A question I have that I do not understand from my instructer

I really like that idea; wish someone had told me that!

 

At no point do you want to "jack-knife" the units!

Remember....to move the trailer to the "slot" (on either side), this "one move" requires 3 complete turn movements. Always allow enough space (to the rear) to facilitate the move without jack-knifing. When you jack-knife the tractor, you have done the biggest "no-no"...you have "over steered" and now you have to over steer even more to regain the attitude of controlled movement. Steering movements need to be slight or at least strong enough to allow for correction...not excessive!

Get yourself a "toy truck" from Wal Mart and sit on the floor "driving" the tractor by holding the truck with 2 fingers at the "headlights" so you can in effect "steer". You are working with 3 pivot points....the steer wheels, the king-pin, and the trailer tires. Each of these are pivot points, and they need to be coordinated....practice making "S" turns in reverse and watch the changing "aspects" of each pivot point.

When you get behind the wheel of the real truck/trailer...let your imagination (visual concept) guide you. This might give you some help:

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In the 50's they wouldn't hire real short drivers, they couldn't get out on the running board and look as they backed...

My father once told me to look out my window and drive the trailer.

I used to humble the kids from driving school [Matlack took the top grads and sent them to school driving tanks half full around an old airport] then they came to the terminal to train on the job for 30 days. We would drive to the railyard and pull over in between track 2 and 3 and back down the space between two strings of plastic pellet hoppers....that were not parallel!

After a few tries I make them look forward and examine the snakes their front wheels were making in the dust and have them concentrate more on one side as long as the did check the other once in a while.

Then we would watch the loader back one down to load. They were always amazed to see him doing it about half throttle...he used to spot a few along the strings & then load 'em leaving them facing forward for the guy who would pull it out to deliver so he drove in reverse more than forward.

 

My instructors did not permit us to look out the window (for the most part). One eye off the mirrors warranted yelling, "MIRROR!!!" Sometimes mirrors are not enough, though. I suggested installing a backup camera on the trailer...

 

This is one of the reasons I think MOST OTR trainer time is a waste of time...First, very few, if any, are trained to teach, not everyone can do it...I've been a flight instructor since 2000 and there's an art to being able to realize what type of learning a person learns from and use it to actually teach(i.e. visually, kinestetically or auditorially, not everyone learns the same way and using the wrong method is a waste of time)...


And many trainers, from what I understand, just tell the person what to do(like the OPs instructor) or get out when they're backing and guide them instead of making them do it themselves...Once on their own, how will they be any better when there's nobody telling them what to do?...

 

When I was a trainer I told my students that I would teach them the basics, but every situation is different out there. You will learn more about backing in the first two weeks solo than you will with me. Why, because when you HAVE to do it on your own, you learn fast!

 

Try this little saying for straight line backing. Once it 'clicks' in your mind for straight line backing you'll be able to apply it to all backing situations.

Trailer drifts left turn left
Trailer drifts right turn right

In other words: if you're trying to back in a straight line. As you watch the mirrors as the trailer gets larger in the left mirror turn the wheel to the left to make it disapear. As it gets bigger in right mirror turn wheel right.

Hope it helps...

 

I agree, "not everyone learns the same way"...but that is what makes a good teacher, being able to "teach" the same thing, and being able to "say it" as many different ways as it takes to get the lesson understood and practiced by the student.

As you teach in flight training, the pre-flight inspection is done by following a set pattern, and in aircraft, there is a card chart to follow and double check before you fire up the engine(s). The same is true with trucking, (without the check list card) if it is taught correctly. Good habits, to all aspects, is the way to teach. That way if interrupted, by doing it in a specific learned way, you know to just start over from square one, or if not completely distracted, to continue where you left off.

I have been a trainer for 18 years in the trucking field, and an instructor/trainer in the Fire Service 10 years before trucking. I will agree the majority of the "trainers/Mentors" today are not the caliber of yesteryear...but good ones are out there...just not as many as before!

It's not a specific "type" of instruction for each individual, but finding the complete combination of "types" and "styles" that need to be found! A good driver isn't "born into this" or a "natural"...there is too much to learn, and no two scenarios are ever the same. Even the exact same p/u and delivery for the dedicated driver...no two days are exactly alike. So the good driver learns to adjust or adapt to the changing environment. Only the basic ground work can be "taught", the rest comes from "on the job training" and hoping the new driver is adaptable to changing environments and personal demeanor's at the different shippers/receivers and companies.

 

Ah, recommending doing a "learning style inventory" on students! You are absolutely correct!

 

Yup, a good instructor will quickly realize which method of learning the student responds best to and use that set of techniques, but most trainers have one way, their way, and that doesn't work all the time...