The backup camera situation?

Gotta wonder how many are trucking related vs. hitting someone at the local Kroger while grocery shopping. Don't get me wrong, I know it happens. I just think it happens so rare it's not something to worry about. Pay attention of course, but don't panic if someone walks behind you. Just stop until you see them move off (or GOAL and verify if you never see them move off)

 

I can see the track my trailer is taking just fine...in my mirrors. And if there is any doubt, I pull a knob on the dash, then tug on this little lever on the door and it opens up, I climb down out of the cab, and take a stroll around the truck to look things over.

Problem with cameras are numerous. Location...where to mount it so that it isn't destroyed by docks, forklifts, or other trucks. It has to be high enough to give a good view, but low enough a driver can clean the lens. Wiring it up...all 7 pins on the trailer plug are already spoken for. To add an extra wire or two would mean a completely redesigned plug to be retrofitted on every truck & trailer in these fleets in a very short time frame (because you couldn't phase that sort of thing without risking needing an incompatible truck & trailer combination to satisfy your contractual obligations with your customers) or adding an extra cable to be plugged in. Then, unless and until an "industry standard" is created and abided by, it would be hit & miss as to whether the truck you are driving happens to be compatible with the trailer you have to back up, as different shops and different customers on their own wouldn't wire up all 8 or 9 pins the same making it an absolute nightmare for companies like Walmart who not only have their own trucks pulling their trailers, but also use other large fleets like Prime, Schneider, Swift, Werner, etc. BlueTooth? Distance constraints. WiFi? Time delay will be an issue. Not to mention, how do you power it? Battery life is short. Hard wired power requires a constant hot...which even today, not all trucks have going to the trailer.

 

On newer trucks, well not so new my 2013 Cascadia operator manual talks about an additional OPTIONAL 7-pin trailer plug so you have 7 more wires to play with.

 

Why can't you just use your mirrors and get your ### out and look if there's any doubt? Can we do that? Please? This isnt a difficult job and what are you going to do when a bird hits your camera or it's covered in grimy #### and you don't remember how to use your mirrors?

 

If you have trouble backing into tight spots the secret is to find a Swift driver and ask him for some pointers. These guys are professionally trained to the highest caliber, get them to share the secrets that all new drivers want to know but are too afraid to ask.
Lmao
I

 

If you time traveled a trucker from 1940, all he wants to know is where the mirrors are at. Everything else to him is unnecessary. Tell him "Back this in please" and it will be done.

The same way you walked up a 21 year old in trucking school today 2/17/2019 and told him or her

"Back this in please" and it will be done.

Most of the conflict, heavy lifting and problems I see when more than two people talk past each other is that they are not working on backing this in. They are fighting over how to back this in.

The time traveler will be able to back that 2019 rig in the dock once he understands the mirrors just like he always have on his old 40's rig back home. All the rest of the technology? Take it away and what's left? Mirrors. I would be pleased to make a case that women know how to use a mirror very well and a man just needs a little hand holding to know exactly which dock. Especially if he cannot count that high (TEASING.) All that fancy pushbutton crap is literally adding unnecessary complication and weight to the problem of backing that in please.

And now we lean towards a discussion about how or something else besides Mirrors that is supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread? Before we actually work on the back that truck in please problem that is by now beginning to ruin the dock flow and attracting unwelcome attention from the suits?

 

But really I think a backup camera would be more of a hassle because like someone else in the thread said it would give you tunnel vision and you would ignore your mirrors.
I think training would be far better then a little backup camera but I agree some people need something I guess.
I was Ontario California for 14 hours at the TA and saw three different wrecks in the truck stop.
A guy was pulling out and took off a dude's bumper another person backed into the trailer next to me, and one guy back directly into the middle of the front of a guy's truck I don't even know how that's possible, I guess he didn't look out the window or the mirrors at all he was trained just a backup to he heard a crunch.