One thing struck me the other day I was waiting for a place to open at 7 am I got there and another truck was waiting too…as 7am approached the staff started turning up in cars on there bikes and some walking.
What got me is every time a person turned up this other driver got and and went up to them with the paper work trying to get tipped.
At 7am the shutters opened and the lad came to me,I said that blokes first mate,the forklift lad said he may have been here first but you waited and did not hassle us so he can wait.
Now I know some drivers have an excessive work load but do they really need to jump on someone as soon as he walks through the gate head down and half asleep??
Know what you mean, mate. He clearly wasnt seeing the world from anothers perspective. Pushiness rarely gets results, eh?
I was a forkie for 5 years, once I moved over to driving, I made sure that I didn’t hassle the forkie and usually, you get better results. If it’s a regular drop and along comes the day when you are looking for a favour, then there’s every chance you’ll get one.
I’d certainly never hassle someone before they’d even clocked on.
Did you give him a toot and a wave as you drove off first? 
Serves the fella right.
Used to do a delivery to west Yorkshire and you’d reverse in open up then go find the fork lift driver as he used to run a machine inside. (After being told) He’d always say he was busy and would get to you as soon as he could, so I’d tell him no bother just give me a knock as I’ll be on the bunk, he would pass you as you walked back to the truck and started tipping you but the drivers that complained at him always waited. Knowing how he took his cuppa always helped too 
Works every time Davey.
I remember when working on Hull docks the guaranteed way to get loaded 10 minutes before mugga or dinner was when they said it was only 10 minutes from their break so they’d do you after was to say it was no problem, to agree with them and tell them you’d do the same and you’ll just take a break yourself. 99% of the time you can guarantee you’d get told to open your curtains and you’d be loaded even if they went 5 minutes over their break.
It seems to be in the psyche of many forkies that they hate the idea of doing anyone a favour so if you try to put the delay in a positive light as a benefit to you no matter how much it screws up your day they tend to do what you want them to do just to try and spite you. Its then a case of trying to conceal your glee as they’re taking your load off or chucking pallets on.
It’s all about psychology. It works for all of us as well: You wander into the office after 8 hours and the bird in there gives you a sweet smile and asks if you could possibly do her a favour (no not that) just nip down to Blogs’s and pick up a pallet - Pleeaasse:) - Of course you will. If the TM comes out and says "OY Drive - Nip down - etc. You find all kinds of reasons why you can’t.
I used the “Wake me up when you are ready” device way back in the 60s, especially on building sites. I bet the horse and cart hauliers used it a couple of centuries ago.
One Friday afternoon our yard I saw a Dutch driver stomping around kicking his tyres and obviously really peed off. I heard the forkies talking and it turned out he was booked in on Monday am. They had told him that and he promptly blew a gasket, so they told him to clear off. If he had stayed calm and polite, they would certainly have tipped him there and then, and double quick too, to get him away before all our lot came rolling in.
We’ve got a driver at our firm who will pester anyone and everyone to try and get tipped first or quickly and almost every time it backfires on him. He’s no different when he returns to our yard. I learnt long ago that if your nice, polite and friendly to the person who un loads you, it will pay dividends. Our particular driver even got banned from a few places due to his attitude. Citing, if you don’t unload me, I’ll pull of site saying you refused to unload me…
Annoying anyone who tips you is asking for a delays.
If I’m over an hour, I phone in. Usually I get the reply to ask the goods in what’s going on. (Yeah, yeah. Like hell I am. I’ll tell my transport I actually have and dream up a number for the minutes). I then go back to what I was doing as it’s never going to be quicker asking questions. It’ll be tipped when it’s tipped.
Alawys found that a huge pile of ■■■■ mags got u loaded, tipped no matter what.
Cwm coke works was the best. Timed loading. Hand over a few mags, sorted.
rocketsquadron:
Alawys found that a huge pile of ■■■■ mags got u loaded, tipped no matter what.
I guess that idea back fire recently when a tramper rolled up to lindholme prison to deliver.
They searched his truck upon entry to the prison, found his ■■■■ stash, confiscated it all, and arrested him for bringing contraband into the nick
As someone who Fork’s and Drive’s internally for a well known busy DIY store chain, FLT drivers right through to top end management share exactly the same view. If you’re polite and communicate well they’ll help you. If you shout and grown, you’ll be in the car park until they have finished their lunch break, desert and ciggie.
On the other hand, I have fallen short of trying the relaxed approach when rocking up at a yard, only to find that they have taken me so seriously they thought It was okay to spend the next hour yacking e.t.c.
Must be a pretty fine line thing…
I only go nuts when they take the ■■■■. Usually at RDCs. 6 hours for washing machines at Argos Basildon. 11 hours for sixteen pallets at Tesco DIRFT chilled. They got both barrels. Oh, builders merchants get on my nerves. Had Builder Depot Staples Corner last week. I arrived, parked up on the Edgeware Road and went to say hello. They then queue jumped three others ahead of me so I just drove in. Security tried to stop me so I offered him a choice: Get out of the way or get flattened. Yard manager backed me up too!
When I read the title of this thread I thought it was going to be tips on how to do it (annoy the fork truck driver,that is !! ).
Seriously though, I used to deliver to small high st. furniture shops. I would try to park out side the first drop of the day well before the shop opened,as any later you often couldn’t get near for cars. When I saw the bloke turn up to open up I would always leave it 15 mins. or so before I went in. Not all our drivers did this,but who would want a driver following you into the shop thrusting notes at you before you’ve even put the lights on and taken your coat off ? My patience was often rewarded with "thanks for waiting driver have you time for a brew before we start " No rush,everybody happy, good times ".
Regards. John.
peirre:
rocketsquadron:
Alawys found that a huge pile of ■■■■ mags got u loaded, tipped no matter what.I guess that idea back fire recently when a tramper rolled up to lindholme prison to deliver.
They searched his truck upon entry to the prison, found his ■■■■ stash, confiscated it all, and arrested him for bringing contraband into the nick
Nae luck drive. Vigilance is a virtue. They only work on FLT drivers or weighbridges lol 