yea I think it was a WORk,shenanigan jones on the back side.

 

Maybe the story is true. Picture your self as a new driver. You are lost and frustarted because you are lost. Someone tells you there is a place to turn around so you are glad. A fifty foot wide enterance can seem small if the heart is pumping 500 times a minute. Almost every gravel pit I have ever seen has a gate at the enterance. Was the gate closed? Maybe that was the only option. You are a new driver trying to back off a small two lane road, cars and another guy watching you try and you still aren't where you need to be. I might need a couple pull up also.

 

Jumbo, it wasn't a quarry. It was a construction site with a gravel entry way, had it had a gate blocking it, no way do you even get halfway turned around from a 2 lane road unless the gate is 100 feet off the road.

If the story if true, at least the newbie tried then realized he couldn't make it happen and when offered some help, took it. It has been shown time and again, not everyone can back perfectly when the pressure is on and/or they have a large area to back into. Some of the best backers can get into holes most wouldn't even attempt, put them in a wide open slot and they can't back worth a flip.

 

You mean not everybody out here in a truck was born with a steering wheel in there hand and could run a truck across US-250 in WV before they could walk???? God forbid that someone has had a bad day and couldn't get turned around. My God, I've had trouble backing at times, especially after I've had a few long days and not enough sleep.

I could care less who they drive for as to why they couldn't back up. It doesn't matter in the least. I've seen owner operators of 20+ years have trouble getting into a hole. I've also seen student drivers that are still with their mentors hit some of the toughest holes on the first try.

 

...you like to watch too? ops: :mrgreen:

 

I've been driving for a number of years now. There are days when I can back into the worst place you can imagine, and I don't have to pull-up even once. Then, twenty minutes later, I can go into about the most ideal location you can ask for, and I can't hit the dock to save my... life. We've all had our good days and our bad days.

If a driver is having a problem backing in, just get out of your truck and help him/her back in without hitting anything, or doing any damage. Doesn't matter if they're new at the game, or if they've been at it for years. One dock, recently, there was a Volvo trying to get into the dock and pulled ahead about 4 times. I got out of my truck and help him get in. When he shut the engine down, HIS TRAINER GOT OUT OF THE BUNK :shock: :shock: :shock: and it was NOT a (not so) Swift truck either. I've also helped O/Os that have been at it for years, to back in safely. No, we do not get paid for it, (and we also do not get paid for "rolling down the parking lot"). But it should be an inherent part of our fraternity.

 

Drew10,

You critical analysis of my story was exceptional.

To be more specific, he was on a winding 2 lane road. drainage ditches on both sides, no shoulders. The construction entrance was gravel, about 50' wide, but the gravel ended less than 60' in and turned to red mushy mud due to our recent rains. On one side was a pile of 5' diameter culverts 20' long, on the other side a deep ditch and an old tree. The deep ditch and the old trees were on his blind side. He said he'd rather knock the pile of culverts over than to put the trailer off in the ditch past the lone tree. After talking about it, he decided he'd better let me try!

You people can still call it what you want. I could have headed up the road, not helped, and the poor dude could have continued up and put himself in a position from which he would NOT have been able to extract himself without the help of a large wrecker and local law enforcement. I decided that would have been too painful to watch so I stopped to help him. This is a road that NO trucks ever go on, except dump trucks driven by locals...since they are now building giant luxury golf course number seven for the county out there, there are now trucks going out there and the place they are supposed to be going ain't all that well marked. Anyhoo...

I too had problems starting out and I was grateful for the help I received. I remember a large distribution facility in north Florida where I couldn't get it backed to the dock door between two other trailers for the life of me. An older, more experienced driver helped me then...I will continue to "pay it forward" in the future, whenever the opportunity presents itself, whether I'm currently a truck driver or not; I just won't come on here and tell anybody about it. Sorry for wasting your time.

 

HWD: The one thing I can't picture from your account, is which side of the road the construction entrance was on. i.e: after pulling past it to back in, was it a blind side or sight side back?

A 50 ft. wide entrance, with 60 feet to go back is more than enough room for this maneuver EVEN from a two lane road.... and even if it was on the blind-side.

And to someone who asked, I think it would be pretty hard to do a U-turn with a 53' trailer in a 50' entranceway. Maybe, with the tandems all the way up, and nothing for the trailer swing to hit.

With HWD blocking traffic, a simple setup with the tandems near the edge heading into the entranceway, and the other side of the steers on the other edge of the road, there should have been plenty of room to jack the tractor enough to pivot on the tandems with them only about 30 ft in, and then turn the steers and pull out going the other way.

Whether HWD should, or has a right to question the backing skills of other drivers is not my concern. But, I have to agree with him that there are far too many drivers out here that can't back worth a dang!

But, that's just my opinion, and I'm sure the Rev will be along shortly to tell I have no right to have or share it! :roll:

C'mon guys..... a 50 foot wide entranceway?? I could do that stone DRUNK! :lol: :lol:

 

10-4

 

I didn't question his backing skills. I judge no one. He was frazzled, he verbally indicated he was nervous, and I offered to help. He accepted.

Simple as that.