Alley Dock

I might be a minority of one. You are going to find many of the times you are bumping a dock that there is either not a lot of room or some hazard blocking a standard setup. I highly recommend you not think so much about steps (the pivot point) and start working on sighting the trailer then getting out and looking. I'm saying this because I have seen yard dog drivers actually get out of their trucks and start cussing drivers for doing this. I'm aware that other posters are going to say screw these drivers. However when this happens it adds to your tension level and vastly increases your chances of making contact with another truck or a structure of some type. Go find a place off to yourself and practice these setups and maneuvers.

 

I had problems with this myself. That pivot point is very important. Go look at some youtube videos on this. A year after you get on the road and you look back at this post your going to laugh at yourself. I sometimes go back in my mind to my learning experiences and laugh at myself so much I almost lose my breath.

 

My head just exploded like in scanners.

 

Sounds like they are setting you up for failure with all the cones to help you, but wont be there on test day. Its literally just trying to teach muscle memory, but that will not work come test day and you take 2 secomds too long to turn the wheel or lose the trailer, then you have to correct yourself with 1 or 2 pull ups without failing. Learn it the way you will do it in the real world, it will be a lot easier.

My advice.
Lose the cones, the formulas, the steps and actually learn how to alley dock. Its not hard. All your doing is steering the rear of the trailer by steering the trailers tandems.

 

My best advice is during your set up, assuming the hole is on your left, when your shoulder is even with the right side of the hole, crank wheel full right. When tractor is then strait with the hole ( don't worry about trailer ), crank wheel full left, until tractor is at 90 degree with the hole.

This called 12 to 9. 12 O'clock to 9 O'clock.

Your trailer back should be in almost perfect position now.

Crank wheel full right, and start backing. You have to just start it moving, maybe 3 feet, then start cranking wheel to straiten out.

When you set this up right, you could do it blind folded.

 

When it comes down to a state by state breakdown of what they require on the driving test I am not well versed. Because this school has the 45/alley dock i'm assuming it is required in that state. In the case of the driving test my best advice is to find out how this school is teaching how to determine the pivot point and go by that. Once you get with a trainer hopefully this trainer will help you start the process of mastering this backing maneuver. Honestly is not difficuit and once you do master it your good to go.

OP maybe this short video will help you with this pivot point.

 

all that babbling, just back the truck up, a chimpanzee can do it.