Having trouble in training

Go to an empty parking lot with painted lines this weekend and backup over and over and over until you can keep it straight. When you get crooked with a pickup truck in certain spots on the rig you get a damaged fender. @Hammer166 is definitely correct that your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel is the best method to force you to stay straight.

 

So I paid attention while I was loading, and unsurprisingly what I do going forward is slightly different than what I do going back. When I'm going forward I'm not really focused so much as gazing a few feet in front of the wheel, so that without changing my eye position I can merely shift where my attention to different parts of the periphery of my vision. Forward checks decks aligned, rearward tire position.

But when backing I very much look back and forth from checking deck to verifying position.

Something else that will help you, is to remember that when you start to get off track, you don't have to get it back instantly. You merely want to correct the trajectory of the vehicle so that it moves back to where you want it over time. Mind you this is only for minor Corrections, if you're a hole or two too far over and try to correct your trajectory you'll put the front end of the vehicle into a post. When you get that far out of whack you just have to stop, and move back down the truck until you have the vehicle where it belongs again.

Hope some of that will make this click for you. Good luck!

 

Completely normal. You're not comfortable yet, so it's really easy to get too focused on the tire and not where you headed. Those glances ahead make it easier to stay on track, and you'll learn it soon enough.

Just remember that keeping moving makes it easier, just don't get in a rush and end up completely out of shape

 

Many people will drive a 150 or above in the belly routinely with no issues and I can also if I absolutely have to. Years ago I got sideways backing a 150 out of the belly and after an hour or so I got it out with no damage and a lot of sweat. I decided then to back any large vehicle in the belly whenever possible as generally it doesn’t effect my loads height. It is much easier to pull out at the dealer than to back out because usually you are on flat ground when loading and sometimes you are not when unloading.

 

I once had a spreadsheet I made up, just so I could wrap my head around the numbers and get a better picture of how partial loads distributed weight. Stingers are so different from a standard 5th, and it shows that many don't grasp that, just from the partial loads (well, full loads, too) I see running around.

 

It sounds to me like you have the right attitude. You're paying attention and you're doing what they want and you're making progress.
You'll make mistakes. Learn from them and don't let them defeat you
Common sense goes a long way. You'll do fine.