backing help for a newby

it takes practice. biggest thing is if in doubt at all get out and look no matter what. it's less emberrassing getting out and looking than hitting that unseen object. and less costly too. i still get out and look if i'm in doubt.

 

BIG AMEN HERE ! 1st thing you do is GET OUT AND LOOK. The second is SHUT OFF THE #*&#@$ CB so you don't have to listen to the BS that the SUPER TRUCKERS are going to give you. (most of them have 3 or 4 preventables) from not getting out. Take your time and dont be afrade to get out a second or third time. At the end of the day when you have had a good pickup or delivery its worth all the excersize you got getting in and out.

 

One of the worst places I ever back into was at Clorox in Houston. Normally Clorox was drop and hook but this time I had to deliver some product that was being dropped off from Clorox in Atlanta to the houston plant before I continued on to San Antonio. There was plenty of room to manuever but the trailers were line up on an open dock by the yard mule with barely a foot between trailers. Just enough room to back a trailer with double doors in without banging into the trailer on each side with their doors open. You basically had to be centered JUST right in the hole, otherwise you risked tearing the doors off your trailer and the one next door.

 

I took a load of beer to a distributor in Co. several years ago. They actually paid someone to move their trailer house from the lot across the street so the drivers would have enough room to back in. That wouldn't have been necessary except that the dock was so narrow that it actually pushed both doors back against the trailer as you backed in. Needless to say, if you weren't perfevtly centered, you were going to do some major damage!

 

yep ,practice,prayer.their has been times when i told myself ain't noway,and put her rite intheir.On the other hand their has been those times when I see a hole and shoot, piece of cake and wind up spending twice the time.U know somedays your the windshield some days your the bug

 

One thing I learned was this while backing up!!! Speed is useless....I see guys that I think wishes they had 4 reverse gears sometimes....I simply let out the clutch and DO NOT TOUCH the fuel pedal when I back up!!! Just a nice idle speed is all that is needed when backing into a spot. And as mentioned in every other post. Get Out And Look!!! There is absolutely no shame in getting out of the truck to check things out, No matter what Billy Big Rigger says on the CB to you as he is waiting for his next accident!!!
I remember one time in Chicago, I was backing into an indoor dock and couldnt see crap...Going from broad daylight to an indoor dock can be tricky, But anyways it was winter time and there was a huge pile of snow in front of the truck and I just couldnt maneuvre my way around.....I kept getting out and checking, musta gotten out 20 times...Cars were getting P'O,d at me but what the heck!!! On the last time I got out, I walked back and to my amazement my truck started rolling back!!!! OMG it was heading for a bunch of gas lines that were running up this wall!!!! Thank god my wife had the presence of mind to pull the maxi's which I obviously forgot to do!!!! It was all a result of me getting flustered by the honking 4 wheelers!!!! So that in itself is a prime example of....Take a deep breath, Take your time and youll get in there eventually. Just dont forget to set your brakes when you G.O.A.L.

 

It seems so obvious to G.O.A.L. When you have to back up and do those manueovers for your CDL test, is it held against you? Yeah, forget the other guys honking at you. You gotta get that load in without damaging it.

 

Turn off Radio, Xm , and Stick Head out window and Take your Time, The Biggest thing to Remember is G.O.A.L when in Doubt, it will take some time, and don't worry about others Honking at you, be a safe backer. I just Wave my hand and they always left me alone.....lol

 

Sounds like you went to the same kind of school I went to.

I couldn't back at all after graduating. My trainer was a jerk, and by the time I was given my own truck, I still was terrible at backing.

I'd break backing down into 3 parts:

(1) planning
(2) setup
(3) execution

(1) look at the place you are going to back into and PLAN the best way. Is it best to pull way ahead and straight back? Or is it best to 90 degree it? Or in a worst case, will you have to blind side it?

(2) put the truck and Trailer into position.

(3) back it in slowly. Take your time, and always get out and look at the situation to get a better feel.

You will get it. I did. My first 6 months on my own was nothing but supression of panic attacks, but I got decent at backing. And I'm still learning.