. no dock unload meant hand truck many trips up ramp. 

[tjc transport]

didn't ya read the manual?

ya ain't supposed to let the old timer secrets out!!!

[Joey Mack]

I wouldnt worry too much about giving away secrets on how to drive...  "Driving" is/has been dumbed down for years....  So the tricks of the trade will likely fall on deaf ears.. Unless there's an 'app' they can put on their phone's... jojo

[mowerman]

Yes I was thinking the same thing the guy probably bucks in there all the time and knows exactly where to start Cutting it  so on so forth besides the fact that’s pretty much the only way you can get in there I think we’ve all had doors  like that there were almost impossible to get into  May company downtown Los Angeles I’m sure Some of you are familiar with it

[Joey Mack]

it certainly was a cool maneuver.  If my Schneider driver trainer saw me scuff those trailer tires I would have been written up..  regardless if I docked right without hitting the other truck or anything else..  I love it...  jojo

[tjc transport]

thursday morning i had to deliver two skid steers to a bank. the street was too tight to unload on, but there was a parking lot behind the bank.

bossman came walking around the bank just as i was swinging into the driveway from center lane and heading up the ramp to the parking lot. 

he tried to stop me, but i just kept going and swung around facing out. (i had to do two small backups to clear a car).

he came walking over and asked me "how did you do that, there was not enough room to turn around" 

i looked at him, smiled, and said apparently there was. 

[Joey Mack]

I remember back in 2000,, i had only been driving 2 years+,, I was driving a '79 R model with a 12 speed, and I also drove a '98 RD with an 18spd... I was so proud as a new driver, to be trusted with these machines..  We were doing a "Target Store " pre-load and service road... We had to back down the  service road  with our loads, and , no sh!t..  I payed close attention to backing, and could push those dump trailers all the way down that curvy dirt path, with little to no pull up's.. I was really proud of myself.  to this day I always try to back into tight spots whenever I can. at that time I was leaving to go work at Maine Mack as  "Mechanic"..  one of the owners said that he was going to miss me, because, with my limited driving expereince, he said I was one hell of a driver...  I left that full time job with my head held high. I decided to drive for them on my days off from Mack. Mostly what I did was site work, driving a 'yuke' truck/ cat wagon, and some small dozers and roller's..  I was very proud back then...   I guess my point is...  are the newbies proud of the incredible responsibility that they hold? Class 'A' means more than just the endorsement on the Driver's liscence...  jojo

[tjc transport]

most steering wheel holders these days have no pride at all in their work. all they are looking for is a paycheck, and will do as little as possible to get that check. 

i have been known to back the loaded 95 foot long low boy down a 1 mile road with trans in high reverse at 15-20 mph because i feel it is easier to back the road than try to turn around . 

my other "driver" can not back into the paver without the ground man directing him.

i remember how to get to a jobsite i was at one time 5 years ago. he can not remember how to get to the job he was just at 1 hour ago. if he does not have his phone in his face with the GPS telling him where to turn, he gets lost. 

and he came with a raving reviews from his last employer. 

 

[Joey Mack]

I like the challenge of driving backwards..  it takes skill and attention to ALL of youre surroundings..  I bet I can still get in a Mack and back it in... anyway, i'm just reminiscing...  jojo

[mechohaulic]

19 hours ago, Joey Mack said:

I like the challenge of driving backwards..  it takes skill and attention to ALL of your surroundings..  I bet I can still get in a Mack and back it in... anyway, i'm just reminiscing...  jojo

in today's world, at least in CT; it takes skill and attention to all your surroundings just to safely drive a car!!  never have i seen anything like it , not once or twice  every time on the road. how can people be in such a hurry. common to see an ass---le make a 4 lane  highway out of what is a three lane. 

after "politics" came in to my job, shop was closed and ryder came in . boss bragged how they gave him free golf tickets. i was told = your a truck driver or nice knowing you. he thought i was going to quit; not with 25-27 yrs there. drove truck for remainder of my employment there. NO  GPS in those days. many hrs with road maps. was supposed to have a conventional with sleeper; too long for city . took a day cab twin screw set it up with curtains and laminated board for sleep with sleeping bag. not too many lay over days. had to show hotel for lay over. they were fun days ; that are long gone.

[tjc transport]

i have 1-2 years left before i retire. 

the brain dead steering wheel holders on the roads are really testing my patience though. it seems every year they get dumber. 

