Well done that man!
Been driving bendy thingies since 19## and still get the occasional off day. As my instructor told me all those years ago, getting out and looking takes less time than filling in all the forms because you’ve co@@ed it up!
Alternately: it’s far easier to stand and say ‘Help!’ than it is to stand and say ‘Who’s is the V8 Scanny I’ve just wrecked?’!
Claretmac:
I guess the question of “What would you do!?” is related to What would you have done if someone in my shoes came in to a waiting area and posed the same question!■■
I didn’t need to wait to be asked. Once saw a young driver trying to get onto a loading bay and he couldn’t do it for love nor money. It wasn’t because it was tight either, there were 4 bays with nothing on at all and nothing else in the yard. No matter what he did he always ended up smack in the middle of two bays. Walked over to him, asked him if he’d like some help and he explained he’d only just come out of the army and was having loads of trouble with reversing. Being ex-army myself and getting my Class 2 there I knew they were trained to basically be expected to only reverse with someone effectively telling them which way to spin the steering wheel. Took 5 minutes out to explain about doing it slowly, only applying a bit of lock at a time and giving the trailer time to react etc and he did get on the bay.
A couple of months ago I had a skip driver deliver a skip to my house. He’d only passed his test 3 weeks previously and was finding it a bit difficult to blindside into my driveway so got him to go up the road where he could turn round and come back so he didn’t have to go in blindside and gave him a few pointers.
One thing I learned early on as an agency driver was never be afraid to ask rather than make a balls up of the job, especially when it comes to paperwork and finding routes into some of the places I’ve had to go. I’ve done agency much of the last 20 years and I’ve never once come across a driver who has refused to reply. The quality of the advice varies wildly but none have ever turned round and told me to sort it out myself.
one little nugget to remember; not everyone that helps you reverse is being kind.
once had two tippers pulling muck out of a site. not sure if the banksman was having an off-day or a wind-up, but reversed first truck out onto road and then stopped him. reversed the second truck out on to the road and stopped him. then decided to go back and reverse the first truck further back to make way for a mixer truck. as this was happening the tipper went straight into a lamppost and next thing the street had uplighters…
as others have said, if you’re not sure, get out and check. it’s generally quicker and less painful to do this than hit something or someone and then have to explain it or get a slap from the angry owner of a fresh dent.
I once got a load of abuse for asking, I had mistakenly turned into a housing scheme and was needing to reverse into a culdasac to get back out, quite a few children playing on the street and some clearly over interested in the big lorry. So I jumped out and asked these two women to watch me back in. “WHY? DO YOU NOT HAVE A zb DRIVING LICIENCE” just plain refused to help, how idiotic, it was probably their kids. thankfully a bloke in a car stopped and watched me back in.
I see no problem in asking others … if I have someone riding shotgun and I’m going through a busy built up area I will say, keep you’re eyes peeled for kids and dogs.
When I got into the despatch office to hand the keys in the guy behind the counter said (with a straight face) something along the lines of “I was expecting you a while ago” - I just laughed at him and said ‘not with those bays mate’, I think he was new to the job and just didn’t realise how much of a pig it is to get in; looking at the angle that some of them posts are bent to I don’t think it will be too long before he catches on. 
switchlogic:
When I started out I never used to ask for help and consequently hit everything under the sun
So what’s the reason now? 
albion:
I’ve stopped on roads to watch people in and in the home town there used to be a really badly signed road which wasn’t ultimately suitable for a truck, have often stopped and gone out of my way to show them the way out of it.I work on the theory tht you never know when you might need help yourself.
I’ve even run to aid a fellow trucker behaving like a bellend. Him, not me! (for a change…) As he’d entered a side street that I was coming out of. But I wasn’t the problem, it was the bridge 30m down the road that he couldn’t get under. To add to this drivers woes, cars were stacked up being him wanting to come in, with others wanting to turn in coming from the other direction…
He was well and truly screwed!!!
But did salter up to him with a smug grin and ask if he’d not see the prominent bridge limit signs? 
No I didn’t, although I kind of wish I had…
Instead, I did my best moaster impression (jumped out the cab like a demented ninja) and did my awesome Forrest Gump impression to come to this drivers aid. And rather than gloating and inquiring to his IQ, I immediately set about clearing him an area to reverse in to, and get the fc-uk out of there…
The moral of the parable is: Is my IQ any higher than his■■? 
Years ago when I was a bit green so to speak had to go to I think it was McCains in Fakenham. I looked at the yard and thought this really ain’t happening for me today, so I had the bright idea of asking if they had a shunter as I was new to the game.
