HELP!!! Tight Spaces

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Josherd87, Feb 19, 2014.

  1. Lepton1

    Lepton1 Road Train Member

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    As a side note if you take a lot of vitamins then peeing in the snow can make a nice, bright mark.... :D :D :D
     
    Lowa3468 Thanks this.
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  3. Lowa3468

    Lowa3468 Heavy Load Member

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    Just make sure you don't eat it lol
     
  4. yuban

    yuban Medium Load Member

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    Good answer Lepton1!

    First time I saw the jello I was parked at a dock. It was snowing to beat the band. A trainer jumped out and emptied a pack of cherry jello. He drew a line on the drivers side curved into the dock his student was to follow. Pretty slick. Snow cones also...
     
  5. rjgcape

    rjgcape Bobtail Member

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    Mirrors... set mirrirors to make syre you see tandems touching ground. When I started mirtors were not like now. Thought I eould have hard time forever. But Get out and look... I am now better than average. No matter how good we get get out and look and NEVER worry what other drivers say. Some days it may take bunch if puulups and longer than usyal. Any driver who will criticize Will hit something simeday.....
     
  6. NewNashGuy

    NewNashGuy Road Train Member

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    I haven't read the other replies, but my tip when dealing with tight spaces is to get as close as possible "sight side", since if your truck can fit and you are really close on the left side that you can see, you are clear on the right side too if your trailer isn't at too much of an angle.
     
  7. rank

    rank Road Train Member

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    Like a couple others said...set up at a 45 with room on the pass side of the truck. Get real close with the sight side. Maybe look into getting a fender/school bus mirror on the right front fender of your truck so you can see how much room you have left to straighten your truck out. I use mine quite a bit.
     
  8. Josherd87

    Josherd87 Light Load Member

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    Feb 19, 2014
    Columbus, Ohio
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    I love those fender mirrors. I had one on my last rig and it was a life saver. I hear alot from other drivers that no one likes them
     
  9. Hambeldon

    Hambeldon Bobtail Member

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    I would just tell the dock people that's it's gonna be slow and ugly but I will get it in safely if it was a difficult dock. Most understood and no problems.
     
  10. moloko

    moloko Road Train Member

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    If you approach the dock on your drivers side, pull up three trailer spaces past the hole you are shooting for. cut your wheel hard to the right, driving away from the dock. when your tractor is at where your trailer wheels were when you began your turn, cut to the left and watch your drivers side mirror. you should be lined up straight so that the corner of your trailer is lined up with the left dock pad.

    put it in reverse, holding your wheel to the right, and gently guide the trailer into the hole. now you just alley dock. As a visual guide, you will want to cut the dock pad in half with the corner of your trailer, as you work your trailer back into the dock. When you think you are perfectly straight, stick your head out the window and watch the back corner of your trailer as you bump the dock. As you are closing your alley dock and just before you bump the dock, you will be 'straight backing.' the moment immediately before you bump the dock. you will want the corner of your drivers side trailer to barely disappear in your mirror--ensuring that you hit that dock completely straight and head-on. the exact moment--that split second when the trailer's back corner disappears out of sight, you are completely straight and usually perfectly lined up with the dock.

    I still have a problem with that last part. sometimes, i get the trailer in the hole but one corner of the trailer is hitting the dock and the other corner is *barely* not touching the dock. then the forklift drivers get pissed but they still load it.
     
  11. moloko

    moloko Road Train Member

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    seattle, wa
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    And don't worry driver, if you are like me, it took you 20 minutes to put it in the hole properly the first week you were doing it, and now you can bump the dock without a single pull up. It's all repetition. These days I can back a trailer up to the next trailer and drop it with a 4 inch gap between each trailer
     
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