Thursday, April 1, 2010

What we have here...

What we have here is called, in the industry (this one and just about any other) a "Clusterfuck"

This is the back corner of other the Flying J in Peculiar MO. (Hwy 71 just south of Kansas City) If you enlarge the image and look to the right of the headlights, you will see one (1) open parking spot.
To the left you will see the hood of a red truck and the trailer of another. Niether of these trucks are in parking spots, they are parked in EASY spots, outside of regular parking. NO backing or effort was required, I watched both of these and almost every truck in this image park.

The "open" spot is virtually impossible to back into or pull into because of the two trucks on the left.


This will not keep trucks from trying. Truck after truck. The "drivers" will pull up, maybe even set up, then see the angles, the space, recognize the space needed for the tractor to swing and leave. Can't. Be. Done.

This guy tries it, sets up, looks at it and moves on. He finds a spot around the corner up against the building. There's more room up there and he still had a fight on his hands. Honestly, had this spot in the rear been usable, he probably should not have tried it. (not that good) Backing is an art form. Knowing where the end of a trailer is that is almost 65 feet from you, takes practice. Then there is the part that people forget or don't realize for a long time; the tractor has to go somewhere and CAN'T go over the top of the tractor or trailer next to it. (this is expensive)

The "clusterfuck" happens when a driver that does not realize that either the space is impossible, like this one, or that he or she simply does not have what it take to back into it.




We watched several try it. The cluster of trucks and lights you see above was caused by the white truck on the Left, no, not the trailer, the nose of the USA Truck with marker lights can be seen. He spent 15 whole minutes trying that hole, then somehow got twisted around and into the hole he is now in. He blocked the entire lot for 15 minutes.

Why am I sitting here watching? Operations staff that can't plan loads to save their lives (or the retention) of their drivers. I'm done here.

I was rushed here yesterday afternoon, I had time to get here, but could not park any closer than 10 miles to the DC. I won't park on city streets, ramps or in a place marked "No Trucks" or "No Parking". I didn't have time to legally deliver this load. I went in late.

Remember the CSA2010 regs and the fact that aquired points, for ANYTHING, go against the driver. 100 points and you loose your license. Period. This includes parking tickets.

A broken tail light is 6 points. (oddly, a missing windshield is only 1)

I'm on "Elogs", no way to fudge entries.

Not that I would...

Cough...

t

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Terry Smelser
American Trucker, Techno-Sapien, Father, Grandfather, Husband, Conservative and RightWing NutJob. Long distance marksman and Gun NUT. Its worth dieing for...
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I've closed down Inn From the Night. (for now). There were several problems with my host, with the registrar, with the author...
OK, I was just getting tired of it, I've used the domain innfromthenight.com for years, I MEAN YEARS. it was originally a BBS running on an old 486 in the corner of my office, until it became my Domain.

I've decided to break things up a bit, a lot of the specific things, trucks, politics, other interests, blah blah blah, will be here at blogger, with a new personal site to come in the next couple of days.

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