Working at the Port Area

If you're working at the port area, or frequenting it, chances are, you've had your share of truck hassles and near-misses, maybe even accidents.

It's part of the port scenario, trucks going to and fro, loading and unloading cargo from ships and barges. In Manila, trucks are only allowed to haunt our roads at certain times because they can create such traffic the whole day if allowed to be on the roadwhenever they please. And we shouldn't really let their presence stress us so, after all, they deliver the goods and facilitate trade which fuels the economy.

Still, it would do you good to know the hours when they're around so you can plan your schedule and avoid them. Or at least, consider their presence on the road when setting up back to back appointments in and out of your office.

If you're working in the port area, or any area where you have to deal with cargo trucks, you also might want to check what your company offers in terms of insuance benfits for any truck-related accidents and injuries. Are they paying some truck accident lawyer a retainer's fee just for these instances? If not, convince colleagues or your union to push for measures to cover such possibilities. In the South Harbor alone, I know of three different circumstances wherein a container fell off a truck, and that's three major accidents too many.

And really, don't mess with truck drivers. Don't drive too close to them and be on the alert when you're driving alongside one.