Day 1

So today, Wednesday 2/26/2020 at approximately 12:30pm I drove a truck for the first time! LOL!!!
Took her around the lot and was told to back her up within the cones. NOT a pleasant experience! In order to have the trailer go left you gotta turn right, to have her go right turn left. I know you guys already know this but this was completely new to me and, yup, hit my first cone, LOL! Serious though, I enjoyed it and am up for the challenge. Because of the light turn out of students I had 4 turns behind the wheel, it did not get any easier for me. Thing is, once I steer left I have to follow it up by turning right soon after THEN straighten out the wheel. Practice, practice, practice. Heading back tomorrow, hopefully I'll get as much practice as today before heading to work. BTW, I had one of those Coors delivery trucks as far as size. I was told if I handle that, a bigger semi would be slightly easier.

 

steering a boat is the same as backing a trailer

 

small corrections and dont turn the wheel until trailer rear tire gets close to cone then turn

 

Yeah you pretty much got it. Just keep practicing. When I started my first gig in January my trainer had to get out the truck and watch me to make sure I didn't hit anything while backing. 6 weeks later and he just throws me the keys and tells me where to put the trailer and goes inside lol.

 

It'll become second nature. Then when you're backing a four wheeler you will screw up because the steering is all wrong!

 

Think of it as u are driving the trailer rather than the truck

 

also a bit of a trick/tip. Grab the bottom of the steering wheel when backing. Then when your hand goes left/right, so does the trailer. Learned that from backing up my boat I used to have.

 

Wait until you realize those cones were 15 feet apart maybe. A thousand cones were killed while I learned. Then barrels. (Ugh...) And you hit your first 1920's era produce warehouse that has been built for 96 inch wide trucks who have to wriggle just a little to get our mirrors inside each other. =)

There is one backing I really hate to this day. Set barrels 4 in a long line, about oh.. 300 feet.

Get a 18 wheeler backwards around each of them the other side on every second barrel. I always get confused about the third one. Trailer goes sticking into everything but where you want it. HA.... Even today I would be not sure if I can do it. Which is a sign of weakness when I consider myself a god of backing by now.

 

Your lucky their using automatic trans these days. Learning how to shift a 10 speed when I first started was a challenge.

 

If they are only using Autos he is NOT lucky. As he'll have an E restriction on his CDL. While this may not impact him working. I'd personally not want that restriction. I want to end up driving an Auto, but will test and mentor phase with a manual. That way no restrictions and I am up to speed for any company/truck.