Dmv backing manuveurs

So fix how you do it by about six inches.

 

You should have better than a foot in between your truck and the lines of the box if you get it perfectly centered. If you are just all over the place then you need to work on consistency. If you consistently put it less than an inch outside the box then adjusting a few inches the other way will get you in the box.


Point being, you need to fix the issue. Don't go into the test planning on bombing one portion of the test, even if you think you can pass everything else.

 

Can anyone think of a real-world situation where you would use offset backing? In over three years I've never been in a situation where I've needed it. Same with the textbook parallel parking. I just pull into and out of the space to get the trailer pointed towards the curb then back it in.

I would probably fail the DMV test if I had to take it again while the new drivers pass it because they've been practicing.

 

On the east coast I parallel parked often, especially in NY City. Not just the trailer either, the whole truck but I wasn't hitting docks as a car hauler. Many of our rest areas don't have pull thru spots so you need to park along the curb, and at night there isn't enough room to just pull along the curb and straighten out.

I had one car dealer in upstate NY that the offset back was needed, you came down their driveway then offset to the right to get into the drop area. Afterwards you went around the back lot to get out.

 

Once the trailer axle group passes the line you can pretty much forget about it and paralell park the tractor like you would a 4-wheeler. Not too far , or the trailer will go over the far line.

The blind side paralell is easier than the sight side because you can see the trailer tires better.

 

well I graduated in 1976 and took a written test for a chauffeur licence and got grandfathered in when they put the cdl . ... that's a lot easier than going to truck driving school and all that training why don't you just get a chauffeur licence and get it grandfathered in

 

It's like algebra. You use it all the time but never realize it.

 

Parallel parking is nothing more then moving over one space. Say you are in Dock 14 and they want you to move into either Dock 15 or 13. That is the maneuver you are doing. Real world we do this often.

Now as to how to do it in a test.

Pull out at a shallow angle until your trailer is directly behind your trailer and you can see the cones directly behind your trailer. If you are backing to the passengers side, line up your trailer with the center cone. Once the trailer has crossed the drivers side of the box, you turn your attention to the tractor. As your drives clear the cones in front turn the steering wheel clockwise. Follow your trailer around and you are in.

On the drivers side point the trailer at the cone that is the inside corner of the box. Turn Counter Clockwise when your drives clear the front cones.

None of the basics are hard if you can see the cones. In the real world with big stuff it is much easier.