Hints & Tricks to help with parallel parking & alley docking

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by locustrunner, Jul 22, 2012.

  1. locustrunner

    locustrunner Bobtail Member

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    Jul 20, 2012
    Northwest Ohio
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    We are working on this & I'm still sloppy at it. We have 2 more weeks of classes - but if someone has a trick that will help me out, i'd love to hear it! I'm doing great everywhere else & i get so frustrated when I'm doing it.

    Thanks!
     
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  3. Gizmo_Man

    Gizmo_Man Road Train Member

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    slow the truck down using the clutch. we cannot be there to see what you are doing wrong. so in all reality, we cannot really help you. if you are in school and paid for it, or even if the government is paying for it, ask your instructor(s) after all, what do they do all day long, stay in the a/c cooled classroom..???
     
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  4. locustrunner

    locustrunner Bobtail Member

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    Jul 20, 2012
    Northwest Ohio
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    I am paying for it - which is why I'm so anxious to make sure I get it right. My instructors are ok - but they each tell us something different (there are 2 of them). Air conditioned - ha! Th class room & the truck are NOT a/c'd & in the heat we've been getting in NW Oh - it sucks! Well thanks anyway - I just thought I'd ask, hoped someone might have some help to offer.
     
  5. NotFastEnuff

    NotFastEnuff Bobtail Member

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    May 15, 2012
    Knoxville, TN
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    It's like Gizmo said, make your instructors show you. Ours says that it's his job to make sure that we're doing it right, and it's our job to learn it from him. If he doesn't it teach it right, we're not gonna learn it. I also agree with Gizmo on slowing the truck down. Don't be afraid to stop the truck. At our school, stops don't count against you. Stop, look around and take it all in. Evaluate your situation, then proceed. For me, the biggest thing was to not push it back too far. Once the truck and tractor hit a 90* angle, you're not gonna save it without encroaching. I kept wanting to save it at the 90* point, but it's just not possible. We can't say a lot else without seeing you, though. What kind of issues are you having?

    EDIT: My comments are about the alley dock. We don't have to parallel in TN anymore. :D

    EDIT #2: You might look on Youtube. I know there's videos for pretrip and offset backing. I've not looked for anything else, though. Good luck.
     
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  6. Trucker_Matt

    Trucker_Matt Light Load Member

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    Jul 14, 2012
    Downriver, MI
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    i struggled with my alley docks too for a while then it all clicked right before the last week of school. i live in MI so we didnt have to do parallel parking, but alley docks we did. heres all the advice i can give: 1. SLOWWWWW DOWN!!!!! you should be able to PEE faster than you're truck should move (until you grasp the alley docks that is) 2. Idk how your skills area is set up, but ours (trainco) had a set of double blue lines on the pavement that as soon as the back end of my trailer crossed those lines, that was the time to cut it right. Back your tractor/trailer completely straight until you're ready to do your turns. 3. Your FIRST turn you make should be a HARD right.. completely right... steering wheel all the way right. 4. Get your bend going in your trailer. You want your trailer to be at about 65 degree angle from your tractor. 5. At that point you want to get your tractor back straight infront of your trailer. Cut it left and straighten it out. (REMEMBER GO SLOWWWW!) Now at this point your head should be out your window and you should be WATCHING YOUR REAR TRAILER AXLES...DRIVE THEM INTO THE BOX!! Heres the trick i saved for last.. Watch those rear axles tires... in your mind, imagine an imaginary straight line leading off from the back of those tires. line that imaginary line up with that very first corner cone. If that line isnt pointing at that cone, you're doing something wrong. Remember, right to tuck your trailer into that first cone, or left to get it back. once your rear axles are close to that box, make your right/left turns reaaaaaal slow at this point, don't over turn your wheels or else you will over shoot the box. also make sure you dont have too much of a bend in your trailer at this point or else once you get into the box, you will be crooked and may not be scorable or you will lose points because your trailer is over the lines. I hope all this makes sense... once you can start getting it in the box completely straight, heres another tip to get a ZERO on your alley docks: the 2 white dashes that mark the start of the box where its actually scorable...remember these! Line them completely up in between your rear trailer tandem axles. put that line in between those 2 tires, right in the middle and you will score a 0 every time. hope this helps and isnt too confusing!!
     
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  7. locustrunner

    locustrunner Bobtail Member

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    Jul 20, 2012
    Northwest Ohio
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    THis was helpful - thanks! i'm at trainco in oh. we use cones - but we still have to parallel park. i wish we didn't have to. in the test they will do one or the other. my parking is that i don't either most fast enough or i'm in too far. then i'll try a different way & then i have to pull forward b/c i'm too far out. we only get 2 pulll forwards.
     
  8. locustrunner

    locustrunner Bobtail Member

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    Jul 20, 2012
    Northwest Ohio
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    I didn't think about Youtube! That's my next step!
     
  9. Gizmo_Man

    Gizmo_Man Road Train Member

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    actually it is good that you have 2 instructors, saying different things. you meld together what each one says, and come up with a workable solution.

    you will "get it" and i can almost 1000% guarantee you that once you get your CDL..??
    you may never actually have to do a parallel parking.

    in the 25+ years for me now, i think i only had to that that backing move, twice...???

    and also, doing the alley dock, i can assure you 1000%, that each day you back up..??

    one day you will hit it dead on..

    other days..??

    you will feel like you are back in school, just learning it...!!!!
     
  10. MNdriver

    MNdriver Road Train Member

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    go to the toy store and get a toy semi and watch what it does when you try to park it and all.

    If you REALLY get gumptious, get an Radio Control semi.
     
  11. Trucker_Matt

    Trucker_Matt Light Load Member

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    Jul 14, 2012
    Downriver, MI
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    i was down at the perrysburg facility 2 wednesdays ago i think it was for the job expo... bunch of bottom feeder companys were there! Heres another tip, once you got your bend going, and you've straightened out, make sure you use small precise turns after that to tuck it into the box.. its better to use not enough right or left than too much because you can always come back on your right, or come back on your left if need be. if your ending up too far out, then your not putting enough initial bend on it with your right, or your waiting too long to get it right once you've come up on the cones. you'll get it.. like i said, it took me a solid 3.5 weeks before i started nailing them every time. it will click with you eventually, just dont lose focus and dont get frustrated.
     
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