Ride along day after the accident

[rea015]

I got my ride along today, and he nit picked everything i did...

"you need to honk your horn to anounce your presense at business's" I've honked for resis before... but a business???

"you did'nt look left, right, left at that one intersection... you just looked left, right" This being reviewed with me at 3 in the afternoon so at SOME point at SOME interesection i only looked left, right... How do you disprove that?

"You need to scan your mirrors every 5 - 8 seconds" Once again how/when do you prove you do/dont???

"You need to scan steering wheels, lights, make eye contact"... how do you disprove it???

"You did'nt scan arround the vehicle on your aproach back to the vehicle" He wants me to look at the front side back as i walk back from each stop... you look at the truck on your way back.. you can see the whole thing... so how was'nt i looking at the front side back???

"You need to use the triangle method while driving look left forward right then back forward left... or go left forward right, left forward right..."

"Avoid distractions in the Cab while driving" Example given was driver looking at DIAD... thats a distraction????

"Driver pre cabbing packages, not utalizing 30" selection area" I was putting the hand truck away in the back grabed the package for the next stop off the shelf put it on the dash as i was sitting down, starting engine, putting in drive, releasing park break looking over my shoulder pulling away from curb... I did everything in a very smooth orderly fashion, but he notes that I'm pre cabbing packages not utaling the 30" selection... you cant win.

"Driver needs to walk at a briks pace" I was walking faster than him in every direction i went, i had to wait for him to get out of the way more than once.. but he says I need a brisker pace

So now I'm going in front of the accident board for some guy that did'nt use his mirrors backed into my parked package car while i was out of it... and he'll have this list of a dozen things i did wrong on my ride along...

What do you do? What can you do... just bend over take it, smile, thankthem, and ask for another????

good one brother have not seen a better post to laugh at, the same goes on over here

 

[rea015]

Leddy,
Its funny that you claim ignorance on the pre-cabbing packages. I believe you when you say you didnt know it was against the rules, and I'll tell you why.

The soup I work for now has 2 personalities. One is when he is on my annual safety ride or accident follow-up where he is strictly by the book.

The other personality is when he was training me on different routes while I was a cover driver. He was totally laid back, bulk head door open at certain times, and PRE-CABBING packages!

I don't know if this makes him a good or bad soup, but it is what it is.

jeez man u worry about your bulk head door been open?

 

[LeddySS98]

After reading the posts about the new sensors going in to check for parking brakes and bulk head doors i've been making a real effort to do everything each stop... I did'nt use to hardly ever set the parking brake, given the truck was a automatic... and the bulkhead door i would leave open while running resis... But I've been running the route by the methods thinking for sure i'd pass with flying colors... Quite the oposite as it turned out. Just cant win somedays

 

[diesel96]

Sounds to me like the Sup. had given you an OJS performance ride rather than a "safety ride". Anyhow the on road will be questioned by his superiors if he didn't find something wrong. Remember, everyone has faults, we can just as easily find faults if the sup. was in the driver seat and you were in the jump seat. Just grin and bare it and tell them "I'll try harder".

"It's in the commercial drivers handbook for when you go for a CDL. You cannot carry cargo in the cab. If you were pulled over at the scales with cargo in the cab you get a ticket. Your cargo compartment must be separated from the cab by a cage or door or something. This applies to all commercial vehicles whether you have a CDL or not. Maybe this is just in my state, i dunno"

I always have cargo in the cab...A box with electrical cable, gromitz, ties, bungees, fan, Trailer pins, crowbar,chains, etc....what's the difference if a hub gives me a small pkg that was left behind after they sealed trailer? I think that may become a LP issue.

 

[brownrodster]

I'm not saying that it isn't true- I just want to see it in writing. I've never looked inside a DHL van- is there actually a bulkhead and bulkhead door in them. I know the old Econoline flat tops and the bubbletops we used to have never had a bulkhead door in them

You dont' necessarily need a 'bulkhead door.' Something is supposed to seperate the cargo compartment from the cab. Because when in severe accidents it's stuff flying around that cab that's more likely to kill a driver than the accident itself. Way back when I got my CDL there were senior drivers that were adimant (diff company) aobut not having stuff in the cab like tire chains, etc... It was a safety issue.

 

[BCFan]

By no means am I a company "favorite" , however I agree with bulk-head door closed...... Try coming to a fast stop with a hand truck shooting out of the package compartment toward your windshield (or worse yet your lunch box with your prize sardine sandwich in it!!!) BC-(not Baby Clowns)

 

[over9five]

Sardine sandwich!?!?!?!? Yuckkkkkk!
BC (not Breath Challenged)

 

[1989]

I'm not saying that it isn't true- I just want to see it in writing. I've never looked inside a DHL van- is there actually a bulkhead and bulkhead door in them. I know the old Econoline flat tops and the bubbletops we used to have never had a bulkhead door in them

I always thought the bulk head door being open was a DOT violation. I don't think vans apply. UPS vans don't have a bulkhead let alone a door.

