Tandem placement and turning radius

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by expedite_it, Jan 22, 2022.

  1. Long FLD

    Long FLD Road Train Member

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    Where did this happen at? I’d like to see the satellite view. If this is really a genuine question from someone with the stated driving experience then I would truly like to help and offer suggestions, if only to save my hood at a truckstop down the road.
     
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  3. expedite_it

    expedite_it Road Train Member

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    Yes. That is 100% correct. I wrote ENTRANCE and EXIT on each gate. I tried to make that clear in the drawing.

    Pulling straight ahead would definitely cause my trailer to track through the guard shack. You are correct, but I said that in the OP.

    Well, i tried to draw the picture to scale as best as I could, but, of course, the picture is not exactly to scale. There might not have been enough forward space to "pull forward far enough to get straight again". I didn't exactly do it like you said that you would do. Let's say that the area I labeled "Grass" is to the South. The guard shack is to the North. The entrance is to the east. The exit is to the west. When i was driving forward to exit the drop lot, I tried to drive far enough to the South (and to the east) so that I would have room to clear the rear of the trailer from the guard shack, but there was not enough room. My interpretation of what you are saying that you would do is that you would pull far enough to the South and to the east to get the tractor straight with the trailer, and then back up enough to get the rear of the trailer far enough to the southwest to get back in the entrance. That might have or might not have worked. I don't know if there was enough space both to the south and to the east for that. It certainly would have had a better chance of success than what I initially did. If I ever return to this facility, I will definitely try it the way you are saying that you would do.

    When I first tried this, I certainly knew that I needed to get the rear of the trailer far enough to the south and to the east to clear the guard shack, but I tried to do it all in one U-turn without backing up at all.
     
  4. expedite_it

    expedite_it Road Train Member

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    Westrock in Stevenson, AL
     
  5. Long FLD

    Long FLD Road Train Member

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    730A2CDD-AEF2-4830-88E3-A3D1794A1664.png

    I would’ve found a different place to turn around. But I also have always had longer wheelbase trucks and that’s longer pivot points that I don’t feel like explaining to you.
     
  6. Wasted Thyme

    Wasted Thyme Road Train Member

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    Agreed. But I still don't see how he had an issue to begin with. If he'd stayed tight to the right. Heading straight out of the exit. Till he was almost to the red truck. His trailer should have been behind his truck by the entrance.
     
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  7. expedite_it

    expedite_it Road Train Member

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    I believe that there are multiple guardshacks with multiple drop lots at Westrock in Stevenson. That might or might not be a photograph of the guard shack I was at. One difference between the scenario in that photograph and the scenario i was in is that there were multiple trucks in line farther to the east than the one parked bobtail tractor in that photograph.
     
  8. expedite_it

    expedite_it Road Train Member

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    There was a long line of tractor-trailers much farther to the east when I was doing my U-turn.
     
  9. Long FLD

    Long FLD Road Train Member

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    4F8AC78F-5014-42C2-8395-5843D0A73E81.png

    The other drop lot doesn’t match your drawing at all. Either way, I would’ve found another place to turn around. That’s just me though, I don’t like making right u turns. Best of luck in your continued trucking career.
     
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  10. Wasted Thyme

    Wasted Thyme Road Train Member

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    Still doesn't change the mechanics. You just had to wait your turn. Or do the smart thing and drive 100 yds further. Where there was plenty of room. Years of experience should have made that clear.
     
  11. expedite_it

    expedite_it Road Train Member

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    lol----There was far less than 100 yards to the South, let alone an EXTRA 100 yards to the South. I used my space on this U-turn as much as possible. You were not there. You don't know where the trucks were.
     
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