They need that on semis too...a lot of those guys can't back up either. I'm told by people who work the loading docks, half these guys come in and say "no backy, no backy"
My buddies dad works for US Foods. 85% of his work is parking semi trailers for drivers at the warehouse because they can't! Lmao
In my experience, it's not necessarily the drivers that don't speak good English that struggle. It's the drivers with mega carriers like swift and cr england that get pushed through the company's own cdl school, sent out with a trainer for not long enough, then turned loose. These drivers are most likely locked into a year long contract where if they choose to leave, they have to pay for their training. And then add in the fact that food warehouses are notorious for long unloading times and cheap freight, and you get what you get. OTOH, my brother in law could definitely benefit with some trailer backup assistance. Every time we get to the boat launch or back home, I either get in the driver's seat or stand outside the window and tell him which way to turn the wheel
Wasn't me or Pallet Pete . We were both drivers back in the day. Funny stuff tho. I've seen it many times. Also helped a few back up.
To be fair I have had docks I couldn't do without multiple attempts. It may look like it's easy but it defiantly isn't... The reality is most city docks where built when trucks where 30' to 40' trailers and almost all day cabs with no sleeper. Trying to back a sleeper fleet truck with a combined length of 51 to 61 ft long we'll you get the idea.... There are a lot of hard docks. That said I am good and can usually do the first shot unless it's warehouse docks or trailer parking that is 1" apart which there are a lot of. Those docks are a nightmare to get into. I honestly think the guys who can't back are constantly rotating in and out of the industry. It's hands down the most stressful and hard job I have had.. Thats saying something considering millions of dollars and livestock health across the state ride on my coworkers and I doing our current job correctly. Most guys do it for a less than a year then give it up. Your never home, never get to see your kids grow up, never get to spend time with the wife, never see extended familyand so on it's a hard life. If your lucky your home one day a week but it's usually once a month for a couple days. All that means VERY high turnover rate. Anyways I'm tired and a little grumpy sorry folks.
In a different life I used to drive heavy duty wreckers. I couldn't count the number of times where I would be backing a box truck into a dock so they could unload it before going to the shop and have the driver exclaim "wow, you can back my truck up better on this than I can driving it" I was always dumbfounded that they would happily exclaim that. Its an effing box truck! How can you not back it up??? I'll admit that due to lack of needing to do it, I wasnt comfortable backing a TT unit into a dock. But I could much more comfortably do it when it was hooked to my truck.
Many moons ago we hired a new truck driver. Well, I did not do the hiring for this guy. Anyway, we had to make a trip into Chicago so I took him along on his first day at work. We talked for a few hours until we were getting close to Chicago. I stopped for some coffee. Went back out and told him to drive. He started to freak out. Ah ha. His hiring application was not entirely truthful. Well, with me navigating we did finally make it to the terminal. I went in and was told to back into number xx. I went out and told him where to back up. Talk about freaking!! I told him he had to at least try. I finally had to back it in and he about flipped when I didn't need to back up, go ahead, back up, go ahead. First try got us in. Needless to say, he did not do too well...
I worked at a manufacturing place for a bit. I have never driven a tractor trailer but was often told that the dock was terrible. It was on the blind side of the truck and the owner insisted on parking his truck right where the drivers couldn't see it. The drivers that I would see dayly had it down but the long haul guys struggled. The truck would have to be straight to the dock to get the fork lift on. One guy wanted to fight me cuz he couldn't get it straight and I wouldn't unload till he did. Also,more steps to taking the operator out of the vehicle, The new F150 has a trailer assist option. Just another unnessasry thing to go wrong. If you can drive the truck/trailer forwards and backwards leave it at home.
