Profile For Chiefmac

I'm sure the "letter of the law" tells the DOT to give you a shutdown and tickets; however, if you notice any of the hundreds of POS trucks passing you on a daily basis you'll see that there is a lot of leeway and gray areas.

If I was said DOT officer, I'd commend you on doing as good a job on securing it as you have instead of just rolling on like so many others.

Audio books. Great way to learn something new or just be entertained.

On the subject of health, check out Kevin Rutherford's website Letstruck.com and his show on XM Radio's Road Dog Channel.

I agree that you should not plan to stop; however, the real world sometimes dictates differently, such as, you are falling asleep (to me, way more dangerous than parking on a ramp) and aren't near a suitable rest area or truck stop. At least do it as safely as possible by using the get on ramp instead of the get off ramp due to slower speed of passing vehicles. Parking as far to the side as safety allows, watch for embankments or holes. Leave your marker lights on, turn your headlights off. If you still feel uncertain then trust your gut and find another spot. Don't park on the shoulder of travel lanes unless you are broke down. You create a hazard for yourself and others.

Sidewalk Chalk and Dry Erase Markers...steal some from your kids.

Chalk- Great for marking holes on your tandem rails and the ground so you can gauge how far to roll. Nice thing about this is the marks are easily removed to avoid confusion the next time you slide. I always mark my starting point with a > and my target with an X. Also good for marking tire problems temporarily (get a good tire marker or paint pen for a more permanent mark), leaving notes for dock workers, marking locations for freight on the inside of your trailer or customer names for split loads, and other things your imagination can dream up.

Dry Erase Marker- great for leaving a wipe off note on your window, or windshield. Sometimes I'll put exit numbers or route numbers on the upper left side of my windshield for quick reference, or reminders that I'm chocked, or something like that.

I adjust the mirrors very low so that the tandems are in the upper portion instead of the lower portion of the mirror. Raise or lower seat if needed to make an angle where you can see lines on the ground but you can't see dock lights unless you crouch or stretch to an unusual position. This technique minimizes those bright lights actually reflecting from mirrors to eyeballs.

Excelent!

I find sometimes a police car on the side of the road at night will seem to have ridiculously bright lights that make it hard to see past it.

I agree, they seem to be more of a hazard when they are that bright.

Well, as we all get older, our sensitivity to light may change. Some docks have super green LEDs and no other ambient light making a huge contrast. Now throw in some precipitation and it can really change the game. The amber glasses or in some cases clipons sound like they may work. Any other "helpful" tips?

What are some ideas for handling the blinding green dock lights when backing at night?

I was with Crete through my training, now I drive for a couple of private groups. It doesn't much matter what company is represented as the fact that you will not get more accurate info from a wide range of professionals anywhere else.