Backing into docks

Getting frustrated will make it take longer...maybe pull up farther if you miss it the first time.

 

It gets easy when you get comfortable enough to stop thinking about it. When you think about it you end up oversteering and it just goes south most of the time.

Just keep practicing and it will come to you.

 

If it takes 20 years but you never hit anything, then it's all good!

 

At first I was TERRIBLE. There's really not much room to be off. When you pull up to adjust your trailers angle, just imagine it like you're pulling the trailer through a toll booth, but slower, and with less room in front of you. It's the same exact idea behind how you'll readjust yourself on your pull up to get centered to the dock and straight.

For me, it took a couple weeks of pulling into docks 6+ times every day to be able to get it without looking TOO new. And after a couple months I was just doing it in once single back.

Everyone learns at their own pace. Some are fast and some are slow, but you'll eventually get it. And don't feel embarrassed or anything, EVERYONE has those nights that they just can't get the trailer in right. I've seen guys that have been doing it for 30+ years just be off once in a while

 

It varies,everyone learns at a different pace.You get it.Don't overthink it,just do it.

 

At first 5 tries. A few more days it will be 4 then 3 then 2 then you'll be able to power slide from the front gate. Good luck. Just remember take a breath and take your time. Your at the end of your day. Good luck.

 

Here's a technique that works for me, maybe it will help you out. I've been driving for 18 years and 9 of them have been yard jockeying, which really helps your backing skills. When you start backing up, look at your trailers tandem wheels, as you slowly back up, move you're eyes to the center of the trailer, the center of the trailer will tell you the angle of your trailer. For me, looking at the center of the trailer is more important than looking at the wheels. As your getting closer to the dock, look back at your tandem wheels and look back and forth from the center of the trailer to the wheels and fine tune from there. Don't be embaressed or feel amateurish if you have have to do pull ups, what would be more embaressing is if you got into an accident because you let pride take over. As others mentioned, it doesn't happen over night, it takes years. Hope this helps you out.

 

be glad you have power steering..keep doing it either you get better or you don't , some days you will get it with one shot other days you won't. biggest thing just to damage anything

 

More often than not it is not backing that is hard.. it is getting properly set up to back that is the trick... when hou get perfectly set up.. backing is a breeze... although getting perfectly set up is a rare occasion and so you strive for a good set up...

For me.. I pull along the row to my slot.. when my dollys are in the center of my slot.. which is when mh shoulders or at the glad hands to the trailer just past my slot.. so if my slot is door 7, then the glad of of door 8..
From there I crank my steering wheel all the way right until I am facing directly accross from my slot.. using the analog clock thing.. my slot is 6 o'clock.. I crank my wheel all the way to the right till I am facing 12 o'clock. . Or what ever is directly accross from my slot.. then I cran my wheel all the way left... and go unil I have a good angle into my slot... then, if there are lines.. I just roll my tandems along the inside of the line...

That is what works for me.. but, we all have our own twist on backing and what works for us.. and we are always learning and improving..

The important thing is is to just relax and dont hit any thing.. so what if you dont get it in the first time.. yoj are sfill learning.. and to be honest, I learned more about backing from when I didnt get it the first...