I need help. I’ve just done my first week with a trainer on class 1 tippers. Now I know it should be straight forward, you go to a quarry get loaded, go to somewhere else and tip. But my head is so scrambled right now with so much information that I’ve gone into a blind panic mode. I go out on Monday on my own for first time and I feel overwhelmed in my head. I can’t remember one quarry from the next.
1st question…when you enter the quarry empty, Do you go straight onto the weighbridge To get your tare weight? I seem to remember going to a Hanson site and I can’t remember for the life of me going straight onto the weighbridge. Only when got loaded.
I get that when you get to a destination, you go straight onto the weighbridge, they weigh you then you tip then go back onto weighbridge to see how much you have tipped and get your ticket.
Ask. Don’t be afraid to ask. It’s those who are to proud to ask that normally mess up.
It’s hard to answer. I’ve done places where you don’t get weighed in and only get weighed out (I’ve never worked out the theory behind that - not knowing the initial weight), and places where you’re weighed in and out.
But yeah just ask. Explain it’s your first week etc. People are generally helpful.
But, what would you do if there was no internet to consult?
Not having a go just inquisitive.
Yes I understand that question, of course I would ask another driver, but as there are alot of drivers here on the web to ask too, hence the posted topic
toonsy:
Ask. Don’t be afraid to ask. It’s those who are to proud to ask that normally mess up.
It’s hard to answer. I’ve done places where you don’t get weighed in and only get weighed out (I’ve never worked out the theory behind that - not knowing the initial weight), and places where you’re weighed in and out.
But yeah just ask. Explain it’s your first week etc. People are generally helpful.
Yes some people are helpful, but just this week ive found alot aren’t. Went to Hull earlier in the week to get some soya. Went into the office, now cause I’m hard of hearing I asked him to repeat his instruction a couple of times. He was so grumpy, made me feel awful. Doesn’t really. Help.
I need help. I’ve just done my first week with a trainer on class 1 tippers. Now I know it should be straight forward, you go to a quarry get loaded, go to somewhere else and tip. But my head is so scrambled right now with so much information that I’ve gone into a blind panic mode. I go out on Monday on my own for first time and I feel overwhelmed in my head. I can’t remember one quarry from the next.
1st question…when you enter the quarry empty, Do you go straight onto the weighbridge To get your tare weight? I seem to remember going to a Hanson site and I can’t remember for the life of me going straight onto the weighbridge. Only when got loaded.
I get that when you get to a destination, you go straight onto the weighbridge, they weigh you then you tip then go back onto weighbridge to see how much you have tipped and get your ticket.
Can’t help with quarries but I’ve found that 1st time to a site tell the first person you see, usually security, that you’re new to that site & ask them. They may know but even if they don’t the chances are they will point you in the right direction.
Most people don’t want their day spoiled by someone being to embarred to ask & getting it wrong.
I agree ask for help and explain its your first time, 99% of people are helpful. Just remember you manners and use please and thank you. Nobody will help someone demanding or ignorant.
Odd days:
I agree ask for help and explain its your first time, 99% of people are helpful. Just remember you manners and use please and thank you. Nobody will help someone demanding or ignorant.
exactly…first time I go to a place I’ve never loaded from, straight into the office/reception ask where to go/what’s required as never been here before. Never had any probs at all. The way I see it, if you’re polite etc and they’re still rude or arrogant then it’s their issue as you’ve done all you can.
As per other answers you have to ask people when you aren’t sure.
I remember my first week on Class 1 was doing biomass work going round power stations and MDF factories. Huge, intimidating places with loads of rules that I wasn’t familiar with. At every stage if I wasn’t certain of where I was going and what I was doing I would stop the lorry, get out and find someone to keep me right. I didn’t care if I was being a pest or coming across as thick as the alternative was to crack on guessing my way around the place and eventually contravene some health and safety rule which would have had untold jobbers coming down on me like a ton of bricks.
As others have said the vast majority of people are sound when you ask for help, especially (in my experience) other drivers. You’ll get your surly office staff but you can’t let their bad attitude force you into doing something daft because you didn’t want to annoy them. If you need to ask them to repeat themselves several times until you understand so be it. As long as you’re polite then there’s no good reason for them to get nippy with you and if they do then boll.cks to them.
