Help me understand the 90 degree alley dock

when you are at a truck stop with lots of empty spaces. Practice....thats what I do. Then I ran into one where I had to hit a tight spot cause there werent any others left. Guess what.... I did it and my confidence grew way big. Now I just have to take my time and take it slow and realize that I'd rather have someone looking at me NOT hitting anyone else truck than laffing at me cause I was frustrated and in a hurry not to show my noobiness.....

 

I've finished truck driving school. I failed the 90 degree alley dock twice in the "Basic Control Skills" portion of testing. The main thing I've learned about it is I have to watch my tandems as I back in, and I have to anticipate when to go hard right getting it into the box. I also try to avoid pivoting on the tires because when they stop rolling you start to jackknife.

My goal is simply to get in the box to the point I know a "pullup" is all necessary. I'm working on it at work using the yard dog as well as a tractor always realizing the key is to watch my tandems as I'm approaching and while hard left to carefully take some of it out as I back on my approach to the box.

I know it comes by doing it and doing it...and doing it. Today I backed four containers in, twice I did the 90. I'M GOING TO GET IT ON THIS NEXT TEST!!!

 

If you have a door mounted mirror you can swing the left door out so to see the trailer, it helps especially if the stacks are in the way.

 

go buy/download a truck driving video game and switch back and forth between the overhead view and the "in cab view". The scania simulator is decent and cheap ($10). They're euro trucks but the concept is the same regardless of cabover vs traditional. Play with that for a while and you'll quickly develop an intuitive understanding. I have my guys that we train here at our company do this and it makes all the difference. If you could switch to a helicopter view of yourself when backing life would be a lot easier wouldn't it?

 

Don't beat yourself up. There are a lot of experienced truckets that are only fair at going backwards. See it all the time. Most over steer then can't recover. Maneuvering a truck is one of the trade marks of the professional driver.

 

When you're going forward, you're driving the tractor.
When you're going in reverse, you're driving the tandems.
Learn to drive the tandems and everything will fall into place.

 

I really agree with that concept, and this is what has started to sink in with me.
I turn my wheels based on what I see the tandems doing in proximity to where I wish
to back.

As many have said, the more I do it, the better I'm getting.

 

It's a done deal!!! I got my CDL yesterday. On the backing skills I had ZERO points deducted! Now to get to work and start my Driver Orientation!

 

Trailer goes in the hole.

Honestly it's as simple as that. Every rookie out there loves to be PC and over complicate the simplest maneuvers. I've done it too when I started. "Crank the wheel three turns right, 2 1/2 turns left, blah blah". This is why you're struggling. Don't think about it too hard. Just stick the truck in the hole. You'll stop doing 5 million pull-ups.

 

I did this! It's a pretty decent game. Using a game pad with it also. It takes some time to get use to steering with the game pad. Thanks.