New 272xxx tractors

[over9five]

We had a guy go down the other day.

He had been using an older tractor that day, but had to switch to a new 272 when it broke down.
So getting out like he does every day, he stepped right in that hole between the front step and back step. That hole is exactly where you put your foot!
Is this a lawsuit (against Mack) waiting to happen? If there was ever anything legitimate OSHA should look into, this is it.

What a crappy, dangerous design flaw.

 

[menotyou]

Wow! I hope he is ok. I would write a letter to the Corp. if I were that driver.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Isn't part of the pretrip, especially on a new vehicle, learning about things that are unique to that vehicle, such as the step pattern? I know when I went from my older high step PC to my low step I had to rethink entering and exiting the vehicle.

Write a letter to the corporation? How would you word that? "Dear Sirs. I am writing to complain about the fact that I fell exiting your tractor because I wasn't paying attention. Driver."

 

[menotyou]

Emergencies never happen like a tractor catching on fire, right? We all don't live in that bubble of goodness-burg, Mr. Perfect.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Emergencies never happen like a tractor catching on fire, right? We all don't live in that bubble of goodness-burg, Mr. Perfect.

I never mentioned emergencies--we were talking about entering and exiting the cab on a new vehicle. It is an adjustment, much the same as going from a high step to a low step PC. I can't tell you how many times I misjudged but you didn't hear me whining about a vehicle defect and writing a letter to the company. Each time I misjudged the step was my own fault.

 

[menotyou]

I would write letter telling the Corp. of my experience, my fault or not. I don't recall 'us' talking about anything. I responded to a post Over made. In an emergency, someone could break their leg.
I suppose we shouldn't recall anything.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

You want to recall a product simply because the driver did not take the time to check out the new step pattern? No wonder our world is so screwed up.

 

[menotyou]

Did I say recall the tractor? Or, did I say I would simply write a letter? The recall comment was very general, as in the turkey burger recall. People thinking about their next comment before they read through something might have something to do with the world problem.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Perhaps the company was trying to "intentionally injure" the feeder driver.

 

[menotyou]

Perhaps, you are an .

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Perhaps the company was trying to "intentionally injure" the feeder driver.

If a design flaw exists then it should be examined and recalled. This has nothing to do with "intentions", sometimes products are not market ready but introduced anyway even if the best design and implementation intentions were there.

 

[menotyou]

Sleeve, that was a personal slam directed at me because I contend, along with another girl in my center, that they intentionally injured us as they couldn't ever write us up, so they had no other way to get rid of us. He is in my local and could verify any and all of what I have said with the local prez. He chooses instead to continue to slam me.

 

[Johney]

We had a similar situation in our center recently. They changed the steps at the end of ever belt,now the other steps were there for over 20 years. Nearly ever driver almost busted their butts coming off the belt that day myself included. By the next morning they had put yellow hi-lite tape everywhere for us to notice the change. I know you should keep your eyes ahead of where you are going,but it just goes to show that after so long people become complaitant with things and may not notice changes.But like I said enough people complained about it so they did something by putting up the tape. So menotyou may be right by just informing someone to at least tell everyone of the change.

 

[menotyou]

I think Up-yours will have a different view.

 

[soberups]

The driver would not have injured himself if he had been given more acronyms to recite.

 

[cachsux]

Isn't part of the pretrip, especially on a new vehicle, learning about things that are unique to that vehicle, such as the step pattern? I know when I went from my older high step PC to my low step I had to rethink entering and exiting the vehicle.

You touched on both points right there.
Yes it is part of the pretrip to see things that are different on different styles of trucks.
However, as you pointed out for yourself, you had to rethink entering and exiting the vehicle. You with your PC, me with my old Mack, the injured guy with his regular vehicle, become ingrained into our body movements. Without thinking we know that when we step here thats the step, put our hand there thats the handle, this switch, that lever, without having to even look. Even though you go over the new equipment you body mechanics still remember the old. I bet that was the case with the injured driver. Step in this spot 999 times and #1000 ,and the different equipment, got him.

 

[Johney]

The driver would not have injured himself if he had been given more acronyms to recite.

Not sure but I think they covered that one already"Look before you step". Not sure which part that is but I think it's on one of them somewhere.Maybe,no, ah I couldn't recite that crud if my life depended on it.LOL!

 

[hypocrisy]

We had a guy go down the other day.

He had been using an older tractor that day, but had to switch to a new 272 when it broke down.
So getting out like he does every day, he stepped right in that hole between the front step and back step. That hole is exactly where you put your foot!
Is this a lawsuit (against Mack) waiting to happen? If there was ever anything legitimate OSHA should look into, this is it.

What a crappy, dangerous design flaw.

Yes it is a poor design, which is too bad because IMO the new Mack's are the best tractors we've had yet. Those steps are adjustable, so while they won't match up perfectly you can have the shop move slide them forward on the mounts to take up some of the gap.

Another problem is the way they are setting up the lines so that they are touching the rear deck. That's a DOT violation. A second spring keeper slider should help but they seem to only be coming with one.

Has your safety committee posted a notice about the problem? We had one two weeks after we received some of those tractors.

 

[kdogg788]

I feel bad for the guy that fell getting out of his truck, but if the steps are in a different arrangement, it really is up to him to notice where they are when exiting the vehicle. It's not different than swapping any other vehicle.

-k

 

[bluehdmc]

You touched on both points right there.
Yes it is part of the pretrip to see things that are different on different styles of trucks.
However, as you pointed out for yourself, you had to rethink entering and exiting the vehicle. You with your PC, me with my old Mack, the injured guy with his regular vehicle, become ingrained into our body movements. Without thinking we know that when we step here thats the step, put our hand there thats the handle, this switch, that lever, without having to even look. Even though you go over the new equipment you body mechanics still remember the old. I bet that was the case with the injured driver. Step in this spot 999 times and #1000 ,and the different equipment, got him.

I have to go with the body mechanics being used to doing something. I go from Mack trucks to Sterlings, to Internationals, Macks have the ignition key similar to a car, on the steering column, Sterlings and Internationals have it on the lower left of the dashboard, with the Sterlings having a starter button. I'll reach for the non-existent steering column key, or try to push the non-existent starter button, or the light switches are placed differently, etc. These are all habits you get into. Unfortunately for this driver, he got injured by that habit, I haven't noticed an gap on the steps of the new tractors, (we don't have any in our building) but I'll look the next time I see one.
Hope this driver wasn't too badly.