i failed the alley dock for the third time! uggggh.....

all i can say is keep trying lol

 

do they have a time limit? if not go extremely slow, and remember slow easy corrections.

 

I don't know if you have any ability to practice in a truck or not and get it down pat. I think an alley dock is where you have to pretty much do a 90 degree sight side back from a perpendicular position and you can't swing the truck out too far to the right.

Here are some tips:
*I don't think there is a limit as to how far you can pull forward...so if you want or need some more room to pull forward BEFORE you do anything else (ie..before you start backing and the dock is still to your 90 degrees left...you can pull forward). For example...when you are perpendicular and starting the manuever...see if you can pull forward a truck length or something. The more you pull forward, the easier it will be; because you can really start working the back of the trailer around that cone. If you start too far back...its going to a PITA to get that trailer around.

*Keep in mind that the trailer starts to move slowly. You didn't say how you were failing the alley dock as far as are you turning too sharp..not sharp enough...etc? Trailers start off turning slowly but they whip around quite a bit fairly quickly as well...so if it looks like its not doing much....give it a second as you keep turning slowly into it.

*you know that the truck will fit between the cones at the dock...so aim for the closest cone you can see on the drivers side of the trailer and try to get as close as you can do that as you are backing, because you know that if you get really close to it, you are going to clear the cone on the passenger side that you can't see.

*you know you are getting 3 pull ups...so try to get the trailer as far back as you can, because the further you can get it back there without having to pull up, the better. The further back you are...the further forward you can pull up and make corrections.

 

danny_379,.. brinkj23 and ziggystyles gave you some good pointers,one other thing,what kind or trailer are you using,try to get a closed tandem with the axles all the way back that way you don't have to guess where the back of the trailer is so much,plus the moves won't be so drastic.hope this helps,hang in there,you will get it just don't give up!

 

Well at least you'll get another try. Out here in CA, you'd be finished. You fail anything three times and you got to wait a year and reaply for your CDL.

 

Same rule here in New Mexico. However, here you are only allowed to GOAL once for each maneuver.

 

4 pull ups? Be glad you aren't in NY. 1 pull up and we have to parallel park it.

Good luck next time