Parallel parking?

Well I just recently completed it myself and got my CDL. For my test in Indiana we did Straight Back, Off Side, and then Parallel. We had 3 get out and looks and 4 free pull ups. I made it a point to save all my get out and looks for the parallel and I just used 1 pull up for the off side.

I guess my opinion on the parallel is it helps to be able to see when something isn't going quite right and how to correct it. Like if your setup up with the big center cone isn't quite right then try to fix it while backing up or use a pull up to get lined up correctly.

In my case I'd always get the truck almost in the box but not quite all the way over that line so I had to use some skill to get it in the rest of the way using up the rest of my free pull ups and making sure I didn't encroach or hit a cone. While doing so I was moving back and forth and controlling the angle of the trailer to make sure it was going deeper into the box. This sometimes required turning hard left while going forward and getting the cab a little back out of the box or turning hard left when I start backing up and then going straight then right only after seeing that the trailer is aimed to go deeper into the box.

I've seen other people in a similar situation on the training range going forward and backward getting the trucking in the rest of the way while the trailer's angle changes and it actually starts coming back out of the box. That is something you want to be careful to avoid.

Another thing that helps you is during your right turn backing up watch the landing gear. When that is getting close to the yellow line then you should get ready to turn left and get the truck moving into the box.

 

I think the only advice you'll get is from someone that has done that testing. In all my 20 years I have never had to parallel a truck. All I can say is not to over steer.

 

I think government people with to much time on their hands decided getting a CDL wasn't hard enough.

 

when i went to school in newport ar we had to do a serpintine which is like 2 parallel parks in one!

 

When i got my cdl we had to make a right turn around a cone getting as close as posible without hitting it. Every 6 inches away was another point. Then we had to back up to the "dock". Then we had to parallel park to the blind side. Not sure why but that was part of the deal. Then we had to back through the serpentine. I don't even remember what to tell you for tips. I don't remember without looking at it. Every pull up was a point off, i do remember that!

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=Ia...g=IoTSNjTFg6sDXGMVVHOnVLeG0R8&hl=en#PPA239,M1

Page 239

 

When you back up you want to get the drivers side of the trailer in line with the passenger side back corner of the parking space. Back it up while looking down the side of the trailer until your trailer tires just enter the imaginary box, well the box will be painted on the lot. Then you turn the wheel hard to get the front of the trailer and the truck into the box. I praticed this many times and it only got easier everytime I did it. Good luck to you.