Learning

[bigdogg]

Good morning everyone. I have 7 weeks under my belt. Learning, learning, and more learning. It can be frustrating at times, but for the most, I like being out here, which might change as it gets colder. Getting to know my company and the dispatchers. Got my cherry broke the other week with 3300 miles in five days, slept like a baby over the weekend after that. Learning where to place myself after a drop has been an experience, but it sure helps in getting out of some places. Met the owner of the company the other day, very nice young man, and nice to put a face with a name. Plan on staying out until Thanksgiving, then head home to insulate the van. Bought my buddy heater and 20 gal tank the other day. Got one of those big men recliner chairs from Bass Pro Shop like one of the other drivers stated, really like sleeping in that, because of my reflux issues also. Starting to drive the miles I was hoping for and enjoying the sights, like Buc-ee's. Never seen anything like that before. I have a lot more to learn before my wife comes out to join me, but all in all, I really like the job. The Promaster has been doing great after getting the module fixed, about 20-23 mpg depending on variables. Just relaxing in a motel room waiting to watch my first Patriot's game this season, and what a good one it is going to be. I have a Patriot's curtain between the seats and cargo area and get lots of fun dialogue at pick-ups, but no one has yet to slam the van with the fork lift, even though they threaten to. Stay safe and enjoy the ride. Thank you for all the great advice you have been giving me, it has helped a lot. I hope to meet a bunch of you while waiting on a load. Take care, Taz

 

[Turtle]

One little tip for when someone does slam the van with a forklift... it's a good idea to use the parking brake with the gears in Neutral instead of park.

 

[Moot]

Or set the parking brake first and then shift into park.

 

[Turtle]

That's what I used to do until I saw a forklift operator plow right through the parking brake and shatter the parking gear actuator inside the transmission. Now it's in Neutral, with the emergency brake on, and then wheels chocked if necessary.

 

[Moot]

I must lead a charmed life. Well over 1 million miles on two vans and never a transmission issue. Viva los slop buckets! Viva los loofahs! Viva Juan Valdez and his Colombian coffee beans. Waitress, refill please.

 

[Turtle]

My transmission failed, because, you know, Sprinter... but I've never had a forklift operator break my transmission. I've had one come close a few times. Just a couple of weeks ago I had the parking brake on and the van in Neutral, and as the forklift operator was loading the second metal tub into the van he pushed the rear bumper so hard that the van skidded forward about 6 inches. The wheels didn't move, he just pushed the van forward. I'd hate to think what would have happened if it was in park and the parking brake not on. Stop on an incline, like a hill or a ramp, put it in Park, then remove your foot from the brake and feel the van lurch to a stop. That's a lot of stress.

It's just a little notch prawl that fits into the parking gear that keeps the vehicle from moving while in Park.

Ford C-4 Transmission Parking Gear and Prawl.

Dodge RAM parking gear.

 

[Moot]

Stop on an incline, like a hill or a ramp, put it in Park, then remove your foot from the brake and feel the van lurch to a stop. That's a lot of stress.

That's why I said:

Or set the parking brake first and then shift into park.

 

[Turtle]

If the forklift operator plows through the parking brake, or if the parking brake fails, you're right back to no parking brake.

We're circling, with the key phrase being "plow right through the parking brake."

"That's what I used to do until I saw a forklift operator plow right through the parking brake and shatter the parking gear actuator inside the transmission. Now it's in Neutral, with the emergency brake on, and then wheels chocked if necessary."

 

[Moot]

If the forklift operator plows through the parking brake, or if the parking brake fails, you're right back to no parking brake.

We're circling, with the key phrase being "plow right through the parking brake."

"That's what I used to do until I saw a forklift operator plow right through the parking brake and shatter the parking gear actuator inside the transmission. Now it's in Neutral, with the emergency brake on, and then wheels chocked if necessary."

Would it not always be necessary to chock the wheels when there is a chance a forklift operator could plow right through the parking brake. With the transmission in neutral your second line of holding power is gone. Your van just rolled into the flammable storage cabinet next to the building across the lot. Or worse, rolled over the group of sunbathing, beer drinking UAW workers on their lunch break.

 

[Turtle]

Would it not always be necessary to chock the wheels when there is a chance a forklift operator could plow right through the parking brake.

It's not a bad idea at all, but not necessary always, always. For use with "always" I would choose "prudent" or "smart" rather than "necessary," as in "Would it not always be prudent..." or "Would it not always be smart.." to chock the wheels.

If I'm on flat ground and so is the forklift, and it's just one skid, I rarely chock the wheels. I don't always even use the Parking Brake in those situations, either. If it's two skids and the operator will have to push the first one further inside the van, it's always the Parking Brake (unless these are like 200 pound skids or something.

If I'm at the bottom of the ramp where the forklift could come flying down and crash unimpeded into the van (which happened my first week on the job), the wheels get chocked, for sure, and it's in neutral with the parking brake on.

The chances are that if he blows through the parking brake that the brake will still brake if he stops pushing the van, so it's unlikely the van would keep rolling across the lot.

On the other hand, if I'm just a few feet in front of the propane cage and there's any chance he could push me into it (anything closer than 25 feet, for sure), the parking brake gets used, the wheels get chocked, and the gear is in Park. I'd rather risk losing the parking gear rather than see an explosion.

 

[Yowpuggy]

The defense is to stand there and direct traffic.