Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 389; Flight Crew Type 3000
Training / Qualification; Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
New shutdown procedures for -800 series aircraft call for nose wheel and right main to be chocked and tail stand installed before chocks signal is given by Marshaller and notes that it may take up to two minutes for the Captain to receive this hand signal. On three out of four legs flown in an -800 on this trip; the Marshaller gave the chocks signal immediately after shutdown and far too soon for the tail stand to have been installed. Unless there are multiple ramp agents available to immediately (within three to five seconds of shutdown) install two sets of chocks and the tail stand; the likelihood of the 'chocks in signal' to be received by the Captain becomes increasingly low as this new procedure has become the norm. In fact; on the one leg where I actually got a proper signal; the lead Marshaller actually disappeared for nearly a minute before coming back to give me the signal. I was just about to leave the flight deck to go see if the chocks were actually installed at all (and if the tail stand was installed before de-boarding began) and might have missed the signal. Odds are that this procedure will break down and the signal missed far too often; posing risk of the very problems the new procedure is designed to mitigate. Recommend a separate signal for chocks installed; followed by the Marshaller remaining in sight with his hand in the air until a different 'tail stand installed' signal in given.
B737-800 Captain reported that several ground crew members were not complying with the new company policy.