Sizing up turns.

The main reason to keep your right turns tight as you can get them is to prevent a four wheeler or discourage them at least is coming up on your right and getting between you and the curb. If you watch your mirror which you should be doing to see if someone is not doing that eventually you get the hang of it. Always take as much space as you can get when doing anything with the truck. Your not physically pushing the truck so it cost you nothing in expended personal energy. Nothing more embarrassing or more dangerous than having to stop and back up and maneuver the truck to go wider to miss something with your trailer. Especially when it could have been avoided by going wide in the first place.

 

Just how wide we talken?Some turns you need to take up as much space as possible to make a turn even if it means using 2 lanes.East coast is notorious for wide turns.Better too wide then not wide enough and clip a pole,car, curb or sign.There's a reason why trailers have (caution wide right turns)on the back of their trailer.

 

That's why I stay close to the curb, then swing wide left before making the turn. Doesn't leave enough room for someone to try to sneak by, and still keeps your trailer off the curb during the turn.

 

Experience, experience, & more experience & it will be no problem, it will just come natural.

 

Wide is good. JUST dont let someone behind you attempt to pass you on your right.Anyway BS attitude and experience is the key(just like onthe movie 48 Hours.) Eventually you can make turns without the mirrors. Never do this however,just saying. You will have a pretty dang good idea exactly how much room you need and a darn good idea exactly where your trailer tires are going to be (in relation to the curb or car or poles). If you can stay as far over in your lane as you can,go straight out far as possible and Gradually turn(so your tailswing doesnt protrude into the other guys lane. The more you are in a truck daily it becomes instinctive. No big deal.

 

I once was talking to a more experienced driver who had been behind me and in the conversation I mentioned I was a rookie. He replied "I could tell by how wide you swung on your turns". My response was; "if I have the extra room, I might as well use it". He looked at me and shrugged. I think I handled that well. Why not use the room if you have it? Its not causing problems for anyone else and you can be sure you clear everything with your trailer.

 

I generally take as much room as there is available but also try to make sure I have a piece of the RH lane at all times. i.e. when making a RH turn for example, your truck should already be back in the RH lane when your trailer leaves. I find this keeps the 4 wheelers from passing on the right.

 

Almost 18 yrs, I had my first "oh crap" moment today, coming out of a depot, cut the corner too close, wasn't paying attention, stupidity on my part, jacked up a rim, and possibly a tire. It happens, you learn from your mistakes and don't worry about how wide you make the turn.

 

At least it wasn't another trucks front end, or worse some 4 wheeler.

 

Tail swing is what spooks me into taking right handers as wide as I reasonably can. The shallower your arc is the less the tail will sweep out on your blind side.