As someone who drops and hooks three times a day, I suggest that if you have air ride suspension with a dump valve, leave the dollies about 1" above the ground, then set them down with the dump valve. That makes life easy for the guy who has to pick up the trailer after it's loaded, so he doesn't have to crank for an hour in low gear to avoid getting a hernia.

 

Don't forget to open your trailer doors before you bump the dock ops:

 

Funny newbie oldbie story on this one. I did that the first day on my new job. I pulled rollups for 10 years. I forgot. Dropped the trailer and got halfway across town before the phone rang. ops:

Swing doors suck.

 

Well....... I had been driving OTR for a SHORT time. Started out team run from Ga. to Ca. and back. I only had to back one time every other week in a lot big enough to do a straight back. After co-driver quit I started running anything and everything. First two weeks I was lucky as all the docks were easy. Then the dreaded day came when I went to pick up at a SMALL place just west of Cleveland, Oh. As I sat on the main drive ( read small, one lane driveway ) and watched in horror as one driver helped another driver ( who I figured had been driving ALL their lives ) back into a dock.
I went inside to get my door number and as I came out the two drivers were at a small table just outside the door. Neither said anything and I walked back to my truck. I pulled into the "yard" and begain my set-up. Some how I wound up in a GOOD set-up. I backed up nice and slow and somehow went right in with one try. Well by-G*D I grabed my smokes and was going to have fellowship with my fellow truckers at that table. About 20 feet from the table the door opens from the building and a guy sticks his head out and yells, " you need to open your doors " ops:

 

Well I just made a mistake the other day.........I followed company directions to a drop yard at a paper mill.
Got the trailer into the slot and just then, a yard goat driver pulls up and says......"wrong lot".

Ah well..........I dont think its a rookie or veteran thing, we all make mistakes. The mistake is not learning from that error.

If you learn from your mistakes, its less likely you'll repeat them again.

 

My worst Oooops was not using a bungie cord on a door and it came loose and I busted it off while backing. Dumby me did not notice it nor the guys waving at me to stop till after I heard the crash bang..

Or hitting a Metal pole with my bumper while backing. One place I bhad to back out, and done it many times before. I still say that pole jumped out and hit my Truck... (j/k)

Accidents does happen. we are only human.

 

I looked and I looked and I STILL can't find those dang doors on my trailer you guys keep talking about! :evil: :lol:

 

wearing sweatpants and not waiting long enough for your ahem to subside before getting out of the truck and walking into shipping/receiving. you risk the chance of others playing "guess the skyline" and you coming up tulsa, ok instead of new york.

coming into shipping/receiving wearing the plaid lounge set/pj's that your wife gave you with a bubble coat on top because you're cold. if you wear the plaid make sure you know what clan you're from 'cause i'm gonna ask. and no the wrinkles don't mean your great grandfather emmigrated when he was 15. more like your momma didn't teach you very well.

and finally

don't and i mean do not wear white socks with the black shower slippers until after memorial day. :roll: :mrgreen:

 

so true

 

lol i got my first one.
{blown head gasket} "well this is gonna take a while. but we got a new truck for ya. after 6 months i hate to admit it, its starting to grow on me,
its alot nicer in those traffic jams.