Just Practice. I would try backing up somewhere in your personal vehicle. Just backup in an empty church parking lot or wherever. Try backing in a figure 8, especially if there are light poles for you to back around.. It sounds trivial, but I think it will help a lot. Once you get back in a truck with larger mirrors It will be easier. Just some practice viewing things through a mirror. Yeah, don't feel bad, that's normal. Unless you have a boat and back into docks on weekend boating trips, or work on a farm, it's realistic to have some trouble. It's usually a long trailer so you need to do things a bit before it looks like they need to happen. I think we all just "guess" when we back. We may have a good idea of whats going to happen, but it's still just a guess.
you’re exactly right , practice , practice, practice . There are no tricks at all , just practice ,practice ,practice ,you will get it.
I hear that #### from every one of my drivers weekly.. i can still drive circles around them... Tell the shipping and receiving managers i have the best team to run and the worst. Best: dont have to see them all day.. Worst: their drivers....
i need 5 more years driving a big truck and then I will have 50 years driving, that’s a long freaking time . I’m tired ,ha ha Ha.
Your last paragraph... Stick your head out the window and check your steer tire to see if you are straight when you have a doubt about wheel positioning. Its what I do. My freightliner has two rotations from the straight position. So if you are doing a maneuver and you want to go back to the straight position count two rotations and center the wheel straight from there. You can hang your head out the window and see the steer should be straight.
Ive always envisioned my truck from above. Took some time to master but in the end it really works for me.
How i learned.. Class B Class A knew everything. Straight truck with a 2 axle articulating fore axle... (nope dont know everything) Drive into a neighborhood that the map book and gps said had a out... didn't have a out... had to back said trailer 3/4 of a mile curving road with cars parked... back 45' pull 25' to straighten out. Repeat. A hour later i was out. Result? I can back a dolly pup round yer mammy and not spill her iced tea.
