Central Refrigerated Truck Stop

Sure! Just need to go pick up my load at nestle at 8am. Then come back for a couple hrs. I don't really feel like dealing with LA rush hour 4 wheelers. Tonight on the way back from doing a local load I had to cut one off because I had my signal on for a mile and they wouldn't let me over. And 2 almost hit the right shoulder because they refused to speed up getting on the freeway. Not to mention the countless others that pass you on the right.

 

Been out with my trainer for almost two weeks. I feel good driving and logs but is it wrong at this point to not feel 100% about my backing yet. I've done 10 or so. I don't mind docks but its the truck stops that are mirror to mirror and no room to swing the tractor.

 

No, David its not wrong to feel 100% while backing because you NEVER see everything. You can have other trucks creep up in your blind area while backing or stupid impatient truckers run across the back end of your trailer while you are backing. If you feel 100% while backing then you are complacent which is bad. Recently there have been deaths in truck atop parking lots because of complacent drivers not paying attention. So yes, David you are normal.

 

Best of luck, I'm sure you will do fine. I will have to cheer from here.

 

FUN - today (as long as I pass my skills) will be my first 'freeway' day WEEEE!!

 

Yeah I hate ELOGS!!! Centrals weren't as bad as Werner's. With centrals driver can edit own logs for corrections, we have to send a mac 50 to log department to do any edits and half the time they don't do the edits needed.

But anyway I put myself on Line one, then sent a mac 39 to request personal drivetime, since I was bobtail and not under a load, so was on personal drivetime going to the shop, then going back to gas city, so I didn't start my clock until I was under a load

with central it's line 5, but werner wants you on line one before going on personal drivetime

 

no i came down from modesto, been on the road with my trainer since 2/4

 

glad to see you guys posting again

 

Just ate at a kwik trip truck stop restaurant and everything was great. Off 94 in Wisconsin at about the 26mm

 

You will get to where you can back into most holes within about 6 months without too much problem.
But you will not get good till a good year in most likely.
Though I still have days that I cannot back worth a darn.

My best advice is that if you start for a hole and see that you are off. Do not force it.
Just reset.
Trying to back in from a bad setup will just get you frustrated. And this leads to bad decisions and getting in a hurry.
Learning how to set up well is a skill that takes a little while to master, to the point that you can do it most of the time in various situations.
To start just try to get it down for a normal angle back.

Get to the left side of the parking area, with the hole to your left.
When the front of your trailer gets about even with the middle of the hole cut right.
When the back of the trailer passes the hole, cut to the left and get some angle started. To where the tractor is 90 degrees with the hole.
When setting that first angle, try not to get within 7 feet of the trucks to your right. You will need this swing room to straighten out later.

Anyway. That is how I set up in most truckstop lots. Works for me. It may or may not help you. Since I cannot draw a picture here. You just really do not want to hit the hole too shallow, or you risk hitting on your blind side. Or too steep, where you cannot swing your tractor around.