Should I be worried about learning to back-up?

I wouldnt stress about it. Only time ive seen pups being backed up is when the wrecker is pulling them out of the median.

 

You answered your own question correctly

 

Are you pulling Pups or full box? Best thing to do, to understand how the tractor maneuvers the trailer is get a toy semi, set up some mini cones on the table and push on the cab, move it left and right to see how it affects the movement of the trailer. If you haven't gone through class yet, they will try to confuse you, you have to turn your wheel left to go right, or turn the wheel right to go left.....WHAT? etc. The best way to get that down, put your hand on the BOTTOM of the steering wheel and move your hand the direction you want the trailer to go. Also on a full van, when you input your movement into the steering wheel it takes 8' of trailer movement before it gets to the ### end of your trailer. PRACTICE G.O.A.L PRACTICE. G.O.A.L. AND G.O.A.L. or Get Out And Look

 

Mirrors don’t lie

 

The thing that concerns me the most is the actual way it is in general with LTL. Most drivers are either going to find their truck and load sitting staged or ready to be backed under. Some LTL drivers have went decade's and never really backed because it is not required of them. Then when finished with run driver pulls into a parking area and shuts down. This is why my advice is simple. Stop worrying about it. At some point if you ever go OTR you will have to re-learn how.

 

Some LTL supporting restaurants you get into some seriously tight places. Cramming a full 18 wheeler into a small lot isnt that easy to do. However they are fairly regular stops on a sort of a route so if you get into and out of a place once chances are you will be back.

 

The fun way is to get yourself a radio controlled 18 wheeler.
I have to admit. Although I'm very good at the backing I've been taught. Learning all the time. I still shy away from those tight spots in the truck stops. I just don't have enough practice in yet.
I'll sit there in a truck stop. Watching guys maneuver, back, etc. I'm impressed. They're really good, in general.
I was watching a guy back in one night. Almost hitting a truck on his blind side trailer. He was really close. I went over and asked him how he did it. He started laughing and said: The guy next to me got out and spotted me. I laughed and told him I didn't see the spotter!

 

You’ll know you’re good at backing once you don’t really think about it and the truck just ends up in the spot.

A lot of it is in your setup. I can’t tell you the last time I blind side backed. I’ll drive around a building or whatever and come back facing the right way to avoid it. Work smarter not harder.

I used to have to blind side back a lot at my old job but it’s alot easier in a daycab with a rear window vs a sleeper.

 

We played with a Schneider driver, presenting him with 8 spotters one wet night up in American Eagle in CT, I think Milldale. I'll have to look that one up. Made him work that tractor trailer too in the mud everywhere he looked got a conflicting signal. He finally figured it out in a few minutes and we put him in right quick.

I have to admit, I am leery of blind side. I usually enjoyed being able to glide in one move to the spot backing up in any place. Not sure I can do that now without maybe 15 minutes alone with it first. There is a certain amount of rust that gets built up if a skill is unused long enough.

 

Don't worry about backing up. Just worry about hittin something.