Backing in tight places

for awhile there, I was doing middle of the night drops at a dark warehouse, I got real good at using just the light from my 4-ways and brushing my brake pedal to get some xtra lights to get backed in. Then I went for almost 3 yrs with only once or twice a month night drops and lost practice. Last week I did it and it took me 6 tries to get it in there and even then I wasn't square til the 3rd try.

 

What'd he say?
Needs some more text explanation...start over please and give us more data. Thanks.

 

heh.. I think it would be easier to set up a cam at a shipper and just show you how I do it, rather than try to explain that in text again.

 

I've been driving for three years now. Some days you have good days, some days you have bad days backing. The big issue, as stated, is making sure you take your time and not be afraid of other driving pressuring you to do something you're not comfortable with.

NEVER be afraid to get out and look. I get out probably 90% of the time. That way you can GUARANTEE yourself that you're nowhere close to the truck on your blind side as you come around.

You'll get the hang of it. Some days, it drops right in the hole in the first shot, no pull up. Some days, even two days ago, I looked like a rookie on his first day because I was tired and setup poorly at a tight Pilot and had to pull up twice to reset my tandems to hit the hole right.

My issue is the tight truck stops that require you to enter your parking spot with your trailer at a slight angle (namely most Pilots, or the Flying J in Tacoma). After seeing enough guys taking out mirrors (and having my own mirror taken out), I'm always apprehensive about not having the trailer straight as the tail is entering the spot.

 

I just got back on the road after a hiatus for almost 2 years so my backing is pretty rusty. I take every chance I get to back into a spot for the practice

 

Makes perfect sense to me. I've always called this an alley dock & it's how I do everything that I can't get set up straight in front of the hole for. It works from either side & you know you are set up perfectly when barely moving the steering wheel changes your trajectory from side to side.

A couple of things I was told when I was a greenhorn that some may find helpful;

1. When straight line backing put one hand at 12:00 on the steering wheel and move that hand in the direction you want the back of the trailer to go.

2. When you have to pull up remember that if you want the trailer more over to the right you have to point the truck to the left and vice-versa. If you steer the truck to the right you will need enough room in front of you that you can straighten out for a long enough distance to get the trailer back in line.

A couple of things that I've learned recently;

1. When backing into a really tight hole, like the one in the pic, I don't open my doors until I get squared up & in the hole. Leaving them closed will give you 3-4 inches extra on each side, which can be a lot.

2. When alley backing into holes like this at night, with no light & no lines to guide me I will sometimes get out & put a Coke can on the ground a few feet in front of the hole so I can have a reference point to sort of pivot my tandems around. I've found that the key to these tight ones is to be squared up before the trailer starts to slide in the hole. Tough to do with a 379 & not much room in front. I've never pulled a 53' & that's fine with me. I want my 42' flat back!

 

this is very good advice, back it all the way in, then pull straight out, then open your doors and then u back it in

 

maybe this will help explain..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlXaenUnTAA


here is a cat walk view of someone kind of doing it..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugAfYDBkELU&feature=related

You can dig around youtube an find all kinds of examples of backing

 

Those are two pretty darn good videos. I enjoyed them both!
Thanks for posting them

 

Ok so I'm still a noob in school but the "drift left steer left" works and IS referring to the REAR of the trailer. If the rear drifts left, steer left and rear of trailer goes right. Its not that hard.