backing question

First off, I want to thank you for realizing what your limitations are. Like anything else, time will take care of your backing issue. My suggestion would be to get into a truck stop, shipper or empty lot and practice. I suggest you don't practice between other trucks. They weren't made to be used as cones. Practice does make perfect, with that being said, after 30 years of doing this I too have trouble sometimes. I always try to find the easiest way to park at a truck stop. The pull in is far easier then the back in. Admitting your shortcoming about backing speaks volumes about you as a new driver, I wish more new drivers would have your common sense. Be safe, and practice.

 

Like someone else said, practice helps. You can try this, get into a truck stop early, find where there is a open spot for 3 trailers (hopefully with lines on the pavement) to park, and back your way into the middle one, and watch the lines to see how you are doing.

 

You get points for honesty. Now, I know it's a pride thing, but ask another driver to help you into the spot. Do it enough, and you'll be able to do it (mostly) on your own. Also, never be afraid to get out and look.

 

Best advise i can give you is, remember GOAL?, get out and look, If you have a CB on, dont let others rush you, take your time, speed will come with time, dont have your tandems sunk all the way up, to much tail swing in my opinion.

 

It can be summed up in one word PRACTICE .
The old hands have backed up a million times.
Instead of moving on you should back in the hardest spot in the lot !

 

I'm a new driver too (7 months), I had trouble at first, especially at truck stops. In a crowd I would get nervous, especially late at night, trying to get in a hole, drivers in a hurry pull right up on top of you, hassle you on the radio. At first I would leave, or find a spot on the edge. Then I started talking to experienced drivers and they said the same things being said here. For me it was fear and feeling intimidated, not wanting to hold someone up by taking to long.

I just started practicing each time I was on our yard. I got better but the biggest thing for me was to not listen to the impatient driver. I take my time, within reason, leave my radio on, GOAL and do my work. I had to realize that your not going to please everyone, even at your fastest there is one driver who will give you the business. For me, success is going into a hole clean, if it takes a couple of pull ups, so be it.

Most places, veteran drivers recognize us rookies who struggle for a while, I have had several help me by getting out and teaching me. To me there is no shame in that, rather, they seen enough over the years to pass it on and it means more than any driving school or training truck ever could. Good luck.

 

Takes Time,

you'll acquire the Feel.............

 

Scared is good! You'll get better with experience. Until then, get out and look. Use double spots like you are doing. Take your time and don't let anyone push you. Most are patient to a backing truck.

Many truckstops are tight and a challenge. Many times you are backing in a truckstop at the end of your shift when you are tired. Even the best backers find it a challenge when they are tired.

Your set up is the most important part. Basically there is one way in and one way out. If you aren't set up right, you are just making it harder on your self.

Try to imagine the track of your truck coming out of a spot. You are going to go as far straight as possible and turn at the last second if it's tight. Backing is just the opposite. It's alot harder on you when your trailer axles are all the way forward because you have a bigger tail swing. But you have a smaller radius going in.

Pull ups are your friend and are necessary many times. If it's daytime out, sometimes you'll see tire tracks on the pavement. Try following them with your trailer tires.

Until you learn, be extra cautious about hitting anything. Don't guess and hope about your tail swing. GOAL. You can always pull back forward and prevent any crunch.

Other than that, it's all time and experience. It'll come to you.

 

The single biggest piece of advice I've given people on this topic is this:

Instructors usually teach drivers to put their hand on top of the wheel and turn it the opposite way they want the trailer to go.

Forget that.

Put your hand on the BOTTOM of the wheel, (closest to your body) and push it the way you want the trailer to go.

And remember the trailer will steer and pivot on it's TIRES, not the rear end of the trailer. Watch where the TIRES are going. But keep in mind, with the tandems all the way forward, when you're backing up and turning sharply, you might hit something with your "swing". Do you remember riding in he back seat of a school bus when it turns corners? Well the tail end of the truck will "swing" the opposite direction.

Lots of times I've had to try backing and turning into a tight spot and have found that even if I bring my trailer tires within inches of somebody's bumper, there's nothing I can do to avoid my trailer's "swing" getting locked into a course where if I continue backing up, I would end up hitting the truck on the other side, the side I can't see. This is why you Get Out And Look. In these situations I often run my trailer axles just about all the way back so I know that I'm not going to hit somebody on my blind side, as long as I keep those tires as close as possible to the truck I CAN see, until I get to that point where all I have to do is pull up, straighten out, then back straight into the parking space.


Oh, and since nobody's mentioned it yet, don't forget about the front end of your tractor! You'll be paying closer attention to what's going on in the rear end of your rig, so don't forget what's going on up front. Don't hit the trucks across the aisle.