Backing help for new drivers

Backing a big truck is like anything else; the more you do it, the better you get at it. Problem is, you have to learn to do it while it counts. Make a mistake, and it can cost you. Well, I've discovered a method of building those neuron networks in your brain that help in making sense of this task that does not penalize you if you make a mistake. That method is using a truck driving simulator. Simulators are very accurate nowadays. If you have the right equipment, you can actually get a private pilots license by taking your test on a simulator. The best one that I've found is 'Scania Truck Driving Simulator'. It has various lessons and challenges you can do that actually improve your skill. If you learn to do these lessons and challenges, you will do well in the real world. The full version is about $25, but you can download a free version that gives you access to a limited amount of them. The free version will let you practice offset backing left, offset backing right, and alley docking, as well as a few challenges. This is enough to polish your backing skills. BTW...each lesson and challenge lists the top 5 people in the world who have the best scores and beside the names are the flags of the countries they come from. Not 1 American or Canadian is in the top 5 of any lesson or challenge. But if you're a newbie, don't worry about your times. In the real world, nobody will count how long it takes you to do a back, but they will count the amount of times you hit something. So just worry about how pretty the back looks when you're done. After you aquire some skill, then you can worry about competing for the best times. Hope this helps somebody.

 

Did we forget to take our medication today there driver?

 

It is possible to build certified simulators on which hours can be officially logged in the presence of an instructor. As I mentioned, this can be done with the right equipment.The software for such simulators can be from any source, including Flight Simulator. X-Plane even has a dramatically overpriced version that facilitates use in a certified simulator. But this is so expensive, and involves so much red tape, that you're better off just spending the money on flight lessons in a real airplane. You can disregard the sarcasm and summary dismissals of simulation that you read in other answers here. Some pilots have an emotional and visceral aversion to simulation, usually because they have personal issues that are intertwined with being a pilot and self-esteem. The reality, though, is far less extreme or negative than they claim. Simulation is a great tool for learning how to fly. It just doesn't satisfy regulatory requirements. And desktop simulators are not realistic enough in all the necessary ways to allow one to become proficient at flying through simulation alone. The situation is different with the best full-motion simulators, however, in which you can indeed learn to fly real aircraft. I have been told that you can get a license this way, but perhaps not. My point is that simulators can increase a person's skill without a lot of the real world risk. This holds true for plane and truck simulators. Don't knock it till you try it.