Crazy Truck Mishap at Customer Site

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A recent incident at a customer's site involved a driver who forgot to disconnect a trailer from his truck before lifting it to dump materials. This oversight resulted in the truck crashing nose-first to the ground, causing significant damage, including a cracked engine block. The driver left the scene without reporting the incident, likely fearing repercussions from his employer, who had recently invested in repairs for the truck. The discussion also touched on a separate mishap involving a $233 million satellite that fell due to a series of procedural errors during maintenance, highlighting the consequences of small mistakes in industrial settings. Participants shared humorous commentary on both incidents, reflecting on the absurdity and potential severity of such errors while also discussing the camaraderie and personal connections formed within the forum community.
Ivan Seeking
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Absolutely a true story: It happened at a customer's site last night and I was there today. I will post a picture when I get a copy tomorrow.

This customer receives bulk materials from tractor-trailers by lifting the entire trailer, dump truck fashion, to an angle of sixty degrees. The materials then fall out the back. IIRC, a trailer of this type is 36 feet long. So,the SOP is that when a truck pulls in, the driver parks in the appropriate spot and disconnects his truck from the trailer. He or she also operates the lift from a little shack about ten feet away. Well, this poor guy forgot one little thing. Guess what that was? :smile: :smile: :smile: He forgot to disconnect the trailer from the truck. He never realized what was happening until the truck came crashing down, nose first, when he bounced the controls a few times to clean out the last bit of material.

What to do when you drop your truck twenty feet? Get in your car and go home with not a word said. :rolleyes:
 
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Ivan Seeking said:
Absolutely a true story: It happened at a customer's site last night and I was there today. I will post a picture when I get a copy tomorrow.
Was it his truck, or was he a driver?
 
Sounds like WAS is the operative word.
 
:cringe: :eek: He was probably wishing he had been under that truck after it happened. He's either just lost a bundle demolishing his own truck, or has to explain to his employer how he demolished the company's truck. Either way, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.
 
He was a driver; not the owner. In fact the owner [actually a sister company or something] was crying since they just put a bunch of money into a new engine for that truck.

Also, as a point of reference, the thing hit so hard that it cracked the engine block.
 
Seiously, Moonbear, he didn't even wait to get fired. He just left.
 
Evo said:
Was it his truck, or was he a driver?
If he couldn't drive, why would he have a truck? :rolleyes:



(Nice to have your beautiful self back in place of that poor pathetic little Sylvester.)
 
Ivan Seeking said:
Seiously, Moonbear, he didn't even wait to get fired. He just left.

He's probably still at the nearest bar.
 
Moonbear said:
He's probably still at the nearest bar.

I would be.

Yeah, I would be anyway, but that's really not the point.
 
  • #10
Meh, it's only a truck. What a small-timer!

How about the poor guy who forgot to check the bolts and dropped a $233 million dollar satellite on the factory floor (pictures are at bottom of article).

Such a horrible comedy of small mistakes all strung together. Lockheed-Martin makes weather satellites for NOAA and DMSP. The satellites are basically the same, but have different sensors on board. Both satellites used identical "turnover carts" to rotate the satellite from vertical to horizontal so workers can reach the equipment they're supposed to work on, plus they store their equipment in the same room.

The DMSP turnover cart needed repairs, so the DMSP folks started to borrow the NOAA cart, unbolting the NOAA adaptor from the cart. Then someone noticed the NOAA cart also needed repairs - a jack was broken. They decided it would be easier to fix their own cart and left the NOAA cart as is.

The NOAA folks come get their cart. The have to modify their procedure to set their satellite on their cart because of the broken jack, but it turns out to be about the easiest mating ever (usually, there's 24 bolts that keep getting in the way). They bolt the satellite to the adaptor plate without noticing the adaptor plate isn't bolted to the cart.

Turn over the cart and presto! A new Southwest Airlines Commercial is born! "Need to get away?"
 
