TRUCK DRIVER MECH DID NOT GIVE WAY TO AN MD80 PARKING AT A GATE.

Narrative

WHILE DRIVING A PICKUP TRUCK W ON THE N SIDE OF CONCOURSE; I INADVERTENTLY DROVE IN FRONT OF AN ACFT GETTING READY TO PARK AT THE GATE. THE ACFT WAS POINTED E AT THE TIME; AND I WAS DRIVING W. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THE ACFT WAS CONTINUING TO TAXI E SO I CONTINUED TO DRIVE W. WHEN I WAS 3 QUARTERS PAST THE GATE; I REALIZED THAT THE ACFT WAS COMING INTO THE GATE THAT I WAS PASSING. I CONTINUED TO DRIVE W AND CLRED THE PATH AND THE ACFT CONTINUED INTO THE GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND PARKED. THIS WAS VERY STARTLING TO ME; AND THUS PROMPTED ME TO WRITE THIS SAFETY RPT. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EXPERIENCE WOULD BE A CONSTANT SENSE OF URGENCY DUE TO OPERATIONAL TEMPO AND THE STATE OF THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS; THE WING WALKERS WERE NOT CLRLY POSITIONED. I ONLY SAW 1 WING WALKER AFTER I REACHED THE FAR SIDE OF THE GATE; AND HE DID NOT HAVE WANDS THAT I COULD SEE. NOTHING WAS BLOCKING THE ROAD ON EACH SIDE OF THE GATE TO PREVENT VEHICLE ACCESS DURING ACFT PARKING. I TOOK FOR GRANTED THAT THE ACFT WAS GOING IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION. FORTUNATELY; NO ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES OCCURRED DUE TO THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS. HOPEFULLY; THIS SAFETY RPT WILL HELP TO PROVIDE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PROBS AND POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF GND OPS.