Scenario For New Drivers

Here's a pic a fellow driver sent me a bit ago of what he experienced today.

You go to pick up an empty trailer and find that you can't hit it straight on.

If you were to experience this how would you handle it?

Would you call dispatch and tell them you can't hook it ultimately bobtailing 130 miles to the terminal , use your truck to pull dumpster away, wait a couple hours for the trash company to come move it, hook at an angle, or would you do something different? Often times we face challenges that are something you don't encounter frequently but you're required to come up with a solution so you can keep rolling. After some of the newer drivers talk it over I'll let you know what the driver did as well as how I'd have done it if it was different.

I’m not a new driver and since I own my company I can make these decisions but what would weigh most heavily on my mind at that time is this: if I touch that dumpster with my truck without written permission what will happen.

I know what I will do but I’ll leave that for later.

I've seen trailers left like that with less than the length of the tractor between the kingpin and a building.

I don't know how they accomplished that.

Smack the trailer on the side to wipe that smile off it would be the first thing to do.

Smack the trailer on the side to wipe that smile off it would be the first thing to do.

Funny you mention that, the driver was pretty worked up over it and I asked if it makes him more upset that the trailer is taunting him with the smile

1st thought... contact my dispatch and let them know the situation, send them pictures, ask their advice and share my next 2 ideas

2nd thought... If I had a sliding 5th wheel, I would slide it all the way to the rear and see if I could hook on an angle. I would definitely have a tool box with me so I would back on an angle as close as possible, get the tape measure out, and see if it could be done without my wheels hitting the landing gear. If 5th wheel was not slidable, would still try angle and measuring

2nd thought... hook a tow chain to dumpster and pull it out of my way

Looking forward to hearing correct answer

Here's a pic a fellow driver sent me a bit ago of what he experienced today.

You go to pick up an empty trailer and find that you can't hit it straight on.

If you were to experience this how would you handle it?

Would you call dispatch and tell them you can't hook it ultimately bobtailing 130 miles to the terminal , use your truck to pull dumpster away, wait a couple hours for the trash company to come move it, hook at an angle, or would you do something different? Often times we face challenges that are something you don't encounter frequently but you're required to come up with a solution so you can keep rolling. After some of the newer drivers talk it over I'll let you know what the driver did as well as how I'd have done it if it was different.

Highly unlikely I'd run into a Fedex trailer like that but if I did I wouldn't hook. Wouldn't even try to hook.

The few times I've run rail trailers and have trailers like this, I grab a yarddog and have him pull it out. Last time even the YARDDOG screwed it up and jumped the pin, nailing the back of his hostler with the trailer.

Nope. Won't do it.

2nd thought... hook a tow chain to dumpster and pull it out of my way

Yeah, but if you damage the dumpster, ground or the back of your truck should your chain snap and fly back at you. you get to have a nice meeting with safety.

Personally, I know what I would do either as a spotter to do try and hook it in theory it should be possible even on a angle, or call dispatch and tell them its blocked.

Personally I'm not trying to hook it or moving the dumpster.

asked if it makes him more upset that the trailer is taunting him with the smile

Oh its definitely taunting him lol

This is at a retail store, yard dog is not an option in this situation. Perhaps at a large DC it would. If there was one available that would definitely be what I'd do. You guys goofed up now fix it it's also sunday so I doubt the trash company has anyone there and itd probably be an additional charge for them to come out if they did have staff.

That smile was the first thing I noticed, too.

Might be "A smile in every isle", but not a smile at that dock.

Is the trailer empty?