I'm old school (as I've been painfully reminded
), but we just didn't do that kinda **** back in the day. First off...…...you got canned. Second....it was damn unprofessional.
When I was a kid, well 30somethin' is a kid. Used to be one of 3 dooooods that used to spot pigs at Star Rag in Denver. We were fast. Was a Big deal......cause it was a blind dock.....inside dock where the actual dock was inside a covered warehouse. You didn't see the back of the trailer because of the bright sun outside, and shadows inside. Slam 'n jam. We were Matt's go to guys. Hate it, sucky drop, but it was what ya put up with to stay on the top of the list.
One day, I tore a door off against the wall. They had to use a forklift to close the doors for me to get back to the rail hub. Boss got dunned for the damage. Was the BN, before it became BNSF.
I got reamed when I got back to the shop. "These guys are tryin' to put me outta business" He never said "you"...…..was always "these guys". He was an old timer. And I was good at what I did. We got along in a sorta way. This was considered a blip on the radar...……….BUT I WENT IN THERE WITH MY HAT IN MY HAND, AND MY TAIL BETWEEN MY LEGS. You call that respect, and knowing what it takes for the dood to come up with the clams to make yer paycheck. Never happened again...…..got out of the truck to see where the azz end was after that.
Got sent out to Greeley for a bean load that afternoon. These loads were reserved for guys with seniority, and guys that were on the "A" list. Sit there for about an hour and a half while they hand stacked the sacks on the trailer (great time to catch some Z's). This was a time when people got along, and you got recognized for yer ability, and gave yer boss respect for his end of the deal.
Got hired because someone quit, and there was a truck sitting idle. One of those deals...…...go thru the phonebook, and "Y'all lookin' for drivers?". Go down, dood sizes ya up, take a ride in the truck...……..and start that day.
Dood tosses me the keys to a little IH single axle...…..God Only Knows when it was built. Sorta cabover gas rig, FOUR ON THE COLUMN. Tells me, and another dood (sorta new guy) that we needed to go out some siding, and unload a rail car. Turned out to be a treasure hunt...….dig thru tons of stuff to see which stuff had the right shipping labels on it for our company. We moved that **** off the boxcar onto a skip trailer. Took most of the morning. Not one word from the boss (Matt). We got it done, and dropped the skip on the dock. Guy gives me the keys to one of the newer twin screws, and I rode that gal till I quit, and moved on. Coupla years. He died of a heart attack, right in dispatch, and I quit a day later. Couldn't handle his pansy boys that took over. Pansy is a harsh word...….I really mean kids that didn't work up to their responsibility...…..need to pay some dues before they took over.
This was my ticket out of the mountains, and the prize of working in the city. I hated the mountains. Ya made better money running the hills, but the stress was a killer. Did a few more stints up there after this, but mostly stayed in the city for the remainder of the time I spent behind the wheel. Not being a big headed doood, but city drivers have their **** together. Total concentration, total control.
I had a job where all I did was spot trailers at The Denver Post. They had a Hertz rental single axle GMC with the Silver 90 IIRC. I sat, parked on the corner of the apron, and slept all night (REALLY). You'd wear a pager (ya, that dates me), and when it beeped, ya called (they still had pay phones on the corner in those days), and the dock boss told ya what trailer, and where it went...……………..
If it was a swap...……...you'd pull the loaded trailer out, take it to the yard, then hook an empty,, go back downtown, and put it in the hole.
I think the Post was at California and 15th (?), maybe 14th, been a while. But, anyways...……..it was a full traffic street...….all times of the day. And sometimes my shift was during daytime, and rush hour.
Pull the trailer in front of the dock, out of traffic, up on the sidewalk.
Keep an eye on the traffic light at the street behind ya. Then when it turned red, and all the cars waiting had passed...…….pull that sucker across all lanes at an angle to the dock.
While this was goin' on...……..the next traffic light cycle happened, and now ya got a ton of cars blocked.
The smart ones gave ya some distance. The morons (nothing changes to this day) would crowd ya, right up to the trailer.
Time to put the Fear Of God in 'em. Pop that clutch, and hit the brakes in a few feet. Make that trailer come towards their hoods, and make it rock over their heads. They quit inching up. But ya better make damn sure you could slide that trailer in the hole in one shot. Guys...……..I was actually that good. And I was young at one time (shrug). Time goes on, and we tend to make a big deal out of our youth.
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Originally Posted by whtbaron
