ACR MLG ACFT DAMAGED AFTER IT HITS FUEL TRUCK IN GATE AREA IN RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC.

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ARR AT GATE IN CLT; CAPT APCHED LEAD IN LINE. NOTICING NO MECHS; HE STOPPED THE ACFT 12 FT SHORT OF GATE BLOCKS FOR A MOMENT; THEN HE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO PAX TO REMAIN SEATED BECAUSE WE WEREN'T AT THE GATE. MEANWHILE I CALLED COMPANY TO REQUEST MECHS TO PARK US. CAPT STARTED A SLOW TAXI AFTER HE SAW MECHS APCHING ACFT. AT THAT TIME FORWARD CARGO DOOR OPENED AND I SAW A BAGGAGE LOADER ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT AND INFORMED THE CAPT WE SHOULD STOP. GND PERSONNEL SHORTLY AFTER RAN OVER AND GAVE A STOP SIGNAL. BAGGAGE HANDLERS TOLD US THERE WAS A FUEL TRUCK THAT HAD PREMATURELY APCHED ACFT FOR FUELING. I OPENED THE WINDOW AND HUNG MY HEAD OUT AND SAW FUEL TRUCK AGAINST ACFT. R ENG WAS STILL RUNNING; ROTATING BEACON WAS ON AND ACFT WAS NOT CHOCKED. THERE WAS NEVER ANY INDICATION A FUEL TRUCK WAS PRESENT AND IT SHOULDN'T HAVE PULLED UP UNTIL ACFT WAS CHOCKED. ALSO JETWAY WAS NOT PULLING UP TO ACFT SINCE WE WEREN'T AT THE PARK LINE. MOST STATIONS THE FUEL TRUCKS PARK OUTSIDE THE WING TIP. THIS WOULD HAVE EASILY BEEN PREVENTED IF GND PERSONNEL HAD FOLLOWED CORRECT PROCS OF NOT APCHING ACFT UNTIL IT WAS CHOCKED.