[LennyD]

I pulled into the McCarren Walmart DC earlier today and noticed a CRE driver who appeared to have less backing ability than the worst virgin driver from my trucking school. This guy got "lined up" 2-3 times, had absolutely nothing in his way (didn't even need to take the slightest angle), and he could not perform this most basic backing task, even with a shirtless, shoeless, preteen boy spotting him!

I told myself I would help him out if he needed it after I got my paperwork finished. When I came out, someone else was helping him.

I got his truck number and i'll leave it up to the replies here to decide whether or not I should turn him into his safety department.

Part of me says it's really none of my biz, the other part says that if this guy displays such poor control of his vehicle in a parking lot, he probably isn't much better on the road, and its probably a total fluke that he passed any driving tests.

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by LennyD

I got his truck number and i'll leave it up to the replies here to decide whether or not I should turn him into his safety department.

Part of me says it's really none of my biz, the other part says that if this guy displays such poor control of his vehicle in a parking lot, he probably isn't much better on the road, and its probably a total fluke that he passed any driving tests.

Obviously, he's a "graduate" of the CRE School of Steering Wheel Holding, so its highly unlikely that CRE's Safety Department :? will even give a flip. :P :evil:

But what the heck....let them know....you could save his life one day. If he screws up and backs into someone else's truck....

[golfhobo]

I really don't understand why backing is so difficult, but I've seen MANY who can't do it (old and new.)

I don't think "reporting" him will make any difference. And, I don't think it necessarily has a bearing on one's ability to drive on the open road.

A solo driver (most have little or no experience) tried to back in next to me at a shipper this week, (wide open docking lot) he obviously knew NOTHING about the dynamics and geometrics involved. I tried to explain it to him, after guiding him around for awhile, but he was obviously a "krainian" of some sort, and spoke very little English! :roll:

It SURE is easy to get a CDL these days! :shock:

The BEST we can do, is get out and "spot" them, then try to teach them!

What ELSE you gonna do at a shipper for a couple of hours?? 8)

[Uturn2001]

I would let it go.

You do not really know for certain that his problems was due to a lack of training or what. It is possible he was just having a bad day, maybe was just tired or had a headache or whatever. As long as he was not running over things he should not have been just let it go.

Even after several years of driving I have had days I could not put a trailer into a dock with what should have been the simplest of tasks, and other days I could hit a 90 degree blind side alley dock on the first try.

[Uturn2001]

its probably a total fluke that he passed any driving tests.

Well if he went through the CRE school in SLC it is not a fluke as CRE managed to get 3rd party testing status. They test out their own students. :roll:

Anyway, not that long ago California ordered everyone who went through that school and got a CDL and then transferred their liscence to CA to be retested.

[Ridge Runner]

Your right Uturn. I drop around 8 to 10 trailers a night and I have THOSE nights too. :lol: The easiest back takes three pull-ups. ops:

[got mud?]

Originally Posted by LennyD

I pulled into the McCarren Walmart DC earlier today and noticed a CRE driver who appeared to have less backing ability than the worst virgin driver from my trucking school. This guy got "lined up" 2-3 times, had absolutely nothing in his way (didn't even need to take the slightest angle), and he could not perform this most basic backing task, even with a shirtless, shoeless, preteen boy spotting him!

I told myself I would help him out if he needed it after I got my paperwork finished. When I came out, someone else was helping him.

I got his truck number and i'll leave it up to the replies here to decide whether or not I should turn him into his safety department.

Part of me says it's really none of my biz, the other part says that if this guy displays such poor control of his vehicle in a parking lot, he probably isn't much better on the road, and its probably a total fluke that he passed any driving tests.

if he didn't hit anything I would let it go. he will learn. admit it you have had days where you couldn't back I know

[Aligator]

That mighta been me!.......'cept I don't work for CRE.

Power steering pump went out a few weeks ago and I had to drive around with no power steering at idle.

Ever try to line up for a space like that? Man I could not believe how difficult it was! To make the steers turn I had to be moving, so of course I kept missing my spot.....finally, out of desperation I pulled way the hell out in front and to the left of the spot stuck 'er in gear and used both hands and my feet braced on the floor to get some leverage on the steering wheel. I actually worked up a sweat.

But nobody got hurt and nothing got bent...... :lol:

[married to the road]

There was a woman in orientation with me that could not back. We were in line to take a backing test and she was the one in front of me, (my luck) and she would swing around and get a great setup to where all she had to do was back straight up in a bay, but she would start turning her wheel as soon as she started backing up. Then she would start steering in the other direction and wound up all crooked. So then she would pull up and get straightened out again and try to start all over. This went on for about 30 minutes before the instructor finally told me to go out there and tell her to get out and let me try. And she had prvious driving experince. They still sent her out with a trainer to see if he could help. When I came back to test out, I found out that she was still out on the road and the trainer had called in the training dept. to say that she still could not manage to back and they looked up on computer and found out she had came over from Swift and had been fired for a backing accident. I guess she thought that she could get by flatbedding because we don't have to back up as much.

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by Aligator

That mighta been me!.......'cept I don't work for CRE.

Power steering pump went out a few weeks ago and I had to drive around with no power steering at idle.

Ever try to line up for a space like that? Man I could not believe how difficult it was! To make the steers turn I had to be moving, so of course I kept missing my spot.....finally, out of desperation I pulled way the hell out in front and to the left of the spot stuck 'er in gear and used both hands and my feet braced on the floor to get some leverage on the steering wheel. I actually worked up a sweat.

But nobody got hurt and nothing got bent...... :lol:

Just caused a "flashback"!! About two years ago..... I was out on Long Island and I had to deliver to an appliance warehouse where you had to go into the inside of the building and back into a slot..... very tight place with a 53'er....and it was an old building. Yup, my power steering pump went out earlier that day..... :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Needless to say, that day "sucked". Took plenty-much time to get in between two trailers....and much sweat dripping off nose..... Did I say that day "sucked"? And it was a NEW truck!! Went straight from there to the KW dealer out there on Long Island....and took a few days off while they worked the truck in and got it fixed.

I say let it go...I've had bad days myself.... and like everyone else said: If they didn't hit anything...no harm no foul.

Besides, you never know....CRE may have a recorder on the line that answers and you leave a message.... Thats what the doofii at Covenant do..... Probably set to "auto-erase" at that.