Today's descriptive process is about log truck drivers. Bless 'em all. I'm not griping, just describing.
Drivers who show up an hour late several times in a row and expect to go to the head of the line anyway. This causes arguments with the other drivers who complain bitterly to the loader and expect him to mediate the dispute. The loader does...but he doesn't like it. The late driver didn't think much of it either.
Drivers who show up early and try to weasel an earlier loader time than assigned. See above. We don't allow the drivers to hit each other. Some times I wish we did.
Truck drivers who have to be reminded every load, for six loads in a row, to pull their bunk pins before they leave the landing. When the loader gets disgusted and forgets to remind them on the seventh load they get bunk bound in the first switchback and block the road and we have to send a man with a torch up there to cut them loose. The driver then complains when the torch man burns the pins and pin holders completely off the bunks and throws them over the bank.
Truck drivers who throw only a landing wrapper on a high peaked load and then try to drive clear out to the pavement before they finish tying down. When the load ***** out they immediately call for a loader to get up there and put the load back together again. If they're not blocking the road they'll have to wait until the loader has time. That may be a while.
Drivers who stretch the reach out so far that bunking 32's becomes an exercise in precise inch measurements, minimum legal bunk edge distance and depth perception. Especially when you're loading the first round in the dark.
These are the same guys that never clean the bunk trough and balk when you want them to put a strip chain on a load of sugar pine. They're in a hurry but they'll spend more time arguing about it than it takes to put it on. It's still the driver's choice but if they strip out of the load they're going to sit awhile unless they have the road blocked. The other drivers get to call him names then...none of them are complimentary.
Drivers who don't charge the dolly brakes until they're loaded and ready to pull out. These are the same guys who always have a very slow compressor. No problem, the loader probably needs time to climb down and take a piss anyway. And get a cup of coffee. And some donettos. And listening to the other drivers have religious moments about the delay...as in "Jesus Christ, my kid has a bicycle pump that puts out more air than that". Or "*********, charge your trailer while you're loading so you don't hold everybody up". Stuff like that.
The majority of the drivers are fine. They show up on time, don't break things, tie down tight and right, and keep their equipment up. They even bring the loader donuts occasionally.
The ones like I described above make you appreciate the good ones.
And yeah, I'm running loader again. Temporarily.
Drivers who show up an hour late several times in a row and expect to go to the head of the line anyway. This causes arguments with the other drivers who complain bitterly to the loader and expect him to mediate the dispute. The loader does...but he doesn't like it. The late driver didn't think much of it either.
Drivers who show up early and try to weasel an earlier loader time than assigned. See above. We don't allow the drivers to hit each other. Some times I wish we did.
Truck drivers who have to be reminded every load, for six loads in a row, to pull their bunk pins before they leave the landing. When the loader gets disgusted and forgets to remind them on the seventh load they get bunk bound in the first switchback and block the road and we have to send a man with a torch up there to cut them loose. The driver then complains when the torch man burns the pins and pin holders completely off the bunks and throws them over the bank.
Truck drivers who throw only a landing wrapper on a high peaked load and then try to drive clear out to the pavement before they finish tying down. When the load ***** out they immediately call for a loader to get up there and put the load back together again. If they're not blocking the road they'll have to wait until the loader has time. That may be a while.
Drivers who stretch the reach out so far that bunking 32's becomes an exercise in precise inch measurements, minimum legal bunk edge distance and depth perception. Especially when you're loading the first round in the dark.
These are the same guys that never clean the bunk trough and balk when you want them to put a strip chain on a load of sugar pine. They're in a hurry but they'll spend more time arguing about it than it takes to put it on. It's still the driver's choice but if they strip out of the load they're going to sit awhile unless they have the road blocked. The other drivers get to call him names then...none of them are complimentary.
Drivers who don't charge the dolly brakes until they're loaded and ready to pull out. These are the same guys who always have a very slow compressor. No problem, the loader probably needs time to climb down and take a piss anyway. And get a cup of coffee. And some donettos. And listening to the other drivers have religious moments about the delay...as in "Jesus Christ, my kid has a bicycle pump that puts out more air than that". Or "*********, charge your trailer while you're loading so you don't hold everybody up". Stuff like that.
The majority of the drivers are fine. They show up on time, don't break things, tie down tight and right, and keep their equipment up. They even bring the loader donuts occasionally.
The ones like I described above make you appreciate the good ones.
And yeah, I'm running loader again. Temporarily.
for me to munch on.
