Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[OPTION3]

when we used drop frame pups with hydraulic legs....dropping them was a SERIOUS problem.....it would bend the legs badly

 

[VonDutch]

I was dropping a set in Christiana, DE and in my haste, I swore I was all disconnected from my equipment, well I was but the legs were still up Made it even better that 2 feeders who were shifting in the yard were standing right there. Oopsie

I once saw a 30+ year driver forget to put his legs down when he was dropping a set. I didn't even have time to try to stop him before he pulled out from under his front trailer and BOOM! on the ground.

He simply smiled, stopped a shifter driving by, pointed at the grounded trailer and then drove off....still smiling!

The rule of thumb I was taught:

Leaving the trailers behind= legs down first. Taking the trailers with you= legs up last.

That way, god forbid you drop them, they'll at least be standing.

 

[VonDutch]

I wasn't talking to you jackwagon. Almost everything sou say you sound like a real tool. I was talking to the feeder drivers. We have all had that oops moment.

Thanks for my sunday morning laugh!

Jackwagon. Lol

 

[VonDutch]

Any idiot would know that you need to let someone know that you are leaving the yard with trailers 123 and 456. That is called common sense.

You sound like the kind of guy who would have no problem parking a set of triples on the shoulder of a major interstate rather than at a rest area or weigh station.

And other than reading others posts and commenting like a talking head wanna-be know it all what experiences have you had in either of those situations?

And the triples comment in light of the topic is downright disrespectful.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

It's the little lessons learned. Some of the things that seem obvious can be lost in the moment of learning. Like making sure the landing gear is down when you pull the pin and drive off. What feeder driver ever forgets how loud that boom was.

That makes a very distinctive noise. sounds a lot like a sonic boom up close and personal. Don't want to hear those too many times during your career.

 

[retiredTxfeeder]

Another mental error which has been known to happen is making sure you put the legs down, pull the kingpin, but forget to unhook your airlines and light cord. Always. always. make sure if you're unhooking from a single, get into the habit of turning around in your cab and looking out your back window when you pull clear of the 5th wheel, that you lay eyeballs on your glad hands before trailer apron clears the frame. worst case scenario, you drive off, your hoses stretch to their max, pop off and like a rubber band, fly thru your back window. It happened several times a year in my hub. the glad hands are sometimes made of aluminum, sometimes pot metal. Had one driver do this and the glad hands came thru his back window and knocked him out cold. sometimes the glad hands stay on the trailer. In that case they usually rip out of the back of the tractor. Avoidable accident time, unless you're on a first name basis with the mechanic on duty. Not that I would ever advocate not reporting an accident.

 

[Pickles]

Now, when you hit 'leave', the Ivis thinks for a bit and then a message comes up with if there are hazards in your trailers. Must have started in June, cause it was not there in May and was in July. Loaders no longer have to pull hazmat papers and drivers do not have to carry papers in their pocket.

If there is a problem on road, emergency responders have to call an 800 number to have the hazardous manifest faxed to them. The instructions for that are in the same pouch as the insurance stuff, extra log pages, and Ivis instructions for law enforcement.

Here's a question I've asked management and they always say they are going to ask. (But never do)


Correct me if I'm wrong, this is what I've been told...

You can only have 100 lbs of black powder per steering wheel. Loaders scanners are supposed to tell them when they have reached the limit. Who's to say dispatch doesn't put 2 - 100 lbs black powder trailers together?

Also, I think they should give us that 1-800 # on a card to put in our wallet. If somethings on fire or something happens the last thing I want to be doing is digging through that pouch back there.

 

[pullbar]

Stop eating, buy a coffee cup, and say goodbye to friends and family.

 

[VonDutch]

Here's a question I've asked management and they always say they are going to ask. (But never do)


Correct me if I'm wrong, this is what I've been told...

You can only have 100 lbs of black powder per steering wheel. Loaders scanners are supposed to tell them when they have reached the limit. Who's to say dispatch doesn't put 2 - 100 lbs black powder trailers together?

Also, I think they should give us that 1-800 # on a card to put in our wallet. If somethings on fire or something happens the last thing I want to be doing is digging through that pouch back there.

Here's a question I've asked management and they always say they are going to ask. (But never do)


Correct me if I'm wrong, this is what I've been told...

You can only have 100 lbs of black powder per steering wheel. Loaders scanners are supposed to tell them when they have reached the limit. Who's to say dispatch doesn't put 2 - 100 lbs black powder trailers together?

Also, I think they should give us that 1-800 # on a card to put in our wallet. If somethings on fire or something happens the last thing I want to be doing is digging through that pouch back there.

I have told them from the beginning that the number should be a sticker on each door on every tractor.

 

[What'dyabringmetoday???]

Stop eating, buy a coffee cup, and say goodbye to friends and family.

You must have confused this with package car driver tips.

 

[trickpony1]

Upstate will like this........

I was told if I am "....in the act of leaving..." I can push "leave".

I said, "...so if I'm still hooking up and haven't completed my pre-trip I can push "leave"? Why don't you just go ahead and tell me to falsify my IVIS?

The sup turned around and walked away. He wants his departure times looking good.

Sometimes I do it because I just don't care.

 

[bluebiker]

I put the new hazmat card on the seat if I stop which is what you would do with the hazmat pouch.

My only question with the new system is the delay first responders would have if there was a problem. (calling the phone #).

Although now when it tells you there are hazmats, if the package was scanned, you know they are in fact there, instead of relying on the loader to pull the slip.

 

[bluebiker]

Sometimes you hit leave and it says the trailer is not on property. Meaning someone already outbounded you to make their numbersl look good.

 

[CheddaHead]

Sometimes you hit leave and it says the trailer is not on property. Meaning someone already outbounded you to make their numbersl look good.

Happens quite a bit

 

[Jones]

Never had that happen. Yet.

 

[pickup]

Also, I think they should give us that 1-800 # on a card to put in our wallet. If somethings on fire or something happens the last thing I want to be doing is digging through that pouch back there.

Good Idea, write down the 1800 number on a card and put it in your wallet. I will do the same.

 

[barnyard]

Never had that happen. Yet.

I have not had it happen either. Last week, though I hit all my pull times, so it really was not an issue.

 

[Jones]

I have not had it happen either. Last week, though I hit all my pull times, so it really was not an issue.

Ya know I rarely hit my pull times and I've never heard peep about it. I'm starting to think it's a non issue...

 

[barnyard]

Ya know I rarely hit my pull times and I've never heard peep about it. I'm starting to think it's a non issue...

I heard from another driver that we have a 15 minute 'cushion' before your name ends up on a report. I had 1 pull that was 5 minutes late and I asked about it and the supe said that he did not see my name on any reports.

 

[pickup]

Yes, the new system is better when it comes to keeping track of hazmats but there are times.... example 1:,the ivis said I had hazmats on an empty cpu trailer I was pulling. Example 2: ivis stated hazmats on a shipper's load that does not deal in hazmats, such as clothing. Example 3, ivis stated no hazmats on a load that had at least one hazmat box that I noticed when I was closing the trailer door.

And then we have the infamous hit "Leave" from a rail yard and while the information is digesting and I am already 1/4 of a mile down the road,then I see this message: "Hazmats info not available, Contact Dispatch immediately.
I can't stop at that point and I don't see what Dispatch is going to do about this fact now. I assume that in any event, the 1 800 number will have the info.