Alley dock

Last week I failed my cdl exam. I passed pre-trip, and I passed the straight line and offset (didn't look pretty but it worked). I after a handful of classes I cannot master the alley dock. Came test day I failed, so before I scrounge $400 to retest, how can I get better at the alley dock? I tried videos it really didn't help.

 

You’re going to think i’m crazy or making fun, but i’m not, go get a toy truck.
better if you get a RC truck and trailer.
make you a place to back into.

 

Just think about this: All you are trying to do on the offset and the alley dock is turn the initial maneuver into a straight-line back. Too often I think drivers think of the whole maneuver as one thing instead of breaking it down into manageable pieces.

 

Here's what I was taught. It works for me.

The cone circled in red is your first target. You want to line it up with the driver's side of the truck.

1.)Back approximately in the path of the green lines without your rear bumper going past the cone.
2.)straighten your wheels
3.) Pull up until your tandems are just past the blue line.
4.)turn your wheel to the right and back up.

Go back to step 2 and repeat these steps until you get to a straight line back. You should be able to do it in 3-4 pull ups. Take small cuts with steering wheel. Keep your wheels straight when you pull up. Get the trailer straight while it is outside the box.

 

Practice works. I don't know of any thing else.

 

This was my experience as well. I was having serious trouble until my training manager took me away from my trainer (who was a terrible instructor) and had me spend a whole day in our terminal yard, practicing my parking. After eight hours of backing that trailer in, then pulling out, driving around, and backing it in again, over and over and over again, I went from hopeless to competent. Oh, I wasn’t good, yet, but that came with experience OTR.

 

Another thing is people taking the test think they have to hit it in one shot. If you get to the alley dock with no points you have something like 12 or 14 points to work with. First pull-up is free and each additional is just 1 or 2 points (I'm too lazy to try and find out). I totally screwed up my first set up and wound up way off the mark to start turning. Instead of panicking I used my first pull up to actually reset myself......I used 3 additional pullups to get myself into basically a straight line back. YOU JUST CANT HIT A CONE or go over the lines.....You have plenty of wiggle room to get it in there if you just go slow

 

This is how I do it
Pull up past the alley. Now this is the part a lot of folks miss. The minute you start reversing, the trailer will on its own, start to jackknife towards the alley. Look at the last rear tire of the trailer and once it intersects the imaginary line perpendicular to the left line of the alley, start following the trailer.
Basically if you even have a portion of the trailer end in the box. Just pull up straight ahead as far as you can go. Then just do a straight back.

Once you’re a pro - disregard everything I just said. Then you open the door and standing on the door steps, do an alley dock with one hand on the steering wheel and one on the door!

 

My students were laughing when I showed them what needs to be done on a toy truck.
In the end all of them were grateful and happy I used it.

 

This is the way backing (and most skills) needs to be taught. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition. Take a break for lunch, then do it all over again.