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

Yes, 3 test limit. After that, its $$ for each test and lesson.

 

GOAL????? I see it around but I am not sure what it means

 

Goal stands for Get Out And Look.

 

I wouldn't get too discouraged. You're almost there. Just need to bang out that alley dock and then road test, then you're golden.

 

Well, at the DMV where my class took the test, there really wasn't a whole lot of room to pull up. If we were too far left and we pulled up to the right, it would end up pushing the end of the trailer further left because we didn't have ample room to straighten out.


Status update:I passed my drive test this morning, and I start at Stevens on Jan 3rd.

 

what are you talking about lining the ICC bar up with a cone? I think you should just practice more and not try to get too caught up with lining parts of the trailer up with the cones. Some of the instructor's tried to teach student's at the school I went to that way, but all it did was mess me up, really bad.

 

The #1 trick for me (for any backing) is that you get to a transition point and STOP
then turn the wheel, then go again.
You haven't pulled up, but you haven't chewed up space still moving while turning the wheel.

if you are still moving while turning the wheel, everything is still backing into place and you are running out of room.
if you STOP, then you aren't moving space and you have more room to finesse it in if you need to.

Every day (well, when I'm working), I have to alley dock mine into it's home at my shop.
But it's the same park every day, nothing moves. JUST LIKE THE CDL TEST.

Pull forward to your marker.
STOP
Turn the wheel.
go back back to your next marker
STOP
turn the wheel.
get to your next marker
STOP
then roll it right in.
The markers never change. You're driving the same truck and trailer and the cones are in the same place. Use whatever you need to get markers in place for you.