Blokey says don’t worry drive just follow me with your truck and I followed him in basically what was a loop around the yard and when he stopped so did I and I looked in the mirrors and I was lined up perfect for a straight reverse onto the dock.
He said to me top marks for asking, we have so many bell ends coming in here and getting into all sorts of trouble.
I’ve never forgotten him and the kindness he showed a newbie that day.
Conor:
A couple of months ago I had a skip driver deliver a skip to my house. He’d only passed his test 3 weeks previously and was finding it a bit difficult to blindside into my driveway so got him to go up the road where he could turn round and come back so he didn’t have to go in blindside and gave him a few pointers.
A rigid skip lorry Do you actually know/understand the phrase ‘blindside’?
if I see someone near me having a hard time,then im out to offer help…saves any greif…if someone asks,then no worries…i dont care where there from or who they work for,now and then things just go ■■■■ up when it looks simple and turns into a complete bollox.dont be shy in getting off your bum and asking. even if they wont help you,then there more likely to shout if you get too close.
driver camaraderie has long gone,too many of us moan now about our jobs[me inc]I prefer to keep to myself,
Good on you. I had similar at Boots in Nottingham the other week. Horrible bays, tight as ■■■■ and you have to jack it in. Attempted it twice and it wasn’t happening so went out and back in and watched another driver do it. Got in first time then. Cambridge services is another place I hate. Today a polish driver was struggling and to be honest the bay he was trying to get into was easy, but I got out and guided him in. People slag the EE’s off but I’ve got a lot of respect for them, I wouldn’t want the hassle they have with ferries, crap pay, spending weekends parked up in lay-bys, being turned away from rdc’s while English drivers are waved in etc.
dri-diddly-iver:
Conor:
A couple of months ago I had a skip driver deliver a skip to my house. He’d only passed his test 3 weeks previously and was finding it a bit difficult to blindside into my driveway so got him to go up the road where he could turn round and come back so he didn’t have to go in blindside and gave him a few pointers.A rigid skip lorry
Maybe it was one of them Wag + Drag skip trucks they seem to have about quite a lot now…
Evil8Beezle:
switchlogic:
When I started out I never used to ask for help and consequently hit everything under the sunSo what’s the reason now?
The fact I’m not a driver anymore tends to mean I don’t hit anything anymore so nice try
dri-diddly-iver:
Conor:
A couple of months ago I had a skip driver deliver a skip to my house. He’d only passed his test 3 weeks previously and was finding it a bit difficult to blindside into my driveway so got him to go up the road where he could turn round and come back so he didn’t have to go in blindside and gave him a few pointers.A rigid skip lorry
He’s clearly using the ‘Stobart: Trucks and Trailers’ definition of blindside
dri-diddly-iver:
Conor:
A couple of months ago I had a skip driver deliver a skip to my house. He’d only passed his test 3 weeks previously and was finding it a bit difficult to blindside into my driveway so got him to go up the road where he could turn round and come back so he didn’t have to go in blindside and gave him a few pointers.A rigid skip lorry
I have not been driving long but I understand perfectly well that he refers to the blind side as the side that you can’t stick your head out of the window to look and see a little clearer what is happening behind.
Not sure why anyone would want to take umbrage against an obviously well meaning post. 
I’ve been driving a bit longer than you and a blind side is where you reverse to your nearside and the trailer blocks your vision totally!
Also…I don’t like conor 
MickyB666:
dri-diddly-iver:
Conor:
A couple of months ago I had a skip driver deliver a skip to my house. He’d only passed his test 3 weeks previously and was finding it a bit difficult to blindside into my driveway so got him to go up the road where he could turn round and come back so he didn’t have to go in blindside and gave him a few pointers.A rigid skip lorry
I have not been driving long but I understand perfectly well that he refers to the blind side as the side that you can’t stick your head out of the window to look and see a little clearer what is happening behind.
Not sure why anyone would want to take umbrage against an obviously well meaning post.
No blindside refers to an artic when you literally cannot see that side when manoeuvring. Rigids don’t have a blind side as you can always see down the side
Claretmac:
Ok, “What would you do!?”
Thoughts please!!?
I would have just waited until one or both trucks had moved & I could back on safely. I lot of truck drivers are just arse holes, not worth asking for anything from them, most of them don’t even talk.
Pimpdaddy:
most of them don’t even talk.
At times I wish you were a truck driver…