Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

Wow, MD, sounds like you really had an adventure today. The pickle place isn't too bad to get into, being out on Long Island. Nice folk there as well. You did a good job in Brooklyn considering it was your first time there and being new to boot. Don't get discouraged! It will come to you. Just ask anyone, some days even the most experienced driver can't hit the broad side of a barn. If they tell you they are always perfect, it's just a trucker's tall tale! The next time you go there, you'll know more of what to expect and it will be better. At least you went for the first time with a trainer. I had the pleasure of going it alone. Never having been there, it was an experience! I just decided to get the NYC mentality and do my thing (being careful, of course) and so what if they get a little irritated? Everyone has to learn.

So, you were at the yard yesterday? I was down talking to Stacey and Bill for a while and then in the driver's lounge all afternoon waiting for my truck to be fixed. Yea. Finally got it back last night about 10 pm.

 

@RebelChick

What? Truckers tell tall tales??? I'm shocked!!!

Yes, it has been an interesting adventure for sure. We are just now a 5 pm starting to roll out full of pickles... Not sure if the extra $50 + .10/mile offsets all the sitting around we have done since 2am last night. I hope he puts in for detention pay for both customers.

Ugh, I guess I missed meeting you yesterday. I hit the yard about 3pm and rolling by 4ish I think. I knew I should have poked my head in the Drivers Lounge when I ran inside. Darn.

Hope to run into you next time.

 

Md, lol yeah...yee ask, yee receive. But the main thing is you got in and out without any damage. It is a crazy place and I highly applaud the drivers that go there regularly. If you need more practice backing though, just tell your trainer or go above his head. I would want to be confident and firm in all my abilities. And yeah that guard guy. What a (insert vulgar name here) I didn't move fast enough for him one time either. Just curious. Was you parked in the bullpen or on the street before you hit the dock?

 

On the street... Like one Truck/Trailer length down the street towards the bullpen. That BP would make me a bit nervous backing into it too... Luckily when I parked there we were sans trailer.

 

As to backing, I can do it ... I prefer the 40 Acre S/R lots/docks that we have outside the NE but I can get it in there. Just not pretty or confident overall but that will come with time and practice... Uh, time and practice OUTSIDE the five burrows of NYC that is... LOL

 

backing is just like hitting in baseball
if your a singles hitter (newbie)
trying to swing for the fences is going to get you a strikeout
all you can do is ignore traffic other truckers and do what you can do
5-6 pull ups or not
you already know which way to turn the wheel for the trailer to go
the rest is just practice

for me i look on the pavement if there are tread marks from last truck to follow
and i look at my tandems that is the pivot point on the trailer
watching the back end of the trailer you end up over steering

 

Thanks for the tips...
I will try to focus on those...

One trainer describes it as holding onto the wheel too long and another trainer described it as over steering... To me, those sound like opposite descriptions... Or at lest describing two different problems... Is that accurate or am I confusing something.

 

like everything else in life everyone has a different description
for the same thing and your brain only absorbs it one way
I learn by seeing something and my wife just wants directions
oh I would say both trainers are saying same thing i am

it is all over steering I think If you have the end of the trailer lined up to the hole and traxtor is still at an angle you have to oversteer to get it straight
holding the wheel too long

 

Yup, sounds like what I am doing... Sometimes feel like I am fish tailing the truck into place... LOL

I am a visual/concept learner myself... You should have scene me in CDL school where they taught "backing in 4 steps"... It was so frustrating... Please just teach me the concepts of backing and not these four steps that will only apply to this scenario ... That stop sign across the street that you use as a guide will never be at any dock I am backing into... Ever... LOL