Difficult backing with flatbedding ?

Is TMC an exception because they hire students like me?

 

Who do you drive for and what kind of trailer do you pull?

 

i take a little offence to this, myself late at night i sit back wait for the van and refer drivers that back into docks way more often than i and when they decide to give it up and get out of my way then i back my 260 inch wheel base and 53ft step spread axle into the spot they tried to get into for over an hour with their 220 wheel and 48ft and can't. Is it easy? not always. Does it take some time? yes.
But alot of flatbed and stepdeck backing is not done backing to a dock, it si backing around a building, down a street, into or through a building, just a few to mention and don't forget the little 1 lane county road, backing around the barn into a field to get a drapper head unloaded without a fork lift or crane, and realized why insurance is higher for living in the country than cities, we will try most anything or come up with a way to do things that others wouldn't even try.

 

I delivered a load of paving stones to a construction site in a fancy subdivision once. There was absolutely no place to turn around. Every intersection had a stop sign, flower bed, a fence, or some fancy rock thingy so I had to back up about 2 and a half miles before I found a place to turn a 48 foot spread axle and 270 inch wheel base truck around. Even having a day cab would not have helped that day.

 

we took a load of brick once and got to delivery and found out it was in a big fancy Sub-division that was fun, feel your pain. i would love to see the grocery drivers do that.

 

People with spreads usually avoid the tight spots to save wear and tear on them; Popping and creaking isn't what you want to hear.

 

Alcoa in Lancaster, PA is a PITA to get into at times especially when its sunny outside as their docks are tight and its dark inside. Just don't go trying to spin a spread around like a closed tandem van. Saw a Western Express driver do it in a truck stop with a load and broke the bead loose on all 4 tires on the front axle.

 

Not sure if you are asking me because i'm still figuring out ttr, but... I'm just a student but I applied to TMC this past Friday.

 

Yes and no. My flat doesn't have a dump. The bull rack does. Some nights I have HAD to air up the rear axle to hit the chute. Problem is with a spread that doesn't have a dump is you don't know which axle its going to pivot on. It depends on what you're used to. With that rear axle dumped that trailer reacts a lot faster. So it can make it more difficult at times to hit the hole if you're not used to it. But once you're used to a spread with a dump you'll never pull one again that doesn't have one.

Yea that's why I see more people with swing doors struggling to hit spots than I ever do flatbedders. I've been places that would make a dry van or reefer driver crap a golden Twinkie. Gotta love that 90 degree blind side jack knife at the truck stop that we've all seen a time or two. Just saying. And I've had to hit a chute down by Mcpherson ks that made me crap a golden Twinkie. I wasn't even watching the mirror to hit that chute I was watching the farmer. He said there's a trick to it...its called a 48 closed tandem and a day cab...as he's looking at a 270 Pete hooked up to a 53 spread

 

That Alcoa is not difficult at all! Hehe that's why I picked up at night there.