 

[currahee]

I always thought the bulk head door being open was a DOT violation. I don't think vans apply. UPS vans don't have a bulkhead let alone a door.

We have been told it was a TSA violation.

 

[currahee]

On a safety ride the sup riding with me wrote that i need to drink more water because i did everything else by the methods.The funny part is i had a gallon of water in the back with my cooler.
It is true that they need to find areas that need improvement because the center manager demands they find a certain number per ride however tedious(sp.) they may be.

 

[1989]

We have been told it was a TSA violation.

I was told this long before tsa was ever in the picture

 

[currahee]

You probably got a few years on me been driving for 8 years.All i know is i dont take a chance with it .i it keep closed except maybe Xmas time with helper in tight neighborhoods.

 

[paidslave]

Leddy, don't worry about the ride! You just "yes" them all day long. Be cooperative, do everything the way they tell you. Be friends with the sup and have a good day.

I would refuse to sign anything related to the accident, and I would probably submit a grievance just so it's on record that I disagree with their "avoidable" Bravo Sierra.

Other than that, forget about it. Don't let it bother you anymore.

Very well said!

 

[Coldworld]

I got my ride along today, and he nit picked everything i did...

"you need to honk your horn to anounce your presense at business's" I've honked for resis before... but a business???

"you did'nt look left, right, left at that one intersection... you just looked left, right" This being reviewed with me at 3 in the afternoon so at SOME point at SOME interesection i only looked left, right... How do you disprove that?

"You need to scan your mirrors every 5 - 8 seconds" Once again how/when do you prove you do/dont???
Nobody does this, it is absolutely unnecessary unless your on the autobahn. You re spending almost as much time not looking at the road and on the back mirrors as you are whats going out the front window. Once I had a yearly ride and they commented on that, since I used my eyes instead of turning my whole head to look in the mirrors...whatever.I use my mirrors more than most, but every 5 seconds...nobody does this.


"You did'nt scan arround the vehicle on your aproach back to the vehicle" He wants me to look at the front side back as i walk back from each stop... you look at the truck on your way back.. you can see the whole thing... so how was'nt i looking at the front side back???

"You need to use the triangle method while driving look left forward right then back forward left... or go left forward right, left forward right..."

"Avoid distractions in the Cab while driving" Example given was driver looking at DIAD... thats a distraction????

"Driver pre cabbing packages, not utalizing 30" selection area" I was putting the hand truck away in the back grabed the package for the next stop off the shelf put it on the dash as i was sitting down, starting engine, putting in drive, releasing park break looking over my shoulder pulling away from curb... I did everything in a very smooth orderly fashion, but he notes that I'm pre cabbing packages not utaling the 30" selection... you cant win.

"Driver needs to walk at a briks pace" I was walking faster than him in every direction i went, i had to wait for him to get out of the way more than once.. but he says I need a brisker pace
Heres another one that is totally true. I can be in the truck with my belt on, break off ready to roll and on car is still fumbling around trying to put their belt on...please, get it together corky!!
So now I'm going in front of the accident board for some guy that did'nt use his mirrors backed into my parked package car while i was out of it... and he'll have this list of a dozen things i did wrong on my ride along...

What do you do? What can you do... just bend over take it, smile, thankthem, and ask for another????

 

[Coldworld]

you should really stop using the diad while the truck is rolling..if you hit someone from behind and someone sees you using that thing its trouble. Hey, if you forget an address, pull over take a glance and keep on trucking, who cares. Even people who have been on their own routes for years have a brain fart now and then. Many drivers use the diads while driving, but it is a bad habit that can be stopped. I think it comes from back in the day when drivers were on paper and would position their clipboard holders so they could sheet next stop as they were driving, maybe ups even encouraged this as a time saving issue also..

 

[trplnkl]

I was trained to write down my next stop as I walked back to the truck. Now I look at edd to re-affirm where to go next. I can usually remember my next five, but sometimes forget my next one. Go figure.

 

[BCFan]

Oldie and moldie but well worth another look thru...BC

 

[Coldworld]

I was trained to write down my next stop as I walked back to the truck. Now I look at edd to re-affirm where to go next. I can usually remember my next five, but sometimes forget my next one. Go figure.

aint that the truth...its called getting old

 

[9611461]

Huh, Just had an idea. If anyone wants a brand new car and your tired of your old one, don't try and sell it, Just find the nearest parked UPS package car and slam into........"walla", you got yourself an easy 20 grand.

 

[thessalonian13]

Sardine sandwich!?!?!?!? Yuckkkkkk!
BC (not Breath Challenged)

Sardine sandwich with peanut butter and marinara sauce. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!