failed my cdl test, angry w/myself

Driver Side Parallel:
Rear of trailer to front cone of box- one full turn to the right
check driver side mirror for landing gear to pop into the driver side mirror, before middle of landing gear then-turn wheel all the way to the left hard and fast...as your tractor begins to straighten out with your tailor keep looking in driver side mirror when drive wheels are directly under the trailer your at the 2 o'clock position...straight line back looking in your passenger side mirror until the line even with outermost cone at the back of the box(if there is a line, if not imagine one) is between the 4th and 5th axle...then hard all the way to the left again check passenger side mirror for landing gear when that landing gear pops again at the opposite sweet spot...go hard right until the tractor straightens out with the trailer again...So right,left,left,right and you have mastered the driverside parallel

 

Dude, you are hearing a lot of "when this happens do this". I went to a very similar school. 4 weeks and I had my CDL and didn't know crap. Then I went out and started pulling Hazmat smooth bore tanks

In my state all I had to do was a straight back and curved back..that's it. I had never done a parallel park or 45 or 90's or any of that.

The point of the school is to give you the basics, the VERY basics.

The only way to learn how to back is to do it. You have to figure out what works for you. I do understand about the lack of seat time at your school. See if those guys will let you do some backing while everyone else goes to lunch...maybe earlier in the morning before everyone else gets there or later at night. I don't know if any of this is possible, but it's the best I can come up with.

It will take a while for you to feel "comfortable" behind the wheel, moving forward or backing.

Don't give up, you can do it. Driving a truck isn't easy. As a matter of fact, it can be pretty darned tough.

Good luck and keep us posted,

Dave

 

When you are talking parallel parking can I assume you aren't talking about the same parallel parking you would do in a car to get close to the curb or are you?

 

You know anyone with a car/pickup and a trailer? If so, take if out to an some abandoned lot somewhere and practice, practice, practice.

If you can back up a short trailer like that well, you will do better with a long one, The longer a trailer is the easier it is to back up, period. When you get a 53' ft. behind you it will be as easy as pie.

 

Now you made me feel better. I have hauled my 6x12 all over the place and backed up a lot. I can back it straight for 50' or so and back it into tight places (driver or passenger side)

I am still a little nervous about what you all are calling parallel parking. I had to parallel park a Type III Ambulance during EVOC training, but I just can't get an image of parallel parking a 53' trailer or grasp a reason why!!

 

You will succeed...don't get discouraged at all. Like firebird said it's pretty darned hard. I just wanted to share the simplest way to do it, because sometimes you'll have instructors standing around laughing at the guys who aren't getting it instead of doing their jobs and simplifying it for all and actually earning their pay. But, the key point is to make sure stay straight while straight line backing in the 2 o'clock position also, this is a fluid motion that can be done slow or fast some people find it's best to use five point positioning though, that is stopping after every move try them each way see which works for you. Most of all believe in yourself, there was a time when none of us on this forum could even straight line back. Anyone says anything different and they're just not being honest...OH YEAH, your welcome!

 

That's great. I assume OK is using the 2005 test model which has a 12x40 box, and a line of boundry cones 70 ft in front of and perpendicular to the cone box. When completed, the rear of the trailer must be within 3 ft of the rear cones without going past them. If you signal completion and you are either not within the aforementioned 3 ft, or past the last cones, it costs 10 points plus 2 for the encroachment for a total of 12 points. Depending on overall length of truck and trailer this can be a bit frustrating.

Generally it's considered a left or right offset. For the left offset you start in the right lane box. For the right offset you start in the left lane box. So to clarify, what you call the "driver side" offset you are going from the right lane box to the box to your left or driver's side?

The 2005 test model has an exercise boundry 140 ft ahead of the two offset lanes. Pull straight ahead to the exercise boundry and then back to the opposite lane.

If you start in the left lane going to the right, after you have pulled straight ahead to the exercise boundry and stopped, back up and immediately give a good turn of the wheel to the left, and watch your trailer and get the truck and trailer straight and steering wheel centered before it gets outside of the front far right cone. With a straight truck and trailer, look left for the front center cone and just back the trailer around it and in to the lane. If you need to make a pullup try and get the trailer at least partially in to the box, and get back as straight as possible (You may still be in a left turn) without encroaching anywhere and pull ahead to your right and then left to get straight in front of the lane.

