roadtrip chris arbon

THE ROW [continued]
BFS were reluctant to phone the police but did send round a guy from the Winnipeg office in his car. I spoke to the Steinbach office on his cellphone and they wanted an amicable settlement for the sake of customer relations. After thinking about it for a bit, I said that if the two guys apologised I would let the matter rest. They came out and said "sorry" and we all shook hands. It is a frequently used tactic; threatening to have a driver dismissed and/or the his company doesn't get any more work. It felt good to turn it around and have some one else see how it feels to have there job on the line.
As it was a matter of safety, I couldn't back down. When loading and securing a trailer the number one priority is always: nothing falls off and hurts somebody. A forklift driver's priority is: did I put the right stuff on the right trailer. Very few know anything about weight distibution requirements or how there shoddy handiwork finishes up at the other end of it's journey. they think that if the load is not sticking out over the edge of the trailer then they have done a good job. In four decades I have had more grief from forking idiots than the customs, the police and the DoT all put together. The first political party that pledges: "Forklift-drivers, first against the wall come the revolution." will get my vote. The only forklift-drivers that I fully respect are those ex-truck-drivers, who for various reasons, have descended the employment ladder. Although there are exceptions; the forklift drivers at BFS are the most helpful, freindly and talented I have ever met. Well I don't want to come back from a trip and find my car on top of the tarp shed roof. Do I?
So my advice to anyone in a similar situation: get your complaint in early, to your company and the shipper. The best form of defence is attack and if you are going to be sarcastic, mocking and bluntly tell an operative about his many short comings then make sure you are carrying your snipe bar at the time.