Backing...at truck stops

If you don't have a cone, use 4 ways and place fuel island trash can behind you, lol

 

Sorry I meant get drive tires lined up with hole you want

 

Exactly! If the other driver is in a hurry he should get out and offer to spot you. There is a lot of Pilots & a few FJs out there that were built before 53' trailers were allowed. Some even before 48' was the limit. You learn to avoid these stores quickly.

 

so drive tires centered in the space, then pull away at a 45 until your driver side tandems are lined up with the
driver side of the space or a little more, then jackknife/get back in front to get the trailer straight with the hole?

I wish there was a list out there somewhere of which ones are set up like this...

 

If it takes me 1 or 20 times I do it very easily....

GET OUT AN LOOK...


Hasn't done me wrong

 

When I was pulling dry vans I used to like jacknifing into the slot. Works really well when you're in a truck stop with tight parking. This is assuming the center of your tandems are somewhere around the 48 ft mark.

• Start off perfectly straight, about 5 ft from the nose of the trucks on your left. Your tandems should be about 2 parking spaces past the slot you're aiming for.
• Turn the steering wheel hard right and keep it there. Now start backing up.
• At this point you should see the tandems traveling backward in an arc toward your target. Pay close attention to those tandems because you cannot mess up the next step.
• After those tandems have travelled backward a few feet, they are going to stop at a point and start turning in place like a ballerina. The second you see this start to happen, immediately turn your steering wheel hard left.
• What happens at this point is almost like magic. The tandems will stop turning in place and start travelling backward again, falling neatly into your parking space. Your tractor will fall right back under your trailer. You may have to pull up and adjust a couple of times but you will have somehow jacknifed your way right into that slot.

Try it a couple of times in a wide open lot to get the hang of it. Like I said, it works well in tight parking areas like most Pilots and Love's. Just make sure you pay attention to how close your trailer is getting to the fairings on your tractor; you could cause some damage if you don't.

 

Try and stay away from conjested truck stops like pilot and loves.all my years driving I have never stayed at tight backing truck stops because chances are you may have just as much trouble getting out .

 

It took me a minute to see in my head what you were doing. I have also had to do this and most drivers at some point will do it. However be careful doing this with your tandems at gross weight. I have seen tires rolled off of wheels from the sideways slide. During the pirouette go very slow. I can't speak for other carriers but my last carrier prohibited that kind of backing maneuver ( I asked). Just remember there are (rats) everywhere that will send in video of anything like that. With smartphones almost everybody has a video camera today.

 

That has happened to me several times. I just slept in then had a late breakfast and drank a cup or 2 of coffee. By that time I could get out. If I was running a hot load I did not stop in a small place.

 

you can pretty much tell what the parking is like just by looking at the fuel isle and how long it takes just to get fuel.for the most part I even avoided getting fuel or weigh loads.the flying j in Kansas city is a real mess to even stop and use the bathroom.I have never stayed and truck stops that's a mess.you'll be able to find a more relaxed trkstop a few more miles down the road I always did.