driving alone

You will be nervous the first couple months and it eases up as you gain experience. But when you get comfortable is when you have to watch. Many drivers go from nervous to comfortable to over confident. About at 3 years is when one starts getting the whole picture.

Allow Me has good advice. Contrary to all the stupid out there, there are an abundance of good people willing to help you at any time. Just get on the CB and ask. Until you get in the grove, never guess doing something. I might make it doesn't get it. Get out and look at your blind side even if you have to get out of the truck a dozen times. Look for old tire tracks. Use references to help you like expansion cracks in the concrete usually run perpendicular with a building. I even used rocks to help me when I first started. References help you get that trailer square with the building.

 

For a while, I carried some small cones with me in the side box I would lay out when I was backing in blind side.


Gives you reference because YOU put them there.

 

The very FIRST load I had was a load of paper rolls that delivered to a very busy paper company. It was an early morning delivery and when I arrived there were lots and lots of trucks already there. I brought my bills in to receiving and proceeded to wait and listen to the 'supertrucker tales.' I remember this one guy talking about how he had been driving for 20 to 30 years and I began to get really nervous. I figured these guys would just whip it in the dock and I would be trying to back for hours. When it came time for 'supertrucker' to back I swear he had to do 15 - 20 pullups before he finally got it right. I think the Trucking Gods shined on me that day and I got in with one or two pullups only. During my 'career', that turned out to be one of the busiest places I picked up or delivered and it was also my very first load.

A good piece of advise is to turn off all radios and roll down your window a bit when you are doing any slow maneuvers at a shipper, receiver, or truck stop. Be VERY hypervigilant in these places and above else G O A L. If you have to GOAL 20 times, GOAL 20 times. Don't let anyone rush or hurry you. After the first 6 months, you will be shocked and surprised by how much improvement you make.

Above all, relax. You will love trucking and you will hate trucking, sometimes in the same day. I am considering returning myself so it can't be all THAT bad.

Good Luck!

 

My first time was great. The damage wasn't that bad and they say the guy should be getting out of the wheel chair any day now.

Seriously, just take your time ... slow and GOAL and more GOAL. And if you screw it up don't be afraid to start over and reset.

If I screw around on a back and there are a couple of drivers watching, I go over to them after I'm done and ask them what the over under was on the pull ups.

 

If you cut a fellow driver off in traffic...apologize.

Make sure to check your mirrors plenty and go slow, there's no reason to push your limits and if you don't feel comfortable due to inclement weather just pull over, its not the end of the world.

Saw a truck rollover a week ago, going too fast into a turn because he about missed his exit then just whipped it over and took the ramp...Learn from that drivers mistakes and just go to the next exit and turn around instead of taking that exit at the last second and going far too fast for the ramp.

 

as the other have said take your time,GOAL,forget others are around,GOAL,and just in case GOAL again.If you GOAL it will do more than help keep you from hitting things.It will also help you understand what is happening when you make this move and that move.It will get much easier when you back in a million or so times. that is what I have heard any way.

 

Great replies here for your backing. One of the other situations that is going to make you nervous is finding the customer once you are close. Again, take your time. Don't let traffic frazzle you. If you miss your turn, try not to get rattled. Find a safe place to turn around. Look up, down, and around. Up for clearance. Wires, overhangs etc. Down, will the surface support you. Around,, is the area big enough. Think safety all the time. If it makes you late, you're late but safe.

 

Ok..

1st..relax..tis is a modern day..there is tecnology..used to be for a buck or two flying J'shad apc for drier use..go in and google earth shipper and reciever..mapquest route..print off..

Take that and look it over in your atlassif no truck restructions..awesome..

So now you are at the shipper..you check i..pul up and you're looking at the dock..don't even try to set up for it..just look it overthen set p the truck and goal..make sure you are set up how you want to be..visualize the path you WANT the trailer to take...those trailers on either side are the same as they were when you were with your trainer..Just relax and TAKE your time. Think through the whole back before you put the truck in gear.walk the path

Get back in the truck..put it in reverse..ease off the clutch and keep your foot off the throttle...Thump..you're at the dock and you realize you forgot to open the trailer doors so now you get to do it again..

Your trainer was an extra set of eyes yes...n instead of 4 eyes looking around the truck you have two..that means it should take you easily twice as long to back into the dock..

Others have said it I said it again..

Petey