Parking in truck stops

Yeah, a few truck stops are like that.

 

I usually hate truck videos.... but that one was quite informative... thanks

 

No one is going to abuse you here.

What I do is set up the tractor and trailer in that hook until the tandems are sitting centered on the bumper post of the one on my left. Then I'll spin the wheel all the way to the right and jack knife under my own trailer HARD and PUSH it around until it is more or less straight to back in. I'll use a number of small pullups until I am straight as well.

I deliberately ignore all angles except one. That truck on the left. Provided there is enough room to fit mine all the painted lines on the ground does not matter.

Truckstops are not half bad most of the time however some of them did go bad in my lifetime and if you knew what was good for you did not take yourself or your rig and load into there no more ever.

 

Anyone who gives you static over an honest question has forgotten that they were once a new driver. Now for your question. I’m assuming your talking about reverse ( blindside) backing. The most important part is your setup. You want to ease down the row of trucks as close to them as you can, while still having room to maneuver, somewhere between 4-5 feet. As you pull past the spot, depending on how far forward your trailer tandems are set, you want to cut hard to your left, and then back to the right, kinda like a lazy “S”. Now here’s the secret sauce... if your bunk has windows, pull the curtain off the one on the right side. As you back up, and begin to lose your right side mirror, you can use that bunk window
long enough to get enough trailer into the spot that you should be able to pull up enough to get your tractor straight with your trailer, and back straight in.

 

I’ve been driving 18 years and still struggle occasionally with this same thing! Don’t be hard on yourself and you. Are. not. Stupid! Don’t think that!

 

A lot of places are set up backwards, I always go in and sometimes out, the wrong way, on the first visit. Never fails. No big deal. I don’t know who’s idea it was to make blind side parking spots. Maybe when Idle air was in the plans, like Dave said, designed to be pull in spaces. Just practice and goal, try not to hit that new Peterbilt, you’ll get the hang of it, everyone has a tough time, and makes mistakes, even with years of experience.

 

The reason they put everything at an angle for parking, is some high up college graduate that is the son of one of the big ups that needed a job, that designed the parking lot thought, "If we put these lines at an angle, we could possible fit one, maybe two more trucks in here then if they are straight lines!"

The boss, who wants the drivers to pay for parking said, "That's a great idea! More trucks in here parked, more money per spot! Genius! Why didn't I think of that!"

And so the rest of the world gets to pay the price.

 

Yeah Idle-Aire spots are like that. Of course those are expecting you to nose into the parking spot. I still spin around and back in.

 

The factory where I visited for almost 20 years was like that. I joke and said it looks like they imported the blueprints for the factory from Japan, where they drive on the wrong side, and so every parking spot for trailers requires either a blind-side back or go far into the plant, turn around and then park the trailer on the way out.

 

Those spots don't feel any easier to get into do they? In my opinion they aren't. It's a different problem that needs to be solved and they are often blind side backs.