Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[Dracula]

But isn't it you who are rushing when you try to hero it, instead of spotting the dolly yourself with your tractor?
Or pulling your kite out of the way somewhere where you can hook up however you want without screwing up everyone elses night?

I consider it a required job skill. I don't think it's a 'hero" back when you can do it. I work in large yards, where it takes time to find your loads, verify %'s and hook up. Our dolly piles can be a ways away from your hook-up spot. Generally speaking, our dollies are spotted already. Sometimes, though, they aren't.

It sounds like you guys are spun real, real tight. We just don't get bent out of shape when we get held up in the places I work. It's unavoidable.

Yeah, we give drivers a hard time too, but usually just before we walk over and help out a guy struggling with it. Sometimes a few words can get someone over the hump. It sounds like real stupid, but a senior guy told me that as soon as you think that dolly is starting to turn, start moving the wheel to correct it. I got frustrated when he told me, because it didn't make sense to me, and I was struggling real bad. But when I started snapping them, that's how I did it. That same guy told me that there will be a time when you do it by feel, and won't even think about it. Back then, I wasn't so sure. But he was right.

 

[Johney]

Ok what does "kite" mean?

 

[cachsux]

Believe me, you don't want this! I shift for half a night one time per week. They often have a shifter spot dollies.
The PROBLEM with this is an inside shifter will place the dolly in front of the kite. No problem, right? The problem is, that's all he does.
As a feeder driver who also shifts, I pre-trip the dolly. As you don't know who put the dolly there for you, not only do you have to pre-trip it, but you're bound to find something wrong with it and have to swap it yourself anyhow.

It would be a cold day in hell when I get out of a warm horse to go over a dolly, most likely covered in grease because of the last driver, to pretrip it to spot in front of a trailer while the dispatched driver is standing in the cafeteria having coffee.

 

[cachsux]

Ok what does "kite" mean?

A back box. The "kite" at the end of your string.

 

[cachsux]

Yes. And it's one less step if your trusty spotters/dispatchers neglect to get you spotted. But learning how to do it is important in snow. Hell, I feel like it's an important feeder skill to know. It just takes practice.

One building might set you up. The next wont. A rail yard sure as hell wont.
I you don't have the skill yourself then what are you going to do when you're all alone?

 

[Johney]

A back box. The "kite" at the end of your string.

Ok,thank you.

 

[cachsux]

We have to do it when our dolly isn't spotted for us. And the second you worry about who's waiting on you, you start rushing. And when you start rushing, you start walking the plank. So, I don't care who is waiting, who is mad or who is watching. Last time I had to do it, I only had four pull-ups/back ups to hook it.

The only guys I'll give any crap to are the guys who run people over to get to there bay and then tie the place up while they go through Drivers Ed. It's even better when they have a circle patch.
Guys that are cool I'll help.

 

[cachsux]

But isn't it you who are rushing when you try to hero it, instead of spotting the dolly yourself with your tractor?
Or pulling your kite out of the way somewhere where you can hook up however you want without screwing up everyone elses night?

You touched on a huge pet peeve.

The who sets up his rig in front of a back box that he can't touch yet (we have a flag procedure on trailers that aren't ready) and then sits there to the detriment of the rest of us sometimes for hours.
's

 

['Lord Brown's bidding']

It sounds like you guys are spun real, real tight. We just don't get bent out of shape when we get held up in the places I work. It's unavoidable.

Yeah, we give drivers a hard time too, but usually just before we walk over and help out a guy struggling with it. Sometimes a few words can get someone over the hump. It sounds like real stupid, but a senior guy told me that as soon as you think that dolly is starting to turn, start moving the wheel to correct it. I got frustrated when he told me, because it didn't make sense to me, and I was struggling real bad. But when I started snapping them, that's how I did it. That same guy told me that there will be a time when you do it by feel, and won't even think about it. Back then, I wasn't so sure. But he was right.

While I am not entirely privy to what you guys are talking about, Drac, there is a difference between "unavoidable" and someone being inconsiderate. Yes, we get paid by the hour, but to hold everyone else up because you don't want to get out and set up the dolly the proper way, or at least 'be a hero' to the side so others can go about their business in a timely fashion? Nothing unavoidable about that.

Rookies make mistakes; might bend a string at the gate entrance, or drop a box in a bad spot. These things happen, like traffic jams, long lines at the DMV, or spending all day at jury duty but never being called to serve. Sometimes, though, an "unavoidable" incident is exacerbated because of people ignorantly not doing the right thing, like people getting into fender benders on the highway and then tying up traffic while they exchange information, rather than pull their cars to the shoulder(if driveable, of course), like the law, and common decency, suggests.

