Alley dock frustration, will I ever get good at it?

I was beyond hopeless at backing when I started and I too believed I would never get the hang of it.

I have completed 2 years OTR and while I'm not the best at backing, I am cerrainly proficient. get out and look, don't hit anything, Don't rush, and stick with it.

I absolutely hated backing for the first 6 months.

 

Position of the tandems is always something I keep in mind. For me it's always easier to back with tandems farther back.

 

Oh, you'll get it! It takes "a while" to comprehend how much room you need and exactly how big your rig really is.Yheres turning radius and various angles at play here.Most drivers on here Won't mention that when they started out...they chased the trailer around...Frustrated with a sweaty head, with dock jockeys eye balling them(as if they Couldn't back it right in) Lol. Your initial setup makes it so much easier. FORGET ABOUT top of steering wheel.Think from " the bottom of the steering wheel", Want trailer to go to your drivers side? Turn in left direction from the bottom.Want trailer to go passenger side , steer right "from the bottom.Eventually you'll get it down.

 

Switch to flat bed work

 

For me personally, switching hands to the bottom of the wheel caused more issues than it solved. I simply use the 'steer away from danger' for remembering which way to turn.

Basically turn the wheel towards what I don't want to hit.

Do note that there is something called the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

Basically it is normal to have these feelings as one becomes better at a task.

Personally I find fighting to consider myself as just average at any task, no matter how long I have been doing it or how much positive feedback I get from peers helps flatten the curve.

As I am sure your trainers and safety folks have mentioned, complacency is going to be one of the biggest challenges in the industry.

Personally if I consider myself average, I find it easier to focus on incremental improvement every time I back up.



You will make it out of the Valley of Despair, but I do wonder if you are falling into this curve.

I guess thinking about how the trailer is being pushed by the kingpin and simplifying how I think about the tractor is moving to mostly be around space management and ignoring the landing gear pizza slice formula that the schools teach to get you past the test also helped me.

The 'tricks' that they teach are for standardized test cone positions. Learning to pay attention to what your actual rig is doing is actually learning a new task.

But don't get discouraged by the feeling like you are doing worse. Most likely you just didn't realize how much you had to learn before due to the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

You may not have crunched anything but chances are high that you are just figuring out how lucky you were to not do so and are moving past the formula that are mostly crutches on your way to really understanding the truck and trailer.

Never give yourself a hard time for getting out and looking or for pulling up when you have even the inkling of doubt. Those are signs of experience and expertise.