So I have my CDL but am a functionally incompetent trucker. Now what?

Get a job spotting trailers at a laid back GIG , say 10 to 20 moves a shift.
It will get you backing in no time.
Good Luck!

 

Hey Mr. @lovesthedrive ... not quite like that... but sometimes similar to that... I mean.. sometimes at a truck stop or at a customer's dock if I saw the drivers in their trucks, I would tell them I was a newbie and wasn't very good backing and asked them to watch for me, cause I didn't want to hit their trucks.... and most of the time they would watch and be a spotter....
Some would watch without even me asking....
Only thing I didn't like was when they would move their arms and hands all over the place and that would almost always confuse me....
I learnt how to back really slowly so that I could have time to think what to do next with the steering wheel and see where the trailer was going, where it should go and how it reacted to my maneuvers....
I am not a good backer... never been since my CDL days... my CDL program lasted total of 6 months because I almost did it twice because had to put it on hold for over a month to go to Brasil to be with my dad after my mom passed away... So... when I came back, I did it almost all over again.... and had plenty, PLENTY of practices... but only between cones... which is MUCH different from REAL life...
Did not get much help from company "trainers".... they never let me back the truck... got impatient, this and that...
So... I had to learn on my own...
Had 7 team partners during my first 6 months on my first year with a company. 3 females and 4 males.... all the females were not good backers... the males were much much better...
I could be a better backer if I had pushed myself more than I did... But I always did anything I could to avoid parking at congested truck stops, always looked for easier places to park, easier to get in and out...

.

 

How would we look walking if we had to think about when and how to move each leg. It is the same with backing. Create muscle memory and never think about yours hands, or you will always be mechanical. It is the eyes that should do the backing with the hands automatically following.

And yes, in one week you can look like you have been driving for years, but it will still be learning every time you back, the rest of your career. The day that we quit trying to be more professional, is the day to hang it up.

 

That or a job delivering to grocery stores. I delivered to just about every grocery store in the midwest ( it seemed) and everyone was a challenge. I don't know what all the fuss is about. The 1st time I backed up a T/T unit, was my coaster wagon handle tied to my tricycle step,,,

 

99% of backing is your set up. If you are angled properly it makes it a lot easier. As many have said, there are good videos out there. Some have you drive past the space and drop a glove beside it. Then as you clear the space with your cab you make a sharp right turn until you are straight then a slight left. Then you can see exactly where you want to be. Another old saying which is very true, is that you can never back up too slow, but you can back up too fast. Going slow is better than fast and having to straighten up 5 times. It will also take the pressure off you in front of people. Small corrections also work best. Put some cut into the wheel and wait. Don't chase your tail out there jerking the wheel back and forth. Be patient. It will come.

 

Rocks and all,

I'm the yard trailer mover that was mentioned above. If I were to guess, I would say I've backed in between 5,000 and 10,000 trailers. Probably 90% of the time it was into very tight spots. If you don't have time to practice, the below is what will help you more than anything.

Don't back up until you TURN LEFT! The sketch below is a truck that just finished turning left, and stopped … ready to reverse. The exception is if you have room enough to align the trailer straight into the space you intend to put it, by all means do that.

Otherwise below is your BACKING START POSITION. Figure out how to get your truck/trailer into this position beforehand. The trailer is generally pointed toward the hole or somewhat toward the blind side trailer (past the hole). Put the truck in this position BEFORE moving backward. Once rolling backward, you'll find yourself having to turn the steer tires pretty much "straight" ahead. But it wants to do that anyway, so it is easy. From this position the steering input should be minimized. The words of this paragraph are the barrier (a building, other trailers) and is the reason the truck below couldn't get all the way straight to the hole it was putting its trailer in.

 

People are going to so laugh at "who" is doing this video. But IMO it is great tutorial. How SWIFTly will I get crao for this post? lol

 

The glove establishes a reference point … he should have mentioned it establishes a reference point IF THERE'S NO BIG WHITE LINE THERE ALREADY DOING THAT. If there is a big white line like in the video, the end of the big white line can be a reference point without dropping a glove or anything else.

Might not see a glove anyway at night with little or no lighting. And might not want to drop a glove if its raining out.

 

That is actually one of the best backing videos on YouTube. It requires a bit of space in front of you but really shows the mechanics and proper set up. Great way to practice that maneuver is in the back row of a giant DC or a big TA or Petro around noon. Try it......it works

 

I learnt that "trick" back in CDL school... and did that soooooo many times, especially when there were several docks, several lines on the ground and I needed a point of reference to be able to see from the cab of the truck and don't end up going to the wrong dock...
Did that no matter what time, weather condition or whatever.... But sometimes had to use something other than a glove... and sometimes had to use one or more flashlights pointing to the marker on the ground or the dock.... some very dark docks at night you know...