Backing in tight places

Us flatbedders cant back up, we just ride around until a pull thru is open..lol Seriously, take your time..believe me, youd reather spend 5 minutes trying to get backed in than spend 45 minutes filling out the police report, then spending time on the phone with someone in safety, then having that blemish on your mvr, maybe even getting that ticket for "unsafe menuever"..been there, done that, got the t-shirt..lol

 

Yep Pulling a spread into a slot is easier, But.,... I am always amazed at the amount of drivers that will back a trailer in rather than pulling one through, in my 12 years driving I have never had a damage claim due to backing, partly because I am a FIRM believer in Working smarter not harder, if there is a hole that I can pull through it is the on that I will take.

 

You're giving away my secret!

 

Our safety dept stresses that we use a pull thru whenever we can. Almost all accidents are backing accidents, with a pull thru there is no backing. Some old timers will give you crap, but I can take it. I'd rather that than an accident on my record.

 

Came to a shipper this afternoon (they open tomorrow and I am picking up in the morning). So asked business next door where I could park for the night. He pointed to a dock next to shipping office and told me to back onto there because that's the one they use. Well, the dock looks like it was made for small straight trucks and there is almost no room in front of if but.... I took the challenge... GOSH!! Took me almost 40 mins to put tractor and trlr straight on the dock... But I taught myself something today... As I was finding impossible to get the truck and trlr straight, once I was able to back the trlr straight and centered at the dock, I unhooked truck, pulled up, got it straight in front of trailer and back it up and hooked it up... There are just 18 feet (I counted) of space in front of the truck.

Then... once I was done, walked around building and found lots of docks and ample space to back... It looks like those also belong to the same business Well... now that I am here... I hope shipper tomorrow doesn't ask me to move. But I am almost sure that this dock here is not for a big truck....

 

...you think that's tight?!

Well, wow, that's all I can say. I know I have to go to a shipper THAT'S TIGHT! I will take pictures.

On the topic at hand, tight space backing up in my specialty. When I say I'm the best, I actually mean it

Backing up depends ALL on where your wheels are located on the boogies. Farther back means easier to back up. If they are pushed ahead then it will make your life a living hell.

ps - pictures tomorrow in this thread of tight spots I encounter in the day.

 

Here's one of the tight "dock" i had to back into. Was designed for a van/straight truck. Dock was made of wood and they had dumpsters in the way. Pulled in, had to squeeze between cars around the building (left about 1-2' on each side going around), did a very tight u-turn, went through the tight cars/vans. Then tried to back into a space not designed for a 53' trailer.

 

I will bet you dollars to doughnuts they make you move to another dock.Seems like it always happens that way. Good job you did.

 

Good job, Rocks!

A little trick that sometimes helps in those kinds of spots- release the trailer slide. That way you can get the trailer tandem where it belongs, and jockey the truck back and forth without messing up the trailer spot. You'll usually have to release the brakes and let the tandem move forward and back a bit at the end of the slide travel, just because the travel of the slider isn't long enough, but by limiting the tandem movement to a fraction of what it would otherwise be, you can get straightened up with screwing up your lateral alignment to the dock.

 

Tight and easy.