Futher to my previous post “part one” I have another point to make about the same situation.
If you have read the post, then the point at where me and the other driver went out to the bay. He said to me, go and speak to the guy in the office and see if he can put you on another bay, just say you got the truck on one side, bollards on the other, and trucks opposite the bays and it is ultra tight.
So, went into the office and asked the guy behind the counter, his response was “Are you, or are you not a lorry driver!!?” (sarcastic, unhelpful tone of voice). I said, yes I am but new to it!! His response, " well you have got 25 minutes to get it on if you want to get tipped, I don’t have any other bays" (this was a lie as there were 2 bays next to the one that I was given) Had he given me one of them, I could have got on quite easily. But he just wanted to play the [zb] and make me look a mug in front of the other drivers.
So I just politely said ok, leave it with me and walked out. Once outside, cursing him to the high heaven that he was being a [zb] etc…
I know he could have put me on one of those other bays, as they were not used until 2 minutes before I got my paperwork when all of a sudden 2 trucks were magically given those bays!!
So the next question is, if you were the bloke behind the counter and a young lad came in and said please could you put me on an alternative bay!? Would you cut him some slack and give him one of those other bays or would you mug him off and be a [zb]!!■■
Is it just Tesco’s or does stuff like this happen anywhere else!!■■?
Two sides to that one IMHO. 1. Yes he could have helped but may have had good reason not to allocate you another bay, or he was just being a ****. 2. If you keep avoiding difficult/tight reverses how will you ever learn to do it. Practice makes perfect.
Wouldie:
Two sides to that one IMHO. 1. Yes he could have helped but may have had good reason not to allocate you another bay, or he was just being a ****. 2. If you keep avoiding difficult/tight reverses how will you ever learn to do it. Practice makes perfect.
Yes, I see your point and I do take it on board, but to be fair, the bay he gave me was seriously tight. That was even confirmed by an experienced driver who didn’t like the look of it!! One of the other bays would have still been a slight challenge but easier than the one I had. But yes, it was a learning point and one I won’t forget for a while!!
Fairplay to you for giving it a good go! I work for a large firm currently and we have around 40 + bays. Could be he allocated you that bay as that’s where stock location had to go, save arsing about and transferring from one area to another? Or he was being the alternative lol
Maybe im in the minority but I love a tricky reverse. The smug feeling you get when its in and you hop out and swagger away feeling proud is great.
Course you look slightly less smug when you trip over your boots and almost go flat on your face. That’s never happened to me,who said that? I deny everything,im just saying…
As mentioned never shy away from tricky reverses if possible, always a good learning curve to give them ago as long as theres no danger to folks around.
Also look at the blind side option as sometimes this can be easier (yes I know its sounds daft).
As far as the bloke behind the counter goes you gave him ammunition to look clever and sounds like the type of prick I save from a kicking on a regular basis, mainly by not telling on them to me wife who will come down and beat the buggers senseless.
In general most drivers will help another sister out and save the banter for afterwards.
Good on you for asking for help in part 1, never be afraid to ask and never be afraid to look silly, oh and always dance like no ones watchin… etc.
I have been known to deliberately ■■■■ up bay reverses to give fellow sisters a giggle and wind rdc staff up.
Dipper_Dave:
Also look at the blind side option as sometimes this can be easier (yes I know its sounds daft).
I have just seen your post, and yes when I saw the above comment I thought blind side it!■■? Yeah right, thanks but no thanks!!!
HOWEVER, I went back to thinking about the situation I was faced with in Part one and to be honest, upon reflection, this MAY have worked a lot easier because then it would have given all the room required to get the R/H corner of the trailer round as the posts were on the right hand side of the bay, half way down.
Thank you for this comment, because that has given me an alternative option to possible use for a similar situation in the future!!!
Claretmac:
Is it just Tesco’s or does stuff like this happen anywhere else!!■■?
Some Tesco RDCs have a row of bays which look like they go to one place but there’s a ■■■■■■ solid wall separating them so one half would be for frozen and the other for chilled for example.
