Backing practice

If your going to practice on a trailer other than a commercial trailer, use a 5th wheel or a gooseneck. Regular boat trailers are not the same. Where the hitch works off the bumper its a totally different ball game for the learner.

 

Try working for a grocery company, that was my first job, I'll tell you what, you will back that 53' foot in those crowded c-stores, wal-greens, chuck-e-cheese so many ways, by the time its all said an done, you could do it in your sleep!! But seriously GOAT!!! (GET OUT AN LOOK) This may sound dumb, but before they let me get out on the road, I had to do 6 months shagging trailers on the yard, just to get the feel for backing. Think of it as your pushing the trailer where you want it to go. I know it sounds stupid, but it worked!! One more thing, I always use too over correct when I saw my trailer going the wrong way, don't cut it too hard, just a little will usually do the trick. Hope this helps..

 

That would be no different then a boat trailer. It will handle and back differently then a fifth-wheel or goose neck trailer will. But any practice will help you get batter at backing. Shorter trailers are also much different then long 48' and 53' Trailers.



American Trucker

 

After 20 years of OTR driving AND a short stint at doing yard dog work I bought a boat and I've NEVER been so embarrassed as when I went to back that thing down the ramp!
Bumper hitch backing is WAY different than using a 5th wheel!
Thinking that using a bumper hitch for practice will do you any good, it won't!
It's a completely different animal! It took me a few years to figure out how to back that boat and I've backed 386" wheel base tractors with 53" trailers up in one attempt into holes, but that darn boat would reduce me to tears! Go Figure!

 

As others mentioned, practice then practice some more. Matter of fact I need to do the same thing. When I started out driving, I was pretty good at backing and seldom needed to pull up more then once. Anymore, I would struggle with a 53' Van. When I started out we went out everyday for an hour between 3 drivers and that was over a 10 or 12 week program. So 5 days a week X 10 weeks X 1 hour a day / by 3 drivers = 16.6 hours per driver. So if the 16 hours is per driver then I would say that is pretty good, because like I said when I first started I back up better then most other drivers. Matter of fact my trainer would joke and have me back up when we were at tight docks or truckstops like Pilots. Anyway, Good luck.

 

Take every minute of backing practice when you can get it!

Me personally,
I had a former Werner trainer as an instructor when I attended driver training, great guy, I still stop in to see him and bring him coffee once in a while.

At first I was really bad backing,(during training)
our final test was to parallel park the rig in an 100' space, directly in front of that space, off to the left ,
about 40' in front of that space,
sounds easy to do,but as a rookie, it's a pain in the axx.

Simulating parallel parking next to a wall on your right side when backing from the left,
otherwise if you run over the cones, you already hit the wall.

Myself and 2 other guys destroyed the orange cones along the perimeter, funny then, watching the orange cones getting caught up in the trailer wheels,
at least we all had a good laugh!
Still talk to those guy's about it, we still laugh!

Basically , the more backing you do, the easier it gets.
After about 2 weeks on the road, I felt comfortable backing in any where.

I still could use some practice now though come to think about it.

Better get some backing practice in today before I pick up my first run.

Hope this helps.

crusin

 

Not to be mean about it, but DUDE, you are the SUPERTRUCKER!

Me? There are days I nail it, and there are days I couldn't back up the wagon if the life of my first-born depended on it.



Worst? Nothing around, just yellow lines and dock doors... but there's 20 trucks behind me checkin' in. Couldn't hit that if I tried.



Did a real purty blindside into one of two spaces at a Loves a couple of months ago... hit it on the first try, one pull-up to get straight and center it! Daylight, all the guys watchin'!



Managed to get way out of position trying to get the wagon in the washrack at the packin' plant yesterday, but got it fixed after a couple of tries... nobody around to laugh at me - that's good!



Moral of the story... just about the time you figure you've got this truckin' stuff goin' backwards nailed - is about the time you remember that GOAL stuff, after you nailed some dudes trailer. You're gonna have good days, and bad days. And there ain't no such thing as "enough" backing practice.

Good luck fellas!

 

I've noticed that when you've got something to miss, it's easier.

 

That's cause you have something to gauge against (and make you sweat a lil).