Spotters (yard tractors)

I've seen jockeys drag empties long distances with the brakes locked many times.
They often won't wait for the trailer brakes to release before pulling away. I've watched them pull a pup with a dolly dragging behind that they were too stupid to drain the air out of.
One jockey ruined 4 tires on a dolly this way!
After all, they have no time to waste, and they must go go go or else!
You must not have to deal with pups, otherwise you would know that you have to dismount the spotter to drop the nose bar when you put a trailer to the dock.
Why not take 5 extra seconds to adjust the landing gear on the odd trailer that is too high?
I'll tell you why they don't do it...
They are sorry workers.
These are the same sort that are in too much of a hurry to put both dummy glad hands on a pup when they break a set, or too lazy to snap the clip on the nose bar pin when they raise it. This I really cant understand, as their hand is on the dammed thing anyway.
I've heard all of the excuses, and none of them hold water.
The amazing thing is, our spotter tractor broke down, and the jockeys had to use a city tractor while it was in the shop.
The problem with high and low trailer noses vanished during this period, proving that the problem lies with the jockeys.

 

I have seen spotters drag MT trailers away before the brakes release, so I do know it has been done.

 

I've seen it happen too... often enough to know its not an isolated occurrence.

 

People seem to forget that not all trucks have the same height 5th wheel plate. With a traditionally spec'd vocational truck, I'm considerably higher than a low riding, small tire, minimal clearance ATA special. Heck, one of these new POS trucks drop a trailer and it won't even clear my drive tires! I dump my bags and leave the dolly legs an inch off the ground and they'll STILL miss the pin completely. The yard jockey doesn't know who dropped the trailer, and they really couldn't care less who is going to hook to it next. They drop 'em like they hook 'em and move on to the next. A yard jockey has no reason to EVER touch a dolly crank...so I just don't see them doing it.

 

Obviously not all tractors are the same.
In my case, the jockeys deal with trucks that are speced the same way, most are the same brand.
Very few outside carriers visit our yards, and of those that do, most of them are pulling their own trailers.
The irregularities in the yard surface are the cause of the vast majority of trailer height differences.
In my earlier post, I related how the problem is almost totally the jockeys' responsibility.
I suppose that an extra 5 seconds of the spotter's precious time to crank the landing gear a few turns, while he is on the ground to lower the nose bar anyway is too much to ask.
Yes, it's far more efficient to have a driver spend 5 minutes doing the same job.
That makes sense...
If you are a yard jockey.

 

How are "yard irregularities" the responsibility of the yard jockeys? Is it in their job description to make sure the parking lot is level and smooth? I doubt it is. They hook to a trailer, put it in a door to be loaded or unloaded, and then they pull it back to the lot out of the way. They don't have the time or reason to be messing with landing gears unless they are stuck using a road tractor because their yard dog is out of commission. If management WANTED them messing around with landing gears, they wouldn't provide them with the yard dogs that can lift the nose of the trailer.

 

Never mind.
My point is lost on you.
I guess the fact that we are working for the same company, and should be trying to help each other is meaningless.
They are out of the truck anyway, why not take a moment to help out the next driver that has to pull the trailer?
I suppose it's too much to ask...

 

A lot of places, the yard dog's boots never touch the ground. They have a door from the cab to the catwalk to exit the cab and hook up the red line. Supply air, raise the nose, and roll. That's why a lot of places want the doors open when you drop a trailer...1 less thing for the yard jockeys to have to do. The facility generally isn't concerned with the OTR guy who might be there once or twice a year, or even the dedicated guy who's there a time or two per week. Facility management wants efficiency from THEIR employees, and will develop policies to encourage that (i.e. sliding tandems to the rear and opening the doors). A few extra minutes from each OTR driver who passes through the gates means HOURS not wasted by the yard jockeys every day...and since they are paying the yard jockeys by the hour and your time costs them nothing, you aren't a concern.

Trailers dropped at varying heights is just one of those things you deal with. You can complain about it 'til you're blue in the face and it is still going to happen. Might be differences in 5th wheel heights...might be due to high/low spots in the drop lot...might be any number of variables involved. It isn't going to change, and the yard jockeys don't have time to measure the 5th wheel height of every trailer they drop to make sure it's consistent. They aren't messing with you, so there's really no need to get mad about it.

 

Anyone who thinks a yard jockey cannot drag a wagon w/wheels locked or landin gear down or numerous other crazy acts....has obviously NEVER been to a port or intermodel facility...lmao

 

Or an OTR. driver! LMAO!