On this day I found it to be very refreshing to observe an employee working in a truly professional manner. Seeing this person practicing their trade in a professional manner could not have come at a better time for me as I have seemingly hit a string of events where professionalism was not at the forefront.
Let me set the stage for how this morning unfolded. I was dropping off my trailer to be loaded at a location where it has become all too common to find fresh damage to the exterior skin of my trailer. While sitting in the shipping yard waiting for the yard jockey to move a trailer out of a dock in order for me to dock, I noticed something, PROFESSIONALISM at its finest!
The yard jockey was moving trailers ever so smoothly and making every move count. This yard jockey was not having to rev up the engine of the yard mule to accomplish the necessary moves with the trailers. When a trailer did not move instantly the yard jockey waited until the brakes released without dragging the trailer tires.
As I waited for my assigned dock to open up there was time to watch and observe this yard jockey as he plied his trade. Here is what I saw:
- Every move was deliberate.
- There were not any wasted moves.
- Every maneuver was smooth.
- There were no tire flat spots generating from trailer pivoting.
- No trailers were dragged out before the brakes released.
- There was not any trailer to trailer collisions.
In reality, what was witnessed appeared to be a well-rehearsed performance where skill replaced speed. This yard jockey was able to move trailers in a timely fashion without ramming about in a reckless manner. Because the yard jockey's skillful performance was so impressive I made sure to message the supervisor to make sure his skills were noted and appreciated.
In the end, the yard jockey's performance became a good reminder to me that professionalism still matters and people notice when a task is done in a safe, proper, and timely fashion.