Released on my own after 3 days with a trainer... I'm having one problem

The more people that are watching,the more trouble I seem to have.

 

3 days is plenty with a trainer unless your in more complex trucking such as tanker, then about 10 days with trainer is sufficient.

As far as backing, your problem with the easy wide open painted spaces is more common than you may think. Nothing to fret.

 

I would say slow down and don't overthink it so much. I'm not a driver, but have seen truckers get into places that you wouldn't think they could make it in, including some the husband had. With wide open spaces there is nothing to gauge your distance next to on either side is the problem I think, I bet if you put a person on either side of the trailer you would make it just fine.

 

I gave up on backing a long time ago. I'm that trucker you'll come across at the Pilot creating a parking space next to the scales and blocking traffic at six o clock in the morning. And when I get to a consignee, I show an exaggerated display of frustration, drop my trailer in the middle of the parking lot, and insist upon a yard dog to earn his hourly wage. I'm proud to be a swifty...

 

Hey I'm with swift and I back up pretty good without all the extra drama. lol good idea about the yard dog thing though. Oh, to be honest I don't usually see swift trucks by the scales blocking traffic. But then again I'm usually in a spot before its packed, pull my curtains and relaxing and gone after my 10. So I may miss you on some occasions. Not to say I haven't thought about parking by the scales. Some guys are ingenious when it comes to finding a parking spot and or making one. Kudos to them, lol.

 

Here is your cookie

 

If your having trouble getting into wide open area parking, imagine that there are obstacles in the way. Start developing a sense of sighting the way your going to back in to a spot. Walk it off how the truck will turn and checking the area for problems that might be an issue.

 

Some of those wide open "easy" spaces with the painted lines aren't so easy if the lines aren't painted accurately. I had a rough time getting into an "easy" dock last week, with multiple pull ups, until I figured out that the lines were painted about 10º off perpendicular to the dock.... ...

... a spray can of florescent paint fixed that. Put an "X" where you need to orient the rear axle for the pivot. If you don't have a handy can of paint, then a flattened coke can in the spot can help.