  • #11
man those pictures are TOO funny!
I like the one with the 2 blokes in hairnets, as if a hairs going to do any more damage!
 
  • #12
BobG said:
Meh, it's only a truck. What a small-timer!

How about the poor guy who forgot to check the bolts and dropped a $233 million dollar satellite on the factory floor (pictures are at bottom of article).

Hmm...you'd think something intended to be loaded up and rocket-propelled into space would be a little sturdier. :-p
 
  • #14
And they plan to do what with the shovels? :smile:
 
  • #15
egg said:
man those pictures are TOO funny!
I like the one with the 2 blokes in hairnets, as if a hairs going to do any more damage!
Yeah, it's funny... but at the same time almost makes me want to cry... :frown:
 
  • #17
Yep, a hard hat wouldn't help much under that thing.

I guess that driver won't be using this job as a reference.
 
  • #18
Ivan, why do these "strange things" happen around you, hmm? :confused:
 
  • #19
jealous? :biggrin:
 
  • #20
I'm not sure...aside from wearing hard hats...and obviously the need for protective footwear, maybe flame-retardant clothing, what else should we know? :rolleyes:
 
  • #21
SOS2008 said:
I'm not sure...aside from wearing hard hats...and obviously the need for protective footwear, maybe flame-retardant clothing, what else should we know? :rolleyes:

Speaking of which, has anybody seen tribdog? Do you think it could be taking this long just to fix some computer troubles?
 
  • #22
Hey! I had nothing to do with it. :mad: In fact my systems are downstream from this. :-p It is kind of cool really. My work takes me to all sorts of fascinating places, and it gets me into all sorts of interesting projects - from clean rooms to potato chip factories, and projects ranging from missile systems to fishing pole eyelet benders, and just about everything in between. :smile: It is fun.

The worst thing that I ever did... it was probably the time that I shorted out Granada Hills Hospital, in California. That was bad. :biggrin:
 
  • #23
Fun -- sure for who? And how can we believe anyone who uses the cloaking device anyway. :rolleyes: Seriously, it's always good to hear someone say they enjoy their work. :biggrin:
 
  • #24
a cloaking device?
 
  • #25
If you are saying that you don't believe me...tough; that's your problem.
 
  • #26
Moonbear said:
Speaking of which, has anybody seen tribdog? Do you think it could be taking this long just to fix some computer troubles?
Computer troubles...?
Ivan Seeking said:
If you are saying that you don't believe me...tough; that's your problem.
Oh ye of cloaking device, I believe you--I really was trying to steer suspicion away from me. o:)
 
  • #27
Sorry, I guess I lost you somewhere...

For the record, I am not at liberty to reveal specific information about my customers [note the white-out of the company's name in the second pic. Also, my true identity is known only to three Tibetan monks who remain in state of constant prayer.
 
Last edited:
  • #28
Ivan Seeking said:
Also, my true identity is known only to three Tibetan monks who remain in state of constant prayer.
Are you sure that isn't a state of constant shock? :biggrin:
 
  • #29
Danger said:
Are you sure that isn't a state of constant shock? :biggrin:

That would be my wife, Tsu. :biggrin:
 
  • #30
Moonbear said:
Speaking of which, has anybody seen tribdog? Do you think it could be taking this long just to fix some computer troubles?
Ok Moonbear, I'm going to be keeping a tally of the threads you post in, two categories: Ones where you mention tribdog at any given time in the thread, and ones you don't.

[Ticks this thread off] o:)
 
  • #31
Smurf said:
Ok Moonbear, I'm going to be keeping a tally of the threads you post in, two categories: Ones where you mention tribdog at any given time in the thread, and ones you don't.

[Ticks this thread off] o:)

But, but, but, he's been missing a long time now! Even the thread title could have been a tribdog title. I think Ivan is channeling tribdog.

Really, I haven't heard anything from him in a long time, and knowing his propensity for getting into trouble, I'm starting to wonder if he's okay.
 
