90 alley dock and offset back

Backing takes time to master. Stay with it and by all means control you temper. Getting all bent out of shape doesn’t help. Also keep in mind that we all have days where backing is just plain tough. Other days, it’s cake.

 

Yeah, you’re basically where we ALL were at that point. In other words-you’ve got em right where you want em. . Congrats on getting going. Been a long time coming.

 

You pivot on the trailer tandems... meaning you put the tandems where you want the trailer to pivot... but you have to watch where the tandems are in relationship to the rear of the trailer. If they know the zig-zag movement to get you placed the better. you drive in front of the other noses of the tractors, then once you are at your spot you take a 45 deg out, then zig zag to place the trailer at an angle to the slot.

 

Think where you want the rear of the trailer to be and then steer to place it there... Watch the end of the trailer in the mirror and steer to move it... It takes practice...

 

Congratulations, driver! Good luck. It will be tough for a while so don't get discouraged and make sure to listen to the old timers. Most of them will only say it once!

 

Good luck in your new carrier. The job gets easier if you treat it with diligence.
Best advice I can give anyone is use the Smith system and if you don't know it go and study it and recite it back to yourself and think about how it works and how 95% of accidents can be prevented. And make sure to use goal.
Nothing will screw you over faster then getting a ####y attitude and be over confident with your ability to operate a 18 wheeler safely and efficiently .
If other drivers are staring at you, trying to speed you up, making you feel nervous, remove them from your mind. You are a professional driver doing your job and there's nothing embarrassing about being new or not experienced.
What will be embarrassing is when you get into a problem you could of avoided.
Drive safe and take your time.

 

When I back Im looking at three points - the dot bumper, the tandems, and the nose/tractor angle. Those three things will tell you where the trailer will go.

I try and put the trailer 1 foot away from the object on the sight side. If the dot bumper and tandems are both the same distance then Im straight. If not, then Im still at an angle.

Also get out and look, even when not necessary. Seeing things from the outside will help things make more sense.

 

I tend to drop a trailer into any old spot in one move. The auto makes sure of that. However. I did not have that ability until about 20 years into my time out there on the road. I actually smashed the old west coast mirriors in many places paying them 20 here 20 there 20 more there... until I stopped smashing them and got better.

That was literally my school in backing. 20 at a time.

If I can do it, as dumb as I am... you can too and way sooner than 20 years.