Backing tips please

oh I know. The truck I got in February has them and its amazing. I do downtown minneapolis container work so it comes in handy. My last truck had a rear window plus I had my conex mirrors setup on that truck so it made it simpler,

 

for one thing the old trucks did not have power steering, so you had more time to correct. if it was a extra tight spot you might have to take a little break.

 

Everyone is recommending that you create your own reference points, and that does seem to be the best way. I have bright orange fueling gloves that sit right inside the drivers side door. At night I have one of those headlights (yes, the uncool geeky flashlight that straps to your head) that has a red light. Both can create effective reference points. Another thing new drivers love to do is spin that steering wheel. Occasionally that may be the right answer, but once you have the trailer headed in the right direction small steering adjustments finish the maneuver with finesse.

I can spot a rookie a mile away when they frantically spin that wheel..... trying to straight line back.....

 

Don't be ashamed to get out and put reference points down. I carry two little LED lights to put in the dark holes they want me to back a flatbed into out of bright sunshine.

 

You can never get ENOUGH prctice backing. I mean throughout your whole career. You need to always get practice. Accomplished musicians practice everyday. Pitchers, Quarterbacks all practice throwing every day. Professional drivers should get some kind of practice every day. Had a 1974 Pete cabover. No power steering. HAHAHAHA I still have large a firm forearms from backing that thing into places.

Best practice is blindside backing with a sleeper-no back window.

 

HA HA HA funny you mention that ol pete,First time i was in a truck it must been a 77 in 1978 13 letter S@#T spreader ,i remember watching as my foster brother struggled to back that cab over in a hole poor SOB. NO A/C,no power steering, no air ride in Passenger seat. an air wipers,an i think spring suspension, who knows i was only 11 or so. and my bed was the dog house.....back then the receivers seemed nice to me totinos cooked us pizza,and everyone seemed nice.

 

With a dock that has no painted lines or trailers next to it, I'll imagine where the end of a painted line would normally be and throw my gloves down at that spot. Then I just back it in like normal.

It takes lots of practice getting used to backing, and some days you get luckier than others. I backed in this place once, and 3 or 4 workers come out and watch me back in, like they came to see a show. It was a tight blind side where the tractor would be jacked to the blind side once the trailer is squared to the dock. There wasn't room to pull it up and get the whole rig straight. Somehow I got lucky and put it in perfect on the first try without pulling up. They were in awe. Said it takes everybody 30min. to an hour to get it in there. They asked how long I'd been driving, I was 23, I told 'em two years. They ask how the heck did you do that, I say, I just got lucky.

 

A yardguy for tyson jokingly told my boyfriend I can't back.I showed him as he was driving by I blindsided between 2 trls,lol.There's some days and mostly nights I just don't have the energy to back so yes sometimes it takes longer especially the straight line backs.The easier the backing the harder it is for me.

 

LOL!! Good luck. For some reason that can be the most frustrating backing there is. Nothing to aim at or get reference off of. And some days you can't miss and other days you are going WTF!!! Can set something out to use for guide if you want and it won't get in traffic or cause other problem. Main thing is to just relax and take what ever time it takes to park without incident. You'll be fine.

 

Pretend the trailer is pulling the tractor into the dock..