Backing getting worse

Take your time be patience,I really don't think anyone can teach u to do perfect backing,u have to get comfortable with truck then u will start getting better at it.

 

keep practicing . thats the only way u will get it... find a empty truck stop when u have some downtime.. go to the back and do different backs... 90s . blindside 90s. 45s blindside 45s.. just keep practicing...watch how other drivers back in and try their techniques...

 

Instead of trying to eyeball that dock 2 miles away, eyeball your own drives under the trailer. Once you have that 45 established, keep a hold of it. There will come a time you need to get into the space and get straight.

 

You're at the "Tiger Woods" phase of trucking. Great in the beginning, then take a nose dive for awhile, then back at the top of the game.

 

Don't overthink it. Don't rush it. Patience and practice.

 

In Carlisle PA Area, Mechanicsburg roughly, I arrived very tired after a overnight direct from Toledo with Heinz ketchup.

The break bulk ware house was early and happy to see me. They sweep a arm down the line of 22 docks and said pick one.

Two acres of pavement to the street and nothing except one dumpster on the far end.

After a time trying to get docked into one of the individual bays most of the crew was howling and laughing. A that time have a few years experience I burned with shame because it could not be done.

(When you are over tired, the higher functioning precision task work in your mind simply is not online. You cannot do anything accurately)

Someone put it in and we all got unloaded, I told dispatch that Im taking it to Spangler's Spring and am going to sleep and eat some of that food for a day or two. No loads for a while. And that was what I did. Took a couple of roast beef, taters, veggies, saluts, and other fixings in several meals and whole lot of resting to get right again.

They did not appreciate that too much. (What they did not know was my house was a hour south and I was too tired and dangerous to try to make the run. It's one of those things where driving sleepy is worse than driving drunk. So you stay put and rest up.

 

Backing is like being married... some days you can put that truck in every dock, other days you couldn't back a straight line into a straight line..

 

And on real bad days you sleep on the roof of your trailer.

No one ever thinks to look up there. I used to sleep under the stars in the company yard on the nice soft flatbed tarps.

 

Well it's hard to explain in writing, but remember that it's about the ending position of your trailer.

If you can get backed into a slot try pulling out and getting yourself into the position that you would be in to back in. Then you have to think about how to get the truck and trailer into that position as you pull into the lot.

And if it makes any sense don't forget that as you swing to the right and then make the swing to the left to get the trailer in position sometimes you can swing a little further to the left if your trailer isn't exactly lined up, and if you have enough room if it makes any sense you can be farther away from the slot as you do your setup because it gives you more room to adjust yourself as you back in.

Keep practicing every chance you get and you'll get the feel for it.