Alley docking tips!

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by pharrari, Dec 15, 2012.

  1. walstib

    walstib Darkstar

    Unless you're one of the few that doesn't learn visually and will somehow get this maneuver down from reading an internet post, I'd suggest you pick one person and have them SHOW you again...
     
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  3. passport220

    passport220 Road Train Member

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    Des Moines, IA
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    At this point as it is getting close, my advice is to make note of what YOUR standard proceedure is. What I mean, don't make each new attempt a start from scratch. If you turn the wheel one half turn to start, note it ... set a standard, check the results and adjust from there.

    Don't start from scratch, don't try to figure everything out as new with big changes on everything you are doing each time. Establish somethings that are working well, keep them and adjust the rest one step at a time.
     
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  4. pharrari

    pharrari Light Load Member

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    im gonna see if I can find a toy semi which the front wheels turn and have a trailer. I can't find any R/C semi trucks around my town so I'll have to do with that.
     
  5. Palace37

    Palace37 Light Load Member

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    I'm confused about this place. Do they get you a CDL or just train you to get it on your own?
     
  6. carrkool

    carrkool Heavy Load Member

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    adah, pa
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    Look the first mistake most people make is staying to far away from the box or in real word the hole. when putting up stay right up on the hole
    hole
    ====here not over here
    l l
    l l

    line up is the most important thing in backing. a good line up will make things so much easier. i drive a classic and i start to cut out into the lane(angling) when the drives pass the hole i am going for. if you stay close to the hole and cut out right you will be alot straigher with the hole and wont be jack knifing it to get it lined up.

    also dont drive the truck, drive the trailer. look at the wheels and see what path they need to take to get in, just dont over look the tail end. if looking right you can plan you route into the hole and steer the trailer

    now for the hardest part, RELAX, there is not a person out here who does not have a bad day backing. i have seen guys with 30 yr behind the wheel get out there and look like a swift or jb hunt rookie. we all have them days. i have also seen days when a guy(INCLUDING MYSELF) can not hit a sight side to save their lifes but flip it around and nail a blind side with out a pull up. we are only human after all strange crap happends just dont hit anyone or anything. take your time breath and pass your #### test and than learn to be a truck driver not a school wheel holder...lol good luck and best wishes
     
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  7. pharrari

    pharrari Light Load Member

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    TDI is a 3 week school. They are all about making money and when the recruiters come in to talk to us, they tell us a crock of ##### to make us join their company. Also the recruiters of the school are commission hungry, they are more worried about me filling out the pre-hiress so they can get partial credit than for me to pass their short cut down curriculum.

    One day we had to do maps, and I told the guy I don't know ##### about maps because I use GPS and he just slapped the Atlas in front of me and said figure it out. HA!

    All the teachers are CDL certified so they do the skills test and road test at the school.
     
  8. WRIGHTRACING

    WRIGHTRACING Heavy Load Member

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    Good for him. I use a GPS everyday, and follow it blindly like an idiot a lot. But what happens when you make a wrong turn and get stuck on a "No Truck" road or "Low Clearance" road? How will you get out of there? That GPS led you there, so you can guarantee you it won't lead you back out.

    As far as Alley Docking, or basically backing into a hole, what the others have said is it. Back it around the cone, and get under it before the trailer even starts getting straight. Then pull forward and straighten up. I back behind stores every day to make deliveries, but have a hard time in truckstops and shippers, sometimes.
     
  9. Rotorhead

    Rotorhead Bobtail Member

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    Dec 20, 2012
    Concord, NH
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    Pharrari, I am new just like you. Yard work was my toughest challenge, not the forward stuff, that was cake. Backing I had to take it slow, use all my GOALS and pull ups. I went to a tiny school with only one truck, so we watched the others. Out of the 4 of us, I wasn't the worst, but there were two guys who were naturals at backing. They didn't hit many cones, and seemed to be able to correct themselves out of any problem easily. The yard teacher was impressed. On the other hand, I got out, walked around the trailer, looked at the trailer and the tandems, and thought how my steering corrections would affect everything. I rarely hit cones, but my "turns" took longer than the others and I took some razzing about that. I didn't care--I was gonna slow down, take it easy, and "do it right", at least right for me anyway. The teacher always commended me for taking my time.

    Along comes the state CDL test, the trooper grabs my info sheet last, so I was last. The two guys who nailed every maneuver did 0 points through their straight backup and offset, but each failed on the alley dock. First guy hit a cone on passenger side. He knew he was close because he slowed down. The trooper and I looked at each other and shook our heads. Once the trooper shut him down, he got out and was so mad at himself. Second guy sees this, and he does not GOAL, didn't hit any cones but did too many pullups. I get out there thinking if THOSE guys didn't pass, my chances were slim to none.

    Took it slow, used GOALS and nailed the alley dock after only one pullup. Moral here-- like others have said, do not be nervous, you will pass if you use your GOALs and pullups. Do not be afraid to get out of the truck.
     
  10. Njnoob

    Njnoob Light Load Member

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    ^^^^ What are "goals"?
     
  11. pharrari

    pharrari Light Load Member

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    Sanford,FL
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    Get Out And Look.

    Hey folks I passed my test! I prayed so hard that I didn't get parallel park on the state test and the heavens listened to me and I passed all of my tests!
     
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