Anyone have any advice for a student on straight line backing?

Your first tendency is to oversteer.

As far as keeping it straight...
When you can see the sheet metal rivets along both sides of the trailer in your mirrors, you're pretty straight. Or, look for the tandems on both sides. If it's dark, make sure you can see the red lights on each side of the tail of the trailer.

 

Everyone has given you great input. But to bring it all together!
Make small corrections, dont over steer and don't forget to counter steer.
Make sure your mirrors are properly adjusted
let the clutch all the way out and take it nice and slow.
when you can see equal parts on both sides of the trailermfor example, trailer tandems, marker lights or the trailer rivets you are straight.
and then the 2 best ways to keep it straight are
#1 keep your hands at the top of the wheel. If the trailer drifts left then turn the wheel left.
If it drifts right then turn the wheel right.
#2 Keep one hand at the bottom of the wheel! Whatever direction you want the trailer to go, turn your hand in that directions.
and it never hurts to check out youtube
Hope this helps, good luck

 

The trick is to learn not to worry about the angle of the truck to the trailer. Just drive the trailer, and the hand at the bottom is a good trick to use when you are just learning. Make very small corrections, if you're using more than a 1/4 turn on a straight back, you're doing it wrong.

I can back up in high-range, in the 20mph range, and I promise you, all I'm worried about is which way the trailer is drifting.

 

Practice practice practice and more practice.. Take slow, Know where your tail end is at . Turn this way it goes that. Try keeping the driver side on a line. Pay attention to which direction you turn the wheel to get the rear and where it needs to be.. Make sure nothing is there to hit..

Did I mention practice ?

Once you get that down try offsets ..

Did I mention practice ?

 

And don't forget to chock the wheels afterword.

 

in properly adjusted mirrors keep the revile of your trailer the same on both sides, if more trailer starts to show up on one side steer wheel toward that side and even it out to the same in each mirror

 

Easy, look at the way you drive your car. If you look at the sterring wheel, you will notice that you make minor changes left and right even when driving straight. Apply the same towards backing up a trailer

 

ima roll with "dca"....."PRACTICE"....getting use to tha geometry takes practice, relax, play with it (make sure ya got mistake space/room)......everybody got technique, pick one or make ur own, relax and practice when you can. u got it already anyway, remember you said you "overcompensate".....u already had the answer, asking questions is kool, trusting ur self is kool too......i think the real problem with class is tha pressure...not looking bad, time, not enough time for practice........relax, visualize, remember tha geometry.........pretty soon......you'll be "lord back 'em up"....relax, patience, technique (geometry)....

 

In 2 years from now you'll be In the high range driving 15mph backwards.... Let me tell you it is fun and scary lol

 

Problem we have a Houston.