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Today I thought we’d talk about another Op’s position; it can be a great avenue to the transportation departments and even a reboot to our careers in a way! I’m Marty T Hawkins with Warehouse and Operations as a Career and I appreciate you checking in with us again this week! With the seasons changing I wanted to talk a little on Heat Stress too, I think we’ve covered it a couple of times already but….well, were already approaching those triple digit degrees in a couple of regions I over see so its probably worth mentioning again. Anyway, so I was asked last week if you had to have a CDL or commercial drivers license to be a Spotter. For those of ya’ll that may of never heard that term, it could be a southern thing I guess as I know up north the position is referred to as a yard mule driver or yard jockey, I’ve heard it referred too as a Hostler Driver and yard driver too. There all the same thing. Basically, in the distribution world anyway, a spotter is the person that will spot the trailers, backing them into an assigned dock door so the product or load can be loaded by the warehouse and then pulls it away from the dock once loading is complete and stages it for our transportation departments to assign a driver to the load, which will then go out for delivery. The spotter position carries quite a bit of responsibility with it. He or she will have to make certain the right trailer is docked at the correct door so it’s loaded properly. In the food industry, the trailer may need a refer unit or refrigeration unit on it to aid with keeping the products at the correct temperatures. Or if it’s a large load of equipment they’ll need to make sure the trailer has the proper securing equipment on it, like straps and chains. I can share with you that this jobs not going to be for everyone, a spotter is moving 8 to 10 hours a shift at the larger facilities. Think about all inclement weather days or nights too, rain, sleet, snow, whatever those trailers have to get to the docks! I think the hardest thing or skill that’s required for this position, one that I struggled with, is that you have to be very proficient at backing a trailer. I was ok, and I mean just ok, with backing a 36ft unit, but our job may require us to back 28ft, 36ft, 48ft and 53ft’s, maybe even throughout a single shift if our industry uses all sizes in their fleets. And any driver will tell you, with the turning radius being different with each of them, that you’d better know what your doing or you’ll be there for a while.
To answer the question, typically No, you will not need to possess a CDL to be a Spotter. Most companies I’m familiar with, since you will be working in their trailer yard with no street driving only require a clean driving record, that your drug free and of course have regular operators license in good standing. And of course you’ll need to be able to back a trailer and in a timely manner. Its not uncommon at all that this position is assigned to or filled by the warehouse department. I’ve used loaders and order selectors that had expressed a desire to one day be a driver even. What a great way to farm a new driver right? I’d have a delivery driver work with them out in the wide-open yard. Teach them how to operate and drive the tractor or yard spotter truck and teach them how to hook and unhook as well as the mechanics of backing the trailers. Some facilities may use this position to train new drivers, especially those route delivery positions where backing around cars in parking lots or down alleyways can be required. These are great jobs for a driver that may have pointed out their CDL, maybe had too many tickets or infractions and lost his or her commercial license for a while. I know several organizations that prefer an ex-driver if you will. They bring the experience factor with them. Personally, I always liked offering the training to individuals that aspires towards transportation, let them get some experience and test drive the challenges a bit. Now you have to be careful here, I mean all this equipment is expensive. In many instances, like regularly, you’ll only have 4 feet or less on both sides of your dock lane to stab that unit between trailers. It can be taught, but a little natural skill helps too.
I’d suggest that you go mention it to your management team, they’ll share any requirements with you, maybe even help you get your license one day. With there being such a driver shortage here in the states right now it could even turn into a fast track for ya to that new career!
I mentioned the environments and weather we’ll be working in as a spotter and I need to add the heat as well. As a spotter we’ll need to stay hydrated too. Climbing in and out of tractors and trailers, chocking our trailer wheels and cranking up and down their landing gear is wearing on us. I hear about 3 or 4 cases of heat stress out in the yards every year. Here’s a good place to Segway into the other topic I wanted to touch on today!
Heat Stress, a very real danger in our industry ladies and gentlemen. We’ve mentioned it several times in other episodes, so I won’t harp on it today but lets try and hit the high points real quick.
NIOSH or the national institute for occupational safety and health tells us that workers that are exposed to extreme heat or work in hot environments may be at rick of heat stress. Heat stress can result in heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps or heat rashes. They go on to tell us how heat can also increase the risk of injuries in workers as it may result in sweaty palms, fogged up safety glasses, and dizziness. I found that at a https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/default.html site and I’ll add their link in todays show notes on our website, https://warehouseandoperationsasacareer.com/ It’s pretty neat and they have several links with safety posters and information! One of them is the NIOSH Fast Facts Sheet, https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-114/pdfs/2010-114.pdf it covers maybe the 4 most important things us as employees may need to know about heat stress. If we’re supervisors or managers we should make sure all our associates are well versed in them as well!
Heat Stroke – A condition that occurs when our body becomes unable to control its temperature. This is really dangerous and can cause death or permanent disability. I know of several facilities that offer employees a cooling scarf for the summer months. They provide a cooler with ice water for their employees to keep them moist with through-out the shift. I think something like that really helps. Some of the symptoms for us to watch for are:
- High body temperature
- Confusion
- Loss of coordination
- Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
- Throbbing headache
- Seizures and coma
If we notice any of these symptoms we need to call for immediate medical assistance, move the worker to a cool, shaded area and remove excess clothing and apply cool water to their body.
Heat Exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through sweating. The symptoms to look for are:
- A rapid heart beat
- Heavy Sweating
- Extreme weakness or fatigue
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- They may be very irritable
- Fast, shallow breathing
- A Slightly elevated body temperature
If we notice even one of these symptoms we need to get to a cool area and rest for a bit.
And then Heat Cramps, heat cramps can affect workers who sweat a lot during strenuous activity. Sweating depletes the body’s salt and moisture levels. Those symptoms can include muscle cramps, pain or spasms in our abdomen, arms or legs. If we feel anything like those indicators we need to:
- Stop all activity, and sit in a cool place for a while
- We should drink some clear juice or a sport beverage, or maybe some water with a snack of some kind.
- I’ve never been a big supporter of salt tablets and this safety poster adds to avoid salt tablets.
- Its important that we don’t return to strenuous work for a few hours after our cramps subside
- And we need to seek medical attention if you have the following: heart problems, are on a low-sodium diet or if the cramps do not subside within one hour.
It goes on to explain some of the things we can do to protect ourselves like take more breaks when doing heavier work, and in high heat and humidity. Taking our breaks in a cool area. Drinking water frequently, drink enough water that you never become thirsty. It lists some great ideas, check out the included link to it, you’ll enjoy giving it a read!
These tips are so important for us and our peers or as managers for our employees. Especially in some of the environments we may work with, like if we’re normally a freezer or cooler order selector we’ll need to be careful if we switch over to the dry area. Our bodies will need to acclimate to the new environment. Production facilities can get downright hot, we need to watch for symptoms with ourselves and keep an eye on our team mates as well! I hope we answered the question regarding the Spotter position today, if a part of your planning is to end up in the transportation world I think it’s a great first step, it’ll give you a little experience and help open doors for you down the road. With the summer months quickly approaching, remember that Heat Stress is something to take seriously. If you’d like more information on what it is and how to protect yourself please google it or send us an email to host@warehouseandoperationsasacareer.com and we’ll send you some great links! Until next week, please stay cool and keep yourself and your teammates Safe!