Parking with yellow valve only? Lack of training? 5 backs total before they are upgrading me.

Ive been to a few shippers that REQUIRE that your air bags remain inflated while loading... Most of our trailers drump the air bags when air supply to the trailer is cut. So at those places I get loaded with only the truck brakes set.

 

Welcome to trucking.. being on your own is gonna be exciting. But take your time go super slow with all backing maneuvers.. the better you’re setups are the easier the manuever.
I’d pick up a toy tractor trailer from Walmart. And you can practice and get the full picture of what the trailer is doing

 

I've only been driving a few months so some of your concerns are still fresh in my memory.
1. GOAL - Get Out And Look!!! While you are backing, do not hesitate to get out and go look. AND while you are out, don't just look at the one thing you are concerned about. Take the time to completely walk around your rig and see ALL the sides. Sometimes you'll see something you needed to see but would have otherwise missed.
2. DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK SOMEONE TO SPOT FOR YOU! Truck drivers are a funny lot, while on the road and on the CB they can easily be jerks, in a truck stop or at a shipper/receiver they are the nicest, most helpful folks you'll find. I have been at tight docks and went and found someone sitting in their truck, knocked on their door, explained my inexperience and nicely asked if they would help spot me. Always had no problems getting help that way.
3. If you are going to be spending the night at a truck stop, do the best you can to get there early. More parking is available, giving you more options and for me in the beginning, it was so much harder to park when it was dark than while it was still light outside. I have gotten better and can do OK at night now, during the first month or two, trying to park while it was dark and I couldn't see things as well was very difficult.
4. Do not get flustered. Know that you can do this as long as you keep working it. When I was with my trainer, we were sitting in a very full and tight parking lot. There was a space open about 3 or 4 spaces down from us that was really tight. I had watched 3 other trucks try to get into that spot and give up. A guy came to it and very diligently worked himself into that spot. I was watching him as he worked his way in and he never showed any frustration or impatience. He must have pulled up and back 15 to 20 times as he slowly but surely worked himself into that tight spot. It really helped me to see not to get frustrated or impatient and just keep working it until you get it.
5. Have patience with yourself. My first day solo was absolutely horrible. My first week really sucked and my first month I had cried several times, seriously contemplated quitting and lost 10 pounds from stress. I had 5 days of hometime after my first month out and it took me 4 of those days to rest and recover. My 2nd month out was not easy either, but it was not as rough as my first month. 3rd month was about break even, about half the days were ok, a couple were actually pretty good and the other half, while not exactly good days, were also not that horrible anymore. About my 4th month is when I think things started falling in place and becoming more comfortable. I'm in my 5th month now and things are going well. Glad I stuck it out. I'm comfortable backing my truck and getting decent at it most times and more more enjoying this.

Hope some of this might help.

 

What @Six9GS said, with the addition that I used to like getting to the truck stop at about 3 AM, That's when the first trucks start leaving, and you can just nose in. When you wake up, it's become a pull through.

 

You have seen and done some backing. Now it's YOUR TIME to practice backing as much as you want. You can back a dozen times a day or zero times a day. Which one do you think will benefit you over the next year or two? Do that.

If you practice not backing how will your backing improve? This job requires backing. You will be required to back into spots. Act accordingly.

My trainer required me to back into a parking spot every time we stopped for fuel or food. Finding a pull-thru spot or blocking the fuel pumps is the lazy cowards way.

At first I parked in the middle spot of three empty spots.Treat that end of the painted line at the open end of the parking spot as a shiny red Peterbilt driven by a meth-fueled motorcycle gang leader. That's to say don't just say "don't hit it". DON'T EVEN TOUCH IT. Eventually after you do that, start parking in the firt empty parking spot of two empty spot. One spot you are parking in and the other spot on your blind side. DON'T TOUCH EITHER LINE. Do this even when, or especially when, it takes you a long time and it's difficult and you are frustrated. If you give up, you just delay the day you know what you are doing and can do it.

You can be as lazy and cowardly as you choose. You'll also eventually hit something expensive because you cannot back properly and when you do it will be because you choose the lazy and cowardly way. You'll then almost certainly run away and leave someone innocent to clean up your mess. I don't know if you are a lazy coward but I know that is what lazy cowards do,

You are getting hired to move stuff and park it where it needs to go. I haven't found the job that pays me to be lazy and comfortable, but I haven't stopped looking. Learning to back is now your job.

 

Yup. Take this to greer was mine.

You said it yourself kid, sink or swim.

 

Heres a pro tip for you noobs. In reverse, the trailer goes whichever way the bottom of the steering wheel is moved. No thought required.

If youre making a left turn around a corner and its too narrow, your trailer is gonna hit the telephone pole on the inside corner. Welp, you need you trailer axles further off to the right then, dontya? Okay.. Put it in reverse, grab bottom of wheel, move it to the right using every bit of clearance the tractor has while backing as far as you are able. When you run out of room stop, put it in forward and turn the steers full lock to the passenger side using all the room youve got and then at the last second swing back driver side and try your corner again. Repeat as needed.

Once you know how to do these odd technical forward maneuvers youll start being able to mix them into your backup game. Tractor trailors fold up like knives. Think about that for a while because its a critical tool in tight quarters.

 

Parking on flat ground i just pull the tractor knob. Anytime at a dock i pop both and put the chock out if they have one. Forklifts can slam you pretty hard and w/o the trailer brake set you risk moving ahead and dock plate being compromised

 

When I was driving the largest amount of time when getting loaded or unloaded I really had no choice on the trailer air supply. I had to either drop the trailer in the door, or they put a gladhand lock on the trailer. Most Walmart DCs won't even allow you to stay close, they make you move to a bobtail parking area.

 

Thanks, never ran into that myself.