Making blind side turns at night

Hey, we’ve all been there.

 

I’d say...
Take all the #### room you ###### can and hope for the ###### ######’ best.

End Transmission.

 

Swing wide, go to the on coming traffic lane when you swing wide. That’s how I do it. If someone is behind you, use your turn signal ahead of time, start drift in the center lane, then be swing from the oncoming traffic lane.

 

Just wing it and swing it.

 

Yeah I figured it was a company truck and that's why I suggested a light that will plug into your cigarette lighter. And just because its a company truck does that mean you cannot tighten up or fix the mirrors?

 

When I'm on roads like that. I take the left side of the road long enough to get my trailer on that side. And take up the whole road making a right turn. Staying to the left on both roads. Once the trailer clears then I shift to right lane..

I swing as WIDE as possible

 

Most roads like this I run at night haven't seen another vehicle for hours, so traffic isn't usually a factor for me.

Another thing you can do if she's really tight: To make a right turn on a crappy intersection, get near the left edge of the road approaching the corner.

Drive straight through the intersection on the left side of the road until your steer tires get about 3 feet past the far edge of the new road and stop.

Back up slowly while cranking the steering wheel hard left so your front end is swinging to your right and comes out pointing to the road you're going to take. Be careful you don't drop the right drive tires off the road you're on as you're backing. (been there and done that).

Stop backing when your left steer tire will clear the ditch on your left as you pull forward again, and before any of your drive tires get off the good solid part of the crappy road.

Then crank the steering hard right as you pull forward to the new road and straighten the tractor up as you turn so that your tractor will hug the left side of your new road to the right. Slowly pull forward and keep an eye on your right side tandems as you're going through.

This maneuver will buy you a couple of feet of road for your tandems on the turn.

It also works if you need to make a tight turn when the intersection is covered in ice or snow.

If your steers start sliding as if you will slide straight ahead into the ditch instead of turning like you want to, get your foot completely off the gas for a second, as you're still moving, and the steers will usually magically get a bite and start turning instead of skating straight ahead. Get gently back on the gas and finish your turn.

Good luck.

 

If you drive the same truck with the same trailer long enough, you will eventually be able to "feel" your way aroumd these situations. But I understand where your coming from, it can be nerve racking when you dont know where that trailer is going.

 

If you want to go high tech, you could always get a wireless camera system that they make for tractors/combines, that you could magnetically mount infrared cameras on the trailer, and rig the monitor on to a cigarette lighter plug and place it on stand or something on passenger seat, and could see everything on that side at night.