How do you judge your turns?

Never really asked myself that... I guess it just comes to ya after a while.

 

Right turns as long as your axles are super close to the curb so numbnut 4 wheelers cant get by on the right.

Left turns as long as i dont hit 4 wheelers in the inside lane.

 

With a gavel.... j/k. It will come to you in time. Its better to have room rather than hitting a car, pole, sign but try not to leave too much room cause of what centuryclass mentioned

 

Ya it really just boils down to getting used to it. Just make sure to swing wide and then once you get into your corner steer by watching your tandems. On right turns you want to leave yourself some space from the curb, obviously, but in the same breath, not too much. Anything more than a couple feet or so will allow some dumb four wheeler to think they can cut between you and the curb! So don't give them the opportunity because if you do crunch one of them its considered a preventable and you will be held responsible.

When making left hand turns always remember to take the outside lane if there are two lanes. (Same applies for right turns too) Give yourself plenty of space and again once you get into the turn just steer by watching your tandems.

You'll pick it up fairly quickly! Just takes a little getting used too. Won't be no time at all and that big truck will feel like just another appendage!

Good luck man...

 

I always judge them like they do in the Olympic,that Romanian judge is kind of tough though

 

learn how to fix yourself when you misjudge and wind up facing a pole ( the utility, not the nationality, but either one is good though)- practice in a yard once or twice so when it happens in traffic you dont get flustered and do the wrong thing

 

Biggest thing is keeping the gaps closed so cagers don't get inside while turning. Watch your trailer tandems(assuming your pulling a single trailer), give yourself plenty of room. I don't like cutting my turns too close to stationary objects.

 

My cdl school instructor verbally beat it into my brain the first time behind the wheel. Use your mirrors and watch your tandems.

 

That really does work, when I was with my trainer I would say it out loud to keep reminding myself, he thought it was funny. He didn't get to do a lot of training, more just sitting in the jump seat. I still would say watch your tandems out loud for a while after getting off my trainers truck. Hearing it out loud help me out for some reason. I still religiously watch my mirrors. I prefer having hood mirrors also as I can watch the trailer longer in the turn, especially helpful since I pull doubles and am longer than the average truck.