As others here have mentioned if in doubt ask, you will definitely meet an arse or two who will ruin your day but just dont let them get to you you have enough to deal with it as it is. I remember on my first job on containers i was sent to a scrap yard to load and i had this real miserable ■■■■ of a guy who only gave me 10 shunts to get the trailer under a cradle or id get kicked off the site and in that time all the guy was doing was effin this effin that whilst im trying to reverse, Which you can imagine it doesnt help and the worst part was i had to do a second run back the same day but just let ■■■■■■■■ grind you down and you`ll be fine.
You’ll be fine mate, all new jobs seem overwhelming at first, even the first time tipping your own load will be terrifying, in a months time you’ll be wondering what all the fuss was about.
Most drivers in tipper type work are sound, tell then your new and 99% of them will put you right.
I too always let 'em know its my first time on any type of site when it is, can’t remember the last time i got a bad attitude back, thankfully you’re not in RDC hell so the miserable mincing sods that infect the desks of such places you won’t have to see…
Make sure that you abide by whatever H&S system the quarry has, where I worked you had to switch the engine off and lock the cab door whenever visiting the weighbridge (a ban if you didn’t) then turn the engine off when actually weighing on the bridge and had to wear hard hat, safety glasses and of course your Hi-Viz when driving in the quarry. Various companies will have their own rulings, larger concerns are usually the worst for the ■■■■■■■■! Some will not allow you in if your sheet is closed, they like to scan the inside of the body before they issue a load ticket.
I recently posted something similar. Expect I’d done basically the same job for a different company before! I’d just had a break. Slightly different rules/ways of doing things was getting on my nerves and causing my aggravation.
The best advice has been given - ask. Drivers can be difficult buggers - but the solitary isolation of the work means most will love to help/chat and show you how much they know.
The second best bit of advice is that you shouldn’t worry too much if you make a mistake. As long as no one is harmed it will all be okay. I made a procedural error today. Ended up getting loads of abuse from a young girl (apparently a manager) in the end I had to point out I didn’t care in the slightest and she has three choices: send me away and have no stock, call the transport office and speak to someone who may care or simply get on with her job and help get the stuff off the truck. She chose number 3. No doubt a complaint will be made - which I care not one iota about. I did my job, no one was hurt and nothing was damaged. So to me that’s a successful day.
Also given it’s tippers - don’t rush. Someone who knows it inside out probably has the capacity to rush and not make horrendous mistakes. You will not. Do stuff in your own time mate.
Jasesonix, I’m a bit hard of hearing too if there’s other noise about, especially if whoever’s talking to me is a bit quiet or mumbles. If I don’t hear first time round I tell 'em my lugs ain’t up to scratch… then I usually get shouted at, but that’s OK
Sammym, “Ended up getting loads of abuse from a young girl (apparently a manager) in the end I had to point out I didn’t care in the slightest and she has three choices: send me away and have no stock, call the transport office and speak to someone who may care or simply get on with her job and help get the stuff off the truck. She chose number 3. No doubt a complaint will be made - which I care not one iota about.”
Absolutely right.
Jasesonix:
He was so grumpy, made me feel awful. Doesn’t really. Help.
Sadly…
You’re going to meet a great deal of people who’s sole purpose in this industry is to [zb] your day up.
Most of whom, unfortunately, are usually in charge of a weighbridge.
Jeeze, I’ll never forget my first time into sun valley near Hereford (I think, it’s been a while)
With a load of wheat grain. Drove into yard, 2 weighbridges in front of me, one for in and one for out I thought, pulled onto one after a guy pulled off and this big miserable ■■■■ come storming out and give me an earful for pulling onto the weighbridge without being instructed. It wasn’t a barriered one, just the plate on the ground. Anyway, after being told to reverse back off the plate. I was told to wait to be called which turned out to be literally 90 seconds later. . . Went into the office and told the guy I never been to that site before and was not sure what the procedure was as there was no signage or instructions posted anywhere to which he just grunted “yeah I can see that” bloody miserable ■■■■■■■■ Anyway, that was my worst experience with entering a site. Most places seem to have nice friendly people, some are a laugh too so if you can, just follow the flow or other trucks or if the weighbridge is right in the entryway then just head for that and if there is a traffic light system then follow that or if the plate is clear then pull on and stop at the window and tell them its your first time and they will likely give you a rundown of the site and give you a map.
. . . Also, if you ever get told to go to cemex in rugby, the lady on the weighbridge is a hardass with an attitude (if she’s still there) and will make you open your cab door to look at your boots and what not so good luck if you do go there. . . Getting a ban from there would probably be a good thing!
will be terrifying, in a months time you’ll be wondering what all the fuss was about.
Some will not allow you in if your sheet is closed, they like to scan the inside of the body before they issue a load ticket.