newbie with permit, any tips on turning

Go around the block. Left turn, left turn, left turn, left turn and you are back where you started. Repeat if you have missed your stop again. Don't go right, corners too tight! Don't go down the one way the wrong way or you will pay! Do this at night your first couple of times. Don't stop and talk to the locals. Surely do not talk to the cops! Can anybody else back this up?

 

Swing Wide It's a Friggin Trailer!!!! (SWIFT)

Ok, humor aside. I don't think I should give you my rules of thumb for turning, because I don't think it will translate well without the visual. Your instructor will (he'd better) drill you on this constantly. If they are smart, they'll start in an area with nothing to hurt. Don't worry you'll get the hang of it very quickly.

As a side note, ever see those toy semis with trailer? They can help you visualize alot of how the rig turns and backs. Just don't let your trucking friends see you.....

 

Rember when backing turn the wheel left to make the trailer go right and turn the wheel right to make the trailer go left.... lol....

 

Don't hit anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

48' straight truck?! that would be like a 40 foot bed, thats a pretty darn long straight truck...

 

When turning right (as your in america); be in the right hand lane, indicate to go to left hand lane, once you start to merge, stop half way(so your taking both lanes) indicate right; you want to be in the middle of the lane you turning into, before you start the turn, then well, turn. (keep an eye on trailer and post)

mind you, turning with speed, is alot different then turning without.
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Thats what we do when turning left(as thats our sharpest turn)

 

That reminds me of an old saying - two wrongs don't make a right but three lefts make a right.

In turning with a trailer you have to square off your turns and turn late in an intersection since the trailer follow a different track in turns (off-tracking). It becomes second nature after awhile.

 

I own three bedtrucks that are 56 foot long nose to tail without a trailer they are KW C500's and all I can tell you is you have to have a lot of room to bring one around a corner don't be afraid to back up once just watch traffic behind you. These trucks I have are used in the oilfield moving rigs not the city so we have no traffic when driving them. They are a bear to turn around on a tight location though.