Making blind side turns at night

Interesting question. Especially if you add rain or snow. If there was a way to mount spotlights like the old days.. the answer would be easy. I always told my students and drivers that "You have to take the space and the time that you need to complete a maneuver". First thing you have to get in your head is that traffic really cannot drive in the same space your currently occupying. If you have to stop, get out and walk around the front of the truck... DO IT! In heavy snow, I have had to get out a lot to see if I am clearing the truck to the right at night.

 

I run crappy, muddy or snowy, little gravel roads at night with a tanker. If I drop the tandems into one of those crappy ditches, its a-gonna roll over. I've gone around several with the outside tandems hanging in space, but I made it.

The worst for me is a little intersection thats been snow-drifted and you have no idea whats road and whats ditch until you wade out and find it in person before you try the turn.

Flashlights in the mirror, or out the window pointed back don't work. Makes things worse.

Get 2 big worklights and put one on each back top corner of your cab, and a switch you can reach from your seat. You should be able to see the entire side of your trailer and a bit of the road as you turn.

Take her slow unless ya gotta give her the gas to get through it. And say a little prayer as ya do it.

If you need more help, I always carry about 4 of these cheapie flashlights I got at Harbor Freight. Put one on the ground about a foot from the absolute closest you can get to the corner of the ditch, aimed up so it lights up some weeds so you can see it as you're turning. They've saved my butt several times.

Ultra Bright LED Portable Worklight/Flashlight

 

There’s my answer...... and I’m a vampire.

 

now it might sound stupid, but hold on hear me out. Glow sticks! just play some rave music and stick some glow sticks on the trailer ends.

 

Worst think I ever had to drive on was on levee roads.. totally square turns with dire consequences.. single axle cabovers where the norm then though!

 

1. Worlds best glass cleaner. Clean everything as goo as you can.
2. Roll down the windows when you turn
3. Cheap Walmart spotlight. If you cannot modify the truck get a battery powered worklight.

 

Fix your mirrors, roll down the windows and wire in some lights to the back of the cab or trailer. You could add lights to the sleeper pretty quick and dirty, get a magnetic 12volt light and plug it into the cigarette lighter

 

You can polish scratches etc out of the glass. I'm a fanatic about clean windows and mirrors. Lots of products and how-to vids on you tube. 2 cheap LED floods on a switch on the right side of the tractor would also help.
Good luck.