They do exist...

I have no clue ??

 

Haven't had to do one yet, thank the lord!!!

No offense, but I'm glad YOU had those, and not me!

 

My company policy is to avoid backing as much as possible. I know it's different for frieght but gasoline deliveries should be straight in and out. If we do have to back, and there are times, we get someone that works in the store to spot for us. If no one is around then we back blind. I've done it a couple of times and I'll tell you it was back a little get out and look then back some more and get out and so on. After all, my large safety bonus depended on me not hitting a thing (among other items) for a year.

I came into a station one time where they were set up to do a tank test. They had my exit blocked and no one around. It was on Paradise rd in Las Vegas NV about 6:30am and I had to back into the street blind. How would you like to see a gasoline tanker blocking the road because our trucks were long and I needed to take up all lanes so I could get out the first driveway? I wouldn't do it blind so I stood on the side walk until a cop came by. I told him the situation and he made sure no traffic would get near me. It worked out very well with his help. A spotter is always best as long as the spotter knows what to look for.

 

I had to blind side back up a ramp into a garage to get to the docks on my 2nd day training. it took about an hour and my left leg hurt for the rest of the day and that was the easiest of the two delivery docks. I watched the spotter back into the dock next to me, his front tire was an inch from the outside wall. I talked to him after he was done, he showed me all the tire marks from the otr drivers trying to get into the dock he was in. Then he showed me all the concrete pillars in the garage that have been run into. This was at the Stora Enso Paper mill in Niagara WI. My trainer went to sleep right before we got to the mill.

 

LOL - yeah, SURE he did. He knew exactly what was coming up and left it for you to figure out.

Sounds to me that you did ok, though - which is the point of the whole exercise.

I've not done one - and I hope desperately to never have to do one. But, on the face of it - you really have to say that for the yard hog there, it wasn't a true blind-side back. He's familiar with the terrain - knows all the secret spotting tricks (crank hard at that blue paint on the wall, reverse at that gouge in the retaining wall - etc. Probably barely even aware of it. ) You - or your instructor - not knowing all the secret rules for that particular stall - back and fill and repeat. with lots of help.

 

Yup, been there and it is a REAL pain.
Worst one I have had so far was in Chicago which was a 180 degree back off of the street, past the cars in the parking lot, between two buildings and hit the assigned dock. I asked a driver there if he could spot me, and he guided me right in.
Don't be afraid to ask for help from other drivers. Most will be more than willing to give you a hand.