If you can’t reverse on to a bay at a Tesco RDC then god help you and my suggestion is to go get a job as a shunter for a few months until you learn how to go backwards. Tesco RDCs, all of them, are pretty much the easiest there are. You want to go to the Wincanton depot at Radlett where we park our trailers for London deliveries. Currently you weave your way through abandoned wagons and building gear to go into a triangle shaped trailer park where there’s just about enough room to jacknife it to turn your trailer round and then on two of the sides of the park are where you put the trailers and they’re parked so tight you can’t wind the legs up or down because there’s not enough room to fit between them.
Fair play for asking for help but as said if you don’t try you won’t get any good it,as for struggling at an RDC sounds like a month doing shops would cure it lol,went out yesterday with a decker into town centres with 5 shops had to get a shop bod out to watch one corner as couldn’t see any daylight between it and the wall she went round eventually but trying to screw a decker round isn’t advisable.
As for underground service areas don’t get me started lol.
Would like to clarify that I have never had any real dramas at RDC’s, but had a problem with this particular one and this particular bay! Even the experienced driver that watched me in didn’t like the look of it!!
Also with regards to the last part asking if it was just Tesco’s that these things happen, that was referring to the bloke behind the counter and his whole demeanour and attitude!!
I can appreciate that there are drivers out there that can squeeze into places most wouldn’t even dream of getting into but let’s not forget that I have only been doing this for 6 weekends, not on a daily basis for years and years.
I am sure that it will all come together in time and I will improve. Like I say, I have not had any real problems and this particular situation required a watchful eye from Somebody in the know!
I’ve no problem with asking other drivers for help if I see a potential problem, did it last week at bidvest in Oldham, inconsiderate driver parked his trailer in a poor position making the job so much harder than it needed to be. Just asked the chap in the next bay to let me know if I was getting too close to the trailer on the other bay, he just watched & gave a thumbs up when I was safe.
As for asking office staff! Not as long as my bottom points south, for the most part they have no idea what I takes to get the job done, and as the vast majority of drivers will get it on the allocated bay, as you will in the future, he would assume it’s a doddle. I guarantee he told the story to every single person he came across, he’s probably still telling people now.
Can’t agree that Tesco RDC bays are never difficult. I can’t recall the number but Harlow had an awkward one. Snodland I’m sure many will agree not only has some awkward ones, but also if you have to park up first especially when it is really busy, then it can be just a little challenging particularly after dark and when it is raining. Wherever I go I normally have a dekko to see how far apart the yellow lines and guide rails are in relation to a trailer’s wheels in an adjacent bay and if there are any markings on the dock leveller where those are in relation to the rear corner of the trailer.
Claretmac:
Is it just Tesco’s or does stuff like this happen anywhere else!!■■?
Some Tesco RDCs have a row of bays which look like they go to one place but there’s a [zb] solid wall separating them so one half would be for frozen and the other for chilled for example.
If you can’t reverse on to a bay at a Tesco RDC then god help you and my suggestion is to go get a job as a shunter for a few months until you learn how to go backwards. Tesco RDCs, all of them, are pretty much the easiest there are. You want to go to the Wincanton depot at Radlett where we park our trailers for London deliveries. Currently you weave your way through abandoned wagons and building gear to go into a triangle shaped trailer park where there’s just about enough room to jacknife it to turn your trailer round and then on two of the sides of the park are where you put the trailers and they’re parked so tight you can’t wind the legs up or down because there’s not enough room to fit between them.
i’d challenge that yard as being a health and safety hazard… google.co.uk/maps/place/Rad … 1727434007
Should have gone back in and said your refusing the bay as there is a of damaging the truck if he insists they will be responoble le for any damage. And if he’s such a smart arse he can back it on the bay at that point hand him the keys. Get the truck as close to the bay as possible then take some pics ring boss explain what’s going on.
I have had to put it on a bay for another driver recently at a mill he had more room at the back than he thought he had. After 30 mins trying to get it on I needed to get loaded too so told it’ll be quicker if I pit it on.
