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

I scored perfect on my alley dock while in school, both practice and test with only 1 pull-up during the practice. We had to back up to set a cone's, my instructor watched me do my practice and applauded me. During the yard test, he set a thermos of coffee on the one cone, then he laid a tape measure on the ground. If you knocked the thermos off the cone you had to start over, if you knocked it off twice you failed. Once you thought you were docked, he looked at the tape measure, it was assumed that you would be crooked in the dock, but he measured how far out from the cones you stopped and at how much of an angle you were. During practice, I stopped 4" from the cones and was crooked by 3/4", during the test, I stopped 2" from the cones (only because the instructor didn't realize that I had learned how to judge the shadow off the truck on the ground from the sun) and was crooked 1". Out of 9 students, only two knocked his thermos over once and no one knocked it over twice.

 

When I was in school, I was ahead of the class academically, so one day while they were class catching up I got to spend the whole day one on one with an instructor.
He was actually our toughest instructor and could put us through the ringer.
Anyway, he did put me through the ringer backing up.
He set up the cones for the normal alley dock, but he kept putting the truck in dfferent positions, and I had to get in and start from where ever and however he left the truck.
Once he had the trailer lined up to go straight back in between the cones, only, the cab was at close to a 90 degree angle. He would swing in wide, swing it tight, over turn and under turn, geeesh. But I really did learn a lot more about backing, and how the the tractor and trailer work together.
He even would always move the seat way back, way down, and same with the wheel. It annoyed me, cause usually I just got in the truck and made very little if any adjustments. I then learned how to adjust the seat, steering wheel and mirrors for me, instead of just adapting.
The other day I was backing into a difficult dock, and I was so thankful for that day he spent with me. Because I learned that day that knowing how to pull up in backing is very important, and with some docs you have to seesaw yourself in.
It also taught me that in alley dock parking there is not just one right way, it is just a process.

 

and then wonder why you're grinding down your steering tires.

 

the school's tires.
Look, the CDL test is a game.
You have to know the rules.
Knock over this many cones, be this close, x number of pullups, whatever the rules are in your state.
Know the rules.
It doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to be right and within the rules.

For example, in Colorado if you weren't within one foot of the rear of the box it was minus 1 point. But if you went too far, you would knock over 3 cones, which was minus 6 points (two each). So, get close and if you lose one point (out of 12 possible for the whole backing), NO BIG DEAL.
The idea is to pass, not be perfect.

In the real world, the idea is TO NOT HIT STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looking pretty as you back right into some truck parked next to you or a building or a pole is a career killer (and does thousands of dollars worth of damage). Taking the time to use all your advantages and taking some life off your steers is just a cost of doing business.

 

In Wisconsin you get one pullup before they start docking major points. So major, if you missed anything else you fail.

Take it REAL slow, and even get out and look a bunch if you have to. I'm pretty sure every state allows GOAL.

 

Yes it might be the cost of doing business but why chew up your tires and possibly someones pavement "just because". If it was your cost of business you might change your tune, I'm sure you are aware how many beers a set of steers would get you. It is much eaiser to make adjustments while you are moving than to wait until you are stopped and guess how far you might have to turn the wheel

 

I got my cdl in MA in April 09. I failed the alley dock the first time. Something that I found helped me was when I needed to make a correction I would stop the truck and turn the wheel while stopped. When you are moving and turn your wheel the trailer continues moving and is slower making the correction. If you turn your drives they way you need them while the truck is stopped, when you start moving again the correction happens faster.

 

stopping and then turning the wheel will not guarantee that you don't hit anything. you only hit things when you're moving and it certainly doesn't gain you any space. controlling how fast the truck is moving will help more than anything, because the slower you go, the more time you have to make corrections.

all the original poster has to do is practice, learning how much to turn the wheel, how long to wait for the trailer to react, and when to make corrections. usually beginners turn the wheel too much, and then wait too long to correct.

 

Do you have a truck to practice with? If so you need to practice till you can do it in your sleep. I had access to a truck to practice with where I worked and did so as much as I could, ususlly comming in early to practice. But for me I had to practice paralelle parking. I took the easy way out and used our single axle Volvo daycabs and 30 foot pup trailer for the test.

Practice, practice, practice
Or your results will not change.

Re'

 

Danny, Ill give you a little hint. Shadows are your best friend. Start watching how shadows fall from the rear bumper, starting watching and learning how shadows fall on everything. When you get a chance to practice your backing again, use that shadow to find that white line. or cone. You'll be amazed at how simple what your trying to do really is.