  • #32
Ivan Seeking said:
That would be my wife, Tsu. :biggrin:
Poor thing! :biggrin:

Serious question again... this is your real wife, not some sort of virtual relationship the way I'm joking around with Evo and Moonbear and MIH and SOS and Hypatia? How many of you people actually know each other in person? Evo's the only one in here who knows my real name, for instance, and I don't know anybody's except for the ones who use them as their screen names. (If those really are their true names.)
 
  • #33
Danger said:
Poor thing! :biggrin:

Serious question again... this is your real wife, not some sort of virtual relationship the way I'm joking around with Evo and Moonbear and MIH and SOS and Hypatia? How many of you people actually know each other in person? Evo's the only one in here who knows my real name, for instance, and I don't know anybody's except for the ones who use them as their screen names. (If those really are their true names.)

Ivan and Tsu are a real-life married couple. The mentors from Oregon have met a few times in person. There are a handful of people here whose real names I know and have corresponded outside of PF, but haven't met any in person yet (though, when Gokul returns from his conference I have to remind him to find a free weekend...he only lives 2 hours from me and I'm looking for an excuse for a day trip somewhere anyway).
 
  • #34
Danger said:
Poor thing! :biggrin:

Serious question again... this is your real wife, not some sort of virtual relationship the way I'm joking around with Evo and Moonbear and MIH and SOS and Hypatia? How many of you people actually know each other in person? Evo's the only one in here who knows my real name, for instance, and I don't know anybody's except for the ones who use them as their screen names. (If those really are their true names.)

Tsu and I are really married - 20 years. Kerrie and her new husband, Integral and his wife Derivative, Janus, and Tsu an I all met for dinner one night. Integral and I attended the same college and know many of the same people in the physics department. We are also neighbors - approximately - and get together from time to time.
 
  • #35
Moonbear said:
Ivan and Tsu are a real-life married couple. The mentors from Oregon have met a few times in person. There are a handful of people here whose real names I know and have corresponded outside of PF, but haven't met any in person yet (though, when Gokul returns from his conference I have to remind him to find a free weekend...he only lives 2 hours from me and I'm looking for an excuse for a day trip somewhere anyway).


...and Moonbear and I have impeccable timing... :biggrin:
 
  • #37
Ivan Seeking said:
For SOS2008, proof of our marriage:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tsu
Ivan, you a$$.
Yep, okay... that proves it for me. :biggrin:
 
  • #38
Danger said:
Evo's the only one in here who knows my real name
I do? :rolleyes:
 
  • #39
Evo said:
I do? :rolleyes:


Apparently.
 
  • #40
Danger is Evo's daughter!
 
  • #41
I recall a year or so ago, there was talk of a forum convention. That would be fun..yet scary.
 
  • #43
SOS2008 said:
Yes, but what species? :-p
You dare to ask this? You who have changed species 3 times since I started to read this? At this rate you'll run out of carbon-based lifeforms within a week and have to start on silicon. :-p
 
  • #44
Evo said:
I do? :rolleyes:
pm, remember...
 
  • #45
  • #46
wow Ivan, pictures do speak louder then words! The noise that must of made...how cool was that? Glad no one was hurt.
 
  • #47
hitssquad said:
Wreckedexotics.com might like your photos, Ivan. In addition to their other sections, they have a Trucks section and a Weird/Funny section.
http://www.wreckedexotics.com/newphotos/weird/
When my friend owned the local towing company, they always took pictures of the wrecks and put them on a bulletin board. It's been under new ownership for a few years now, but I'll go down and see if I can borrow 'Bambi vs the Camaro' to post. :bugeye:
 
  • #48
BobG said:
And they plan to do what with the shovels? :smile:

Funny, I didn't even see that until you mentioned it. That's the funiest part of all!

I'll contact my customer and ask about that; and suggest that they buy bigger shovels. :biggrin:
 

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