[Joey Mack]

Mech. I know what you mean, and TJC.. drivers stare at their phones more than they do the windshield.. and if they are looking through the windshield, they are only looking over the edge of the hood..  I dont know why the "Smith system" is not taught anymore,  Sometimes I wish they would post signs with the "Smith system" on billboards along the highway..  Not on one billboard, but on 5 individual ones so they arent trying to read all 5 at 80MPH...  Mech.  I have only a few years in a tractor trailer, running the East coast,  I have driven through Hartford on I-84 about 100 times, on my route from (P.A. to Maine and back) maybe a bit less, dont remember,,  but what I do remember is how many people changed lanes so often and would just go from left to right, or even right to left to grab the next exit, in a flash...  and when the highway opened up to 12 lanes it still didnt seem like enough lanes...  it's been over 5 years since I drove through there in my 4 wheeler....  and let's not forget I-290 in Worcester M.A.   I always called it "The Worcester Raceway"...   jojo

[tjc transport]

i especially love the guys that do 30 over the limit weaving lane to lane plus the shoulder. 

and are still one or two cars behind me in the exit ramp because i was was doing 5 under the limit in the right lane. 

[mechohaulic]

3 hours ago, Joey Mack said:

Mech. I know what you mean, and TJC.. drivers stare at their phones more than they do the windshield.. and if they are looking through the windshield, they are only looking over the edge of the hood..  I dont know why the "Smith system" is not taught anymore,  Sometimes I wish they would post signs with the "Smith system" on billboards along the highway..  Not on one billboard, but on 5 individual ones so they arent trying to read all 5 at 80MPH...  Mech.  I have only a few years in a tractor trailer, running the East coast,  I have driven through Hartford on I-84 about 100 times, on my route from (P.A. to Maine and back) maybe a bit less, dont remember,,  but what I do remember is how many people changed lanes so often and would just go from left to right, or even right to left to grab the next exit, in a flash...  and when the highway opened up to 12 lanes it still didnt seem like enough lanes...  it's been over 5 years since I drove through there in my 4 wheeler....  and let's not forget I-290 in Worcester M.A.   I always called it "The Worcester Raceway"...   jojo

trying to do the math in my head ; that's what's takin so long to type. it's been at least 11-12 yrs since my full time driving day . darn now i feel real old . 

drove for baskin robbins last. unemployed for 1yr. (long story). mech for coca -cola 7 yrs ; then retired last 2017 - now. at B&R i did relief for few yrs entire east coast. finally got my own rte doing CT into MA. ran I-290every week. back 12+yrs road and people totally different.

[Terry T]

He forgot to swing his doors before he hit the dock...

[Joey Mack]

Been there done that,, at least I made a few people laugh... jojo

[Hayseed]

7 hours ago, Terry T said:

He forgot to swing his doors before he hit the dock...

Probably has a Roller Door.!

[tjc transport]

29 minutes ago, Hayseed said:

Probably has a Roller Door.!

nope, in the video you can clearly see swing doors. 

my bet is he squared into dock, then pulled forward 5 foot and opened doors. 

that is what i used to do when i ran boxes. 

 

[Brocky]

1 hour ago, tjc transport said:

nope, in the video you can clearly see swing doors. 

my bet is he squared into dock, then pulled forward 5 foot and opened doors. 

that is what i used to do when i ran boxes. 

 

But that does NOT work when the building architects put the doors VERY close together trying to get as many doors as possible in the least amount of building space!! When I worked for Wrangler Blue Jeans they had some plants designed for 96 wide trailers that when the 102's came out the open doors were actually touching each other..

[tjc transport]

so true Brocky.but it appears that dock has enough room to open doors at the dock.

i only had that problem once, and it was on an open dock. i pulled too close to the storage trailer parked there. but that was also 40 years ago .i bet i have only moved boxes two or three times in the past 40 years when i went from over the road to local heavy construction.

[other dog]

On 2/13/2022 at 4:23 PM, tjc transport said:

most steering wheel holders these days have no pride at all in their work. all they are looking for is a paycheck, and will do as little as possible to get that check. 

i have been known to back the loaded 95 foot long low boy down a 1 mile road with trans in high reverse at 15-20 mph because i feel it is easier to back the road than try to turn around . 

my other "driver" can not back into the paver without the ground man directing him.

i remember how to get to a jobsite i was at one time 5 years ago. he can not remember how to get to the job he was just at 1 hour ago. if he does not have his phone in his face with the GPS telling him where to turn, he gets lost. 

and he came with a raving reviews from his last employer. 

 

That reminds me of a job site that we hauled some long bridge beams to one time. I don't remember how long the girders were, but they were loaded on stretch trailers (extendable), but the longer the trailer the easier it is to back anyway. We- there was two or three of us, I don't remember that either- got off of I-95 down south of Petersburg somewhere, and took this little small road that i'm pretty sure turned into a dirt/gravel road, but I don't remember that for sure either, and went probably 3 or 4 miles to the job site. It turned out that the beams were loaded backwards on the trailers, or we needed to be on the other side of the creek- which we were not.

They couldn't spin them around with the crane so we backed up all the way to 95, turned around, then backed in all the way back to the job site. It wasn't hard, just took a while, and I don't think there was any traffic on that road to get in the way because the bridge was out.