Backing

If the tandems are all the way back, you have a 53' trailer, and a day cab truck, then pull up parallel to the line of parked vehicles.

Stop your truck with the rearmost driver side trailer tire six feet past the parking space line closest to you (the parking space you are trying to alley dock into.) You should be the same distance away from the line of parked vehicles.

(Left Rear Outside trailer tire should be @ 6 feet past and 6 feet away from the end of the parking spot you want to hit, and your truck at 90 degrees to the hole you want to hit. Your truck and trailer will start fully straight with each other, no angle between truck and trailer.)

Then crank your steering wheel all the way, hard right.

Once cranked right, back up until the truck and trailer are at 90 degrees.

Stop and straighten the wheels.

Resume backing for about 30 degrees of trailer rotation with the tractor at 90 degrees to the trailer. (THIS STEP VARIES DEPENDING ON THE TRUCK AND TRAILER. Wheelbase and turning radius might lead to faster or slower turning, meaning you might spend 60 degrees with trailer and tractor at 90 degrees if you have a yard dog truck, or go immediately from hard right to hard left if you have a old school longnose Pete.

Stop and turn your steering wheel all the way, hard left.

Resume backing and watch for your rear end to line up so you can see properly.

If you don't hit the hole right, make adjustments. Pull up farther, start a bit farther out. More or less time spent with the tractor at 90 degrees to the trailer.

 

there's no way you are worse as a beginner than I was. I was second to worst in my CDL school and worst in training with the company I drive for.

you either keep at it and improve bit by bit, or you quit

I was willing to get out and look as many times as necessary, and I wasn't going to quit under any circumstances.

 

I used to smash west coast mirrors in very specific truckstops until I paid out enough 20 dollar replacements and a few dinners to stop smashing them on backing. Took me around 2 months.

Instead of being stubborn and insisting on backing into bad truckstops where due to a variety of advanced problems in backing, such as gravity induced trailer to "Fall" down a mountain slope of a parking lot on gravel.. You have tie a thousand tugs to it and it will continue on that way.

My private hell in backing if anything is right side. I consider myself a god in backing. And I have backed yard jockey work as late as 2010-2013 time period before I had to stop due to CDL turned in. Going after something sight side for me is incredibly dangerous and I'll get out and walk back a thousand times and check my work.

 

Reasons associated with medicines and new penalties imposed in those days. It was easier to bear the penalty of DUI in a basic car license. If you EVER had that in a CDL, that's very bad. Real bad. The medicines used in those days made that a very real possibility then. Things were tightened up quite a bit since then.

The State has assured me that getting back the CDL is very little problem because I already owned one in my lifetime. There is a difference. And the doctors have changed the medicines and we are as of this summer moving to stop those entirely. With two very small exceptions. I have other medical work pending which is basic chop and sew and heal. Nothing complicated. We'll see how it goes.

One other reason is financial. State and Federal Laws protect me due to my income, however Arkansas allows any creditor who obtained judgement for medical past due bills of very big proportions to suspend professional state licensing such as CDL A. Until judgement is satisfied. It was a form of solving a problem before it became a problem back then if I am able to be in battle and consider my options until victory. IF I can see something coming like 60K worth of hospital work. If Insurance fell down and Im liable for that... God would have to weep with laughter that will surely kill him due to the number of lifetimes it would take me to pay that.

 

Backing is something you will get. And anything in life. Good. Bad. Challenging etc you will over come that too.

Took me maybe 10 years to start my trade mark one move parking backwards, that automatic had something to do with it. Once you start moving with it, and you try to feather that clutch to work the wheel etc you will find that your tractor will probably become a bounce house. If not a snorting little bronc nosing down and being unhandly. You will get all that too.
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Nothing to be sorry about. I have reached a discussion with pain doctor soon that we may essentially cease regular visits. Maybe twice yearly visits for a refill. Which is way way way less than what they forced down my throat these last ten years. I consider this time of my life full of possibilities. Ive been dead a long time. Now I am alive.

 

Do your problems follow a pattern? Are you consistently making the same mistake on your approach, and hitting the hole wrong, but the same way most of the time?

If so, how are you positioned when you have to stop?