Anyone have any tips for blind siding?

Yikes that looks hard. I think I’d just back around the building to annoy everyone

 

Use your small concave mirror to visualize your tires. Put your tires where they need to go. Try to use the tire marks left by other drivers to guide your path. Stop, get out of the truck and assess your truck's orientation, then visualize how you're going to continue the movement to put it where it needs to be.

Today, I had to blind side a 53' trailer into a dock next to another trailer to the right of it. There was not enough space for the tractor to align straight with the trailer once it hit the dock, so the trailer had to hit the dock square with the tractor at a roughly 45 degree angle to the trailer. The slope of the ramp didn't help much; the pivot point of the tandems was constantly changing throughout the move. Sliding the tandems all the way to the rear made it easier to compensate for that. Lots of getting out to re-assess, then making small adjustments to get it all in the right place. Took about 30 minutes to get it done.

The trailer on the right in the satellite view below is the spot that mine went into. Note the lack of space to the front of the trailers.

Google Maps

 

Its really all about keeping an eye on those tandems.

Do you use a day cab or a sleeper?

 

Srop thw trl out front. Tell them to hire a yard dog.

 

Turn off all electronic noise, roll windows down, seat belt off so acrobatics can be done to see everything, get out many times and walk out behind trailer to view, make sure no restroom activities are needed. or back all the way in. but still do all of above.

 

Check out this YouTube channel

David Crowley

Most of his videos are directed at different backing problems. He incorporates simultaneous video footage of mirrors, windows and a overhead drone.

 

That was my thought also. Spin around in the lower left corner and back around the building.

If that wont work and you have to blindside then you will just need to practice. One trick I use is that i roll down pass window then stop every couple feet while backing, pop tractor brake then get out of my seat and poke my head out pass window to see where trailer is going. Saves time and is safer than climbing in and out of the cab 10 times.

Well, my laziness says its safer, so who am I to argue.