Backing, how long did it take you to catch on?

Drive past your parking space ten feet out, ten feet past, give or take. That’s “setup”

 

I've been driving nearly 3 years. I'm a terrible backer. Half the folks in my CDL training class were backing better before we graduated than I can back now.

BUT.

I am a careful backer. I have zero problem with getting out and looking. I have never damaged anything while backing.

If I have to get out 8 times to get that blind side back right without hitting something, then that's what I do.

If I have to reset my starting point 3 times to get my approach right, then I do that too.

In trucking, if you lose patience, you are close to losing your job, or worse.

 

Then turn right and keep going (if you can) until your truck is straight, then turn hard left. You should be in a pretty decent setup to back in.

 

I love this sentence. I wish I had a line like this when I was training students. New drivers should print this out and hang it in the cab.

 

The maintenance shop at my previous employer just barely fit a 36 foot trailer inside, and they always wanted it to be tucked over to one side so something else could be pulled in beside it through the same door.


After my first year there I took a position that kept me on the yard instead of in a truck. As the only person on the yard that could actually back a trailer around a corner, I got called on alot to back trailers in into the shop. Its like backing into a black abiss of nothing. This is where knowing exactly where your trailer is without actually seeing it is very helpful... I will also say that this ability is not easy to learn and not everyone can learn it.

I'd start that trailer back through the door, then angle it to the sight side just so to get it headed toward the wall. Then I'd have to follow it around with the tractor to shove the trailer nose over beside the wall, without hitting said wall, the bench at back of shop or hitting the door with the tractor fender. Once dropped the trailer would be offset from the door way by about 7 feet, leaving enough room to get something else in through the same door.

One time they wanted me to put 3 trailers in through that one door, 1 offset left, 1 offset right, and one straight in the center. That took me a little while... Getting that second trailer in was a b****!!! And of course anyone spotting you thinks they have to stand inside that black abiss, only using hand signals suddenly haven forgotten how to speak!... LOL

 

Was pretty good at age 16, however dad would have me back his gooseneck and pickup for days on end moving bales from shed to shed. And ask what went wrong when I messed it up. When I started pulling trains a few years ago I sucked ###, now I still don't like to but can

 

It depends on the day.. sometimes I can back to the door 1 shot and sometimes I need 2 or 3 pull ups. When someone is watching me? Grab the popcorn and enjoy the show