Backing Advice for a Student Please

Yeah, if he's in a modern truck, he should be able to move them around with the remote (the little stick controller), this will help him see what's around him- though common sense would dictate that he already knew this; it's one of the first things you realize when backing.

How is it possible that any trucking school, anywhere, would not allow its student to get out and look behind and around him?! Most trucking schools make this a mandatory step, and will fail you for not doing so!
It's ridiculous from the perspective that they're almost reinforcing the idea, that a "real professional driver don't need to get outta no truck to see `nothin behind him!" This is the crap that causes guys to put their trailers through the side of my cab.

 

That's ridiculous. You lose some depth perception with the mirrors.

 

This is the truest statement I have heard today!

 

I'd say your husband's school is friggin stupid- I'm sorry that that's the best response I have- but who the heck forces you not to look back? Heck, I roll my window down and hang halfway out if I need to. Whatever it takes to get it safely in the spot. I guess using your mirrors only will force you to be a better driver, but that is about the dumbest thing I've heard in forever. Everything that you need has already been said, the best way to never look back comes only from experience, and that means driving the same rig day in and out, and knowing what "marks" (predetermined spots on the trailer where something on the tractor has to cross) you have to hit to get it where you want it to go. Best explained as using the landing gear when blindside parallel parking i.e.

 

Get him a toy semi to practice with also, it will help him get an idea of what he needs to do. (You can even let him make the truck noises if it makes him happy.)

 

Ok, using only mirrors is about the dumbest idea I've ever heard of. But you figure it's pouring down rain, I guess I could see a scenario where this might come into play if your truck is allergic to water. But I keep a couple of rolls of bounty paper towels on hand for that...

The best advice I can give for mirrors only is get it as close to straight line as he possibly can. Otherwise to heck with this methodology. Rather he look than hit something.

Afterthought: there is a whole mess of videos on youtube that show all sorts of backing scenarios that might help too. Jimmy Cox has a good set on backing that helped me quite a bit when I started.

 

Shadowcat, I think the school is geared toward one thing: to pass the DMV skills and road test. You may have misunderstood the part about "looking behind". G.O.A.L. or "Get Out And Look" is required by companies that he will hire on with. For GOAL you actually set the brakes, get out of the cab, and walk back to look at the situation. You cannot get out of the cab when you take the DMV skills test, that is an automatic failure. However, at least when I took the DMV test in January this year, you can certainly open your window and lean out to look behind you. Even if you don't open the window you can look behind you as you are jackknifing into the 90º dock.

If your husband's school indeed requires their students not to actually look behind them and rely on only using the mirrors, it may be to get them used to using the mirrors as their primary information. A lot of new drivers have a hard time adjusting to how to interpret what they see in the mirrors, especially the globe mirrors. My recommendation to your husband is to concentrate on the hood mounted mirrors, the convex (globe) mirrors on either side well in front of the driver. I use those a lot when doing jackknife backing, especially on the blind side.

One of the best videos I've found for backing is CR England's (they have a series of videos):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1J0FH4CeaY

It has a step by step guide for 90º dock. Good luck to your husband.

 

If the skills part isn't timed don't use the throttle just idle back. Ya its slow as smoke off uh stuff but gives you time to correct an over correction. When my son took his they were down there a long time The other tester said well he must be having trouble She asked her partner when thwey got back and he said no not one pull up but he isn't sure where the throttle is in retreat. In forward he is positive of its location.

 

I'm sorry but someone opens the door of a truck I'm driving and tries to pull me out of it they are getting a size 12 boot to their face.
My suggestion, don't sweat it, if you nail it awesome, if you dont, then if your time/finances allow it try and change schools. That place sounds like a joke.