If you do not remember anything else about the process remember this. You almost always have the room on this maneuver to send the trailer in some more if your initial turn was not enough, but you can almost never recover from too much turn (Without a pullup).

There is one sure fire way method to never hit a cone, and I do not mean to be a smart ### here. Stop the truck. In addition you have to look where the truck and trailer are going and when cone loss occurs, you have to rember where it is and know where your truck and trailer are in relation to the cones and how your speed and turn are affecting the relationship. If you can't do this then pull back ahead straight and find the one(s) you are missing. Whenever possible work from a straight truck and trailer (Or at least as straight as possible)

First get a plan. If the plan does not work do not repeat it. Alter the plan and make mental notes of what happens when you do different things.

There are several reasons to be outside the box. One is aiming at the back of the box, you will go out every time. Another is bringing the back of the tractor in to the box too late, or too slowly allowing the trailer to exit the rear before the tractor is fully in the box. If either of these is the case then aim higher in to the box, bring the rear of the tractor over earlier or a litthe faster. You could also be too far off the corner cone, get closer.

OK, you have a box 12 ft X tractor/trailerlength+15 ft. Correct? If I knew certain details about your truck and trailer I could pinpoint more easily where to aim and when to turn. I cannot tell you how much to turn, I would have to show you that, but I will say that no hard turning of the wheel is needed.

Anything I tell you here is a starting point, you will have to adjust and fine tune for your truck and trailer. I'll give an example of a sightside PP. I'll use a 45' tandem trailer with a combined length of tractor and trailer of 67' as an example. Before starting look at the box and select a cone or other landmark approximately 15-18 ft from the rear of the box. Remember where it is, what it looks like etc. For instance if the cones appear to be spaced 5' apart, your aimpoint will be between the 3rd and 4th cone (Call this cone A). On the front of the box estimate a cone or other landmark approximately 30 ft from the front (Call this cone B). On the right front corner is the cone you will pivot around to get in the box (Call this cone C).

The distance you can pull ahead determines how wide you want to be from the box. I like to be parallel approx 2-3 truc/trailer lengths ahead of the box and 8' or so to the side. If you get too close, say 1' to the side you cannot cut the trailer in until it gets to cone C, which when you get straight takes the tractor too far away from cone C.

Considering the width away from the box (8') start a slow curve toward cone C as soon as you start moving. You want the trailer to fall in right behind cone C, and straighten the tractor to the trailer to be aimed at cone A (3-4 from rear) and this straight tractor trailer should be passing cone C approximately 1 1/2" -2" to it's side. When the rear drive axle gets to cone C, just slowly curve it around the cone and aim it at cone B and center your steering wheel to keep it headed toward cone C. When the drive axle is 4-5 ft from cone B start straightening the tractor to the trailer and when it gets there stop and look at things. While you are doing this watch the right rear of the trailer. If it is headed toward the right rear cone fast then straighten the tractor the trailer faster. If the trailer is not going to the right fast enough then you need to turn the tractor in sharper or come out of the turn slower.

Once completed, look at it and make needed adjustments on the next one, but you have to pay attention to where everything is and where it will be. Other trucks and trailers, autos and buildings are not cones and there is no excuse for hitting them, and there should be no excuse for hitting a cone. Pullups both on a test and in the real world are a valuable tool, do not waste them, use them to realign and make your life easier.

Good luck and Best regards

 

I used to run loads into pedestrian parts of San Francisco for a major nationwide company, and I had to bl indparallel park a 65 foot rig between cars all the time, as lots of the city buses run on electrical overhead power lines and they can't pull out that far from the curb, in lots of places.

Believe me there is a reason that they want to to do these tests.

Even at my age and experience level I never let a chance go by to make an extreme back into someplace difficult, if I can. Its all about practicing until it becomes part of your automatic routine, same as learning to shift a multi-speed non-syncro transmission.

If you ever do intra-city work it will become real clear why you need to be able to back up well. Some places in older cities were built for trucks in the 1930-40's when they were a lot shorter then a 48 or 53 footer and cab are.

Just keep practicing and you will pick it up soon enough. Don't let one failure get you down.

These trucking school companies really need to concentrate on backing. Its their fault that you didn't get enough seat time to learn backing, since you have to pass that for your CDL. Best of luck and let us know when you pass the testes, which you _WILL_ do, driver!