Alley docking

Practice mostly. Setup is what gets you the best chance. I can count on zero hands the times I've needed it.

 

Setup. Get the tail of your trailer at the second spot past the one you want to get into.

Play around and practice in a fairly empty parking lot BEFORE you have to alley dock into a tight spot at 230AM, and you just drove 9 hours.

Setup is ALWAYS the most important thing, when doing a tricky back. You learn setup by practicing, and doing what you're doing now: asking. There are some good videos and diagrams online, if you google a bit.

 

Do you drive a van or reefer? If so, I want your job. 100% of the doors I go to require an alley dock, or close to it.

 

I don't remember how I learned. It was 30 years ago. However, to train my guys we located a big empty lot, got permission to use it and bought a bunch of cones. Practice, practice, practice.

 

Mostly flatbed, but don't mistake it. I back into tight areas on the regular. It's just that even with vans that particular alley dock they call for in CDL tests is so odd and I've never seen it. Do you pick up at a lot of single door facilities with a door in their car parking lot?

Actually come to think of it I did have a flatbed load delivering to a place that needed an alley dock, but it was so awful and Sandy near the door that the spreads just kicked over as soon as it got close. It was actually impossible.

 

I have to go in the left side of this place. Three of my five regular stops are like this. Fun with a 260wb and 48' trailer, not hard, but fun. Classic alley getting into any of those doors.

 

The alley dock they required for my license was backing into a space and stopping with the bumper at a dock (a painted box) about 10' in and being square. That's the alley dock I think of when somebody talks about learning it. Not every day truck stop parking.

 

Alley dock for our test up here is 40' deep and you need to stop within 3' of the last cone or so. I never had to do it. I actually grandfathered into my Class A in the late 80's. I've taught several of my driver's though and that's the current test standard.