I probably wouldn't get bent out of shape of someone practicing a maneuver where they ought not, because I can be patient, but I have a general strong dislike of people being inconsiderate. That's not being "wound tightly".

 

[Jones]

I consider it a required job skill. I don't think it's a 'hero" back when you can do it. I work in large yards, where it takes time to find your loads, verify %'s and hook up. Our dolly piles can be a ways away from your hook-up spot. Generally speaking, our dollies are spotted already. Sometimes, though, they aren't.

It sounds like you guys are spun real, real tight. We just don't get bent out of shape when we get held up in the places I work. It's unavoidable.

Yeah, we give drivers a hard time too, but usually just before we walk over and help out a guy struggling with it. Sometimes a few words can get someone over the hump. It sounds like real stupid, but a senior guy told me that as soon as you think that dolly is starting to turn, start moving the wheel to correct it. I got frustrated when he told me, because it didn't make sense to me, and I was struggling real bad. But when I started snapping them, that's how I did it. That same guy told me that there will be a time when you do it by feel, and won't even think about it. Back then, I wasn't so sure. But he was right.

It's not a required job skill, at some of our hubs you'll get a warning letter if the wrong person sees you doing it. As far as getting held up you seem to want it both ways, you claim it's a time saver for you, but if anyone gets annoyed waiting for you to get it right they're "spun real, real tight"....

 

[cachsux]

While I am not entirely privy to what you guys are talking about, Drac, there is a difference between "unavoidable" and someone being inconsiderate. Yes, we get paid by the hour, but to hold everyone else up because you don't want to get out and set up the dolly the proper way, or at least 'be a hero' to the side so others can go about their business in a timely fashion? Nothing unavoidable about that.

Rookies make mistakes; might bend a string at the gate entrance, or drop a box in a bad spot. These things happen, like traffic jams, long lines at the DMV, or spending all day at jury duty but never being called to serve. Sometimes, though, an "unavoidable" incident is exacerbated because of people ignorantly not doing the right thing, like people getting into fender benders on the highway and then tying up traffic while they exchange information, rather than pull their cars to the shoulder(if driveable, of course), like the law, and common decency, suggests.

I probably wouldn't get bent out of shape of someone practicing a maneuver where they ought not, because I can be patient, but I have a general strong dislike of people being inconsiderate. That's not being "wound tightly".

Here's how I judge it. It's a reflection of being not only a good driver but a member of our union.

If you have all the room around you and you're not going to interfere with another's work then god bless, get some practice. But if it's tight, busy, others are waiting also, then get a grip with your skill level and ego and either do it right or ask for help. I have never ever turned down a driver that asked for help because he knew he was going to hold things up. I have a handful of times left an hanging because all they could think of were themselves and then got themselves in a bind.

 

[QKRSTKR]

It's certainly something they don't teach you in feeder school. I never have a dolly pre spotted, hell I could get out real early if that was the case. I can save more time by just doing it the right way. I did watch a guy Friday back one in ally dock style on the back of his lead. They changed his loads, his rear changed so it was easier.

You can get a union letter for doing this, especially if you don't get out and check dolly trailer height alignment. How many trailers have been forked doing it the right way? Plus with the newer Mack's air bags we have a lot of trailers get left high, I sure the hell don't want to high pin one either.

 

[barnyard]

When I was trained, the supe told me that some drivers do hero hook their sets and that some have had issues. I know there are guys that have done it in my center during their annual safety ride and it was not a problem.

That all said, I have not covered enough vacations to be comfortable even trying it.

 

[pretender]

It's not a required job skill, at some of our hubs you'll get a warning letter if the wrong person sees you doing it. As far as getting held up you seem to want it both ways, you claim it's a time saver for you, but if anyone gets annoyed waiting for you to get it right they're "spun real, real tight"....

While it is a good idea to learn how to do it, it is not a required job skill. It is also valuable to learn how to back a set of doubles, but that is also not a prerequisite to pass feeder school.

When starting your day at the vast majority of hubs, it is just as efficient to pre trip your tractor, then get a dolly to spot in front of your trailer. They only spotted a couple of dollies at my hub, and that was for the drivers who took delight in taking as long as they could to hook up, before making their daily trip to the shop. We had one guy who had even had his set hooked up for him, and he still could not make it to the gate on time. I used to like working with him, because I could slide by under the radar...

 

[pickup]

 

[pretender]

It is not bragging if you can "back it up".

 

[Johney]

Impressive.

 

[barnyard]

Of some import to me, is to notice how slow he went. No hurry at all, just do it right. Mad skillz.

 

[cachsux]

He got it back fairly straight into a huge hole. Put that back box in a wall bay and I'll buy him coffee.

 

[Johney]

Of some import to me, is to notice how slow he went. No hurry at all, just do it right. Mad skillz.

I agree. Slow wins that race.