Backing...

I also wanted to add, that going OTR is just one aspect of this job. I have 3 years experience as of now and have never spent a single night away from home, with the exception of driving at night and sleeping during the day...

For example, out here in California, we are at the start of a huge agricultural season. This is an excellent way to get a name for yourself with the LOCAL employers. And the ag-hauling companies like tomato hauling, grape hauling etc--they almost have more lenient hiring standards than OTR companies. They rarely use DAC/HireRight and barely run a criminal background check unless they're making a permanent offer. A negative drug test, clean driving record and ability to pass a physical and road test, will get you the job.

In my area, if you haul tomatoes or grapes for one whole season --say, 3 or 4 months--and have a good reference from that company, you might as well have 1 year of tractor-trailer experience since you are driving so much. This was my career route and got into the union immediately. In 3 years I went from not being able to get a minimum wage, part time job at McDonald's, to making almost $60k per year and picking/choosing my job offers. That's the type of industry this seems to be; there is such a high turnover rate, that if you have 3 years of experience divided up between 2 separate companies, you'll look like the most stable, employable and responsible guy out of the safety manager's stack of applications.

Best of luck to the OP! sorry to ramble on here...just want to encourage the new guy who might hit some road blocks down the road. I was the most unemployable person before I became a driver, and getting into this line of work literally saved me from myself.

 

I just put new article up at http://howtobackatruck.com if anyone is finding the site useful.

 

Thank you. I haven't seen that site before. I'll have to read more at my next stop.

 

I always like to back while keeping objects closer or tighter to my driver's side to ensure my visibility. If I'm tight on the driver's side....I know (typically) I always have plenty of room on the passenger side.

 

YOU.......Should be nervous about it because your most likely to have a bad deal within your first year of driving just a fact. Go slow slow and slower check and check again until your confidence builds. even then check again back..back and back some more. Dont take the easy way out and pull alongside the scale at the truckstop cause you can't back learn by doing. When I first started out nobody would help me in the middle of the night trying to get into the last space in an isle. I just inched it back stopped get out and look and repeated whatever it took to get in there safely

 

Backing for some people is no big deal. For me, it was the BANE OF MY EXISTENCE when I was in school and for a while afterwards.

If you're still in school, try to get multiple methods of backing. For me, "You back your tandems, not the truck" was a key thing. For others, it's different.

But it's all about practice, practice, practice. When I have free time I STILL practice blind-side backing when I get get a chance, and I've been OTR a little over a year.

And remember, you don't have "three pullups or fail" in the real world. You have "Three pullups and the other guys are laughing at you. Which is cool, because you're providing entertainment to bored guys sitting at a shipper. See? It all works out.

But seriously, you'll run into some awesome people out there who will teach you a lot if you ASK. Anonymous O/O's who have been driving 30 years have taught me a lot. nd if it's really tight, most drivers are happy to get out and spot you if you ask nicely. Heck, some places are so tight that EVERYONE gets out to spot the next poor sucker having to back into an impossible spot.

Relax. EGBOK. "Everything's Going to Be OK."

 

The initial vehicle positioning will be the key to "struggling" as you say or backing it in easily.Takes practice of course.When you're sitting in a dock,watch how other drivers "set up".before they back in.Eventually you'll just "know" how much room you need and how big your truck is.If the ole dinosaur that's giving you the dreaded "fish eye" is really in a hurry,he can get out and ground guide you! Yeah... you'll get dumb looks from veterans because you Goal.Too long to explain it all,but you're initial vehicle positioning will make or break you

 

IMHO a driver gets more respect and patience from me if they GOAL. Last week did five GOAL's getting a blindside between two shiny show trucks and both drivers watched, then offered to buy me dinner.

Regarding backing difficulties, part of the problem is that schools and trainers teach a backing by numbers system. Pull up perpendicular until you are this far in front of the hole, stop and crank hard right then go until your tractor is parallel to the hole, etc. The more real world USELESS setup is pulling straight forward until you think you can crank into a full 90° jacknife and hit the hole perfect.

Watch in the real world. ESPECIALLY when there is little room in front OR if a driver has split axles you NEVER or RARELY see a full 90° jacknife. The driver pulls far forward, then starts backing with a shallow angle to the trailer. The key is to be able to "follow" the trailer, to maintain a specific shallow angle to allow the trailer tandem to make a wider arc to the hole.

When on your own practice backing around a street corner with a curb. Keep the trailer tandems a foot away from the curb. Keep corrections with the wheel small, just adjust the angle of the tractor to the trailer slightly.