Backing.....

I get paid actual miles so I back as little as possible. Make a three mile uturn if I have to. The odometer doesn't work in reverse

 

LOL

Sad thing is I see drivers of certain companies I wont mention here, who when at truck stops, actually live by that rule. They will circle like vultures for an hour if they have to, until something opens up where they dont have to back up.

Hurst

 

That's called "hound winding " in reference to what the dog does before laying down .

 

The most difficult thing for me is we have so many trailers. Some are 45,48 53 feet long. Tandem and spreads. The axle groups on the spreads are not all in the same place. Loaded lumber here a couple of times.

 

Do not worry about backing whatever is behind you is not in front of you.

 

I can attest to this. I just spent 4 week doing heavy haul and wide loads.

I like to think I am a master at backing up a trailer. How ever,.. when you are used to certain way and load,.. backing up a 14ft tall, 13ft wide load on an RGN is unlike any other kind of backing. You have to kind of get a mental picture in your head of where that center is going and how far from the edge the blind side of that load is to what you want to put it next to.

I have mad mad respect for guys who do that on a daily basis. I delivered a crane spool inside the new Atlanta Falcon's stadium,.. it was tight in there. 1 way in,.. Same 1 way out. Also with heavy haul,.. you always want to be facing the way you plan to leave before you get loaded.

Hurst

 

I can see how it could be called that too.

Come to any truck stop,.. just before dark. Between the 15 guys trying to help a rookie back into a slot,.. the 6 other guys cursing, waiting for him to finally quit pulling up and get it in,.. or the ones hound winding around,.. its always entertaining.

Hurst

 

That is for sure, it is much easier on the trailer to turn around in tight areas if there is no load on it.

Take this load for instance....

We had to back up to the crane and he would lift the beam off the back dolly and while it was still chained to the bunk on the truck, we then had to back the truck along side the crane while the back end was passed to the crane on the other side of the river/creek. Then the crane would release the back of the beam and swing back to pick up the front of the beam.

 

I've been on the opposite end of a rigging set up like that. I was operating a Komatsu PC1200 excavator, unloading beams,.. I had to carry/swing the load as the driver backed. The LZ was too far for the crane to boom out and carry the weight. Being in an excavator,.. I could easily travel with the truck.

Hurst