how important is backing?

Oil fields, Construction site's, Dirt work, some times there's not a lot to line up with. And there are pipes and such sticking up easy to forget, from experience I've done it. One place we were backing into a bank to load there was a heavy duty post in front one of the bosses forgot got loaded was getting after it, it took out a bunch in front I saw the humor of it when they were working on it in the shop He didn't feel like joking about it no sense of humor that day.

 

i do not find it harder to back a tanker compared to any other trailer, if your backing skills are not good then practice, when i first started driving i would in the morning practice at the truck stop i was parked at overnight, got some strange looks but really helped, most tankers are 48ft which is a little different than backing a 53ft, but not hard.
Good Luck.
Rich

 

Backing is extremely important. In oilfield work, you'll be doing it in all weather, any time of day or night, often with poor lighting, and difficult terrain. It is also very likely that your spotter or spotters have no idea how to signal what they want you to do. You will have any number of obstacles to avoid, from machinery to hoses or pipes, to containments or even overhead wires (electrical or structural). Last but not least, you will have people to avoid.

Get good at it. You'll need it. Better to be proficient at backing and not need to than to have a tricky place to slot the truck in and have no idea how to make it happen.

 

+1 also get out and look around if your blind side backing or even if your unsure about anything it takes less time to walk around the truck then it does to get written up f for hitting something!

 

This is the best way to back. Better to be safe than sorry when you hit something.

 

??? Was this meant for a different topic

 

typicaly production water you drive in circle around load pull out straight drive to the disposal pull straight in and unload. drive straight out. but that doesn't mean you might not be on your way to the disposal and get a call that that they need that load of salt over a XXXX workover rig, you get there and you have to back 115 degrees off the blind side with a dead man right where you need to swing the front end of your truck to get to where you have to unload. so you defiantly need to learn to back, get out and look and what ever you do don't hit anything. rigs are a little better about not getting impatient if it takes you a while to get where they need it.
fracks the pushers can get impatient they have a lot of loads to move threw and if you start holding up other trucks they can get upset. if it happens don't let it ruffle you too much its certainly better to have someone upset that it took you too long to get backed in than to run over a pipe that shuts the entire job down for many hours. cause if the first happens you still have a job but if the second happens your probably looking for a job.

don't be afraid to ask for a spotter, of course many times the spotters are less than helpful they have no idea how to back a truck most the time. many times ill just point something out to them and tell them, tell me to stop when i get within x amount of distance from what im trying not to hit.

 

You need a little more room for error in the mud. The trailer will slide unlike asphalt. Backing is only a little hard in pulling units or rigs. Nothing like delivering in connitcut or Massachusetts. Those states had some crazy thight docks. Not uncommon to back a block down the street and then go into the dock.

 

Ugh...all these backing threads make me wanna pull my hair out!

When you drive a truck your gonna have to back it up...

 

How important is it?

It's very important to know how to do it proficiently. Practice till you can do it well.