ESTES Freight Lines update


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Posted by APB in tropical NY on Monday, November 03, 2008 at 22:35:21 :

Today I hired a flatbed wrecker (roll-off type) and we drove 72 miles
to the ESTES depot. We were treated courteously by the men running
the depot. A small forklift truck operated by a gnome was used to pick
up the equipment and deposit it on the flatbed. The gnome managed to
slam into the switch frame with the forks, and then shatter the wooden
pallet that was "supporting" the frame.

The bill of lading specified that long forks were to be used. Once he
was advised by me to put the extension forks on the lift, he was
almost able to pick up the frame. However, it proved too heavy for
the truck, and he proceeded to drag the frame, with the linefinder
group grinding away on the concrete floor, about 100 feet to the
waiting flatbed.

He did not exercise prudence in approaching the flatbed, nor did he
apparently realize the height difference between the loading dock
floor and the deck of the truck, so he crashed the truck and switch
frame violently onto the truck deck, almost pinning my friend, the
truck driver, between the frame and the cab of the truck. When he
finally came to a stop, all the line relays had been mangled. (they
had been is so-so condition up until that time.)

He tried to release the load onto a couple of used truck tires that I
had brought, with the silly idea that they might cushion the road
bumps. He was not able to land the frame correctly, and just let it
drop. He then tried to back the forklift truck off the deck, but
manage to get himself twisted at a 45 degree angle, one wheel spinning
uselessly, with one fork still impaling the line relay bank.

At that point another forklift driver came over and managed to tow him
off the deck of the flatbed, amid much cussing and tire smoking.

I took the two fork extensions, each weighing about 50 pounds, and
threw them, javelin style, across the loading dock floor at him as
rolled away, but, alas, he made good his escape. They did
make a lovely noise, though, and I got rid of 0.0001% of my frustration.

The depot manager asked me to sign a paper that said, among other
things, that I had received my property in "good condition." After an
open and frank exchange of views, he consented to my crossing off the
words "good condition" and I signed and left.

The trip home was uneventful. The frame is now resting on the floor of
my new building, waiting for repairs.

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