backing question

I drive a straight truck so forgive a odd question. Comming from a farm background I have backed many hay and grain wagons into tight spots. Would a big rig handle and move in the same fashion?(IE) Turning the wheel to back in a certain direction.

 

Once parked, get out and go watch that impatient driver back into his spot. 9 or 10 times he will be the worst backer ever LOL.

Never let anybody sweat you. You're new, it takes time to learn. We've all been there, and we've all done that.

I have no problem getting out and going to help a new driver. I generally wont say a word unless they ask for help. Ill turn on my parking lights, and keep quiet unless I see damage is imminent. Then Ill blow the horn, holler on the radio or even get out to wave them off.

Something else that most new drivers may not realize. Most guys sitting in a parking lot aint watching you back. They dont care LOL. You arent nearly as much in that spot light as you think you are. Ive seen trucks back into parking spots before. I have seen a million of them backing up before. As long as you dont hit me, I really dont care...

 

It's ALL been said already...
1) PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
Go to Academy, SportsAuthority, etc and get some collapsible orange soccer cones, and set them at the corners of the parking spaces. They're cheap ($4 for 4) and don't mind being run over, as opposed to the $7000 hood they are standing in for.
2) G.O.A.L. (OFTEN!!!)
3) DON'T let ANYONE rush you!
They aren't going to help you find a new job, when you lose yours for a preventable, because they were rushing you. If it were their tractor you were parking next to, and taking your time not to hit, they wouldn't mind you taking an hour if you had to.

The comfort/confidence will come with experience. The experience will come with repetition

 

I just was out too our local truckstop, we had several in our area, i could not belive how empty space's there are, , plenty room too practice in the empty stall's , one even had the whole row empty, must be everyboby out running now, not like the day's of old, like if you didn't get there before 3 pm you were screwed then, far as hood's taking off, don't back in on corner stall, that allway's take your hood off, i if had no other choice, i would nose it in, had my corner of trl got hit that way, but thats better then a hood, the stall was next to the exit, so i had to back up a few feet and go,next thing too your backing up skill's in case nobody said it, also make shure your fith wheel is fully greased, that help's out a lot, next at shipper or rec , ask too park there, there lot safer there ,then a truckstop,dont even think about parking on any grocery -k-mart empty lot's that went bust, those empty lot's are private land now and you will get towed away,

 

I would add to this that turning the CB down/off eliminates a major distraction. Also, my favorite for those in a huge hurry who come right up on me? That's my favorite time to put GOAL into practice. If I can't see because of something they're doing? Then I wait patiently until they stop doing it.

The keys here are to stay calm, have a good sense of humor about the situation, realize most people are idiots, and take your time. Trust me, even those of us who've been at this a while are wondering when that particular maneuver will ever get easier.

 

After30 some yrs I still have a bad day once in a while, Try scouting out your options even before you get into near where you might to park, the hardest part of setting up to back can mostly be done going forward.Get your position lined up and "see in your mind the tracking" of the trailer, keep your sight side closest on your left to have more space on blind side,and for heavens sake, dont be too proud to get out and look. I DO!

 

I was told to look at a spot one foot out from the corner of the truck youre going to be backing alongside and put your front tandem tire on that spot then turn the steering wheel to straighten it out and follow the trailer all the way in.

 

There is no one-size-fits-all advice for backing other than to take your time, practice, and get out and look if you are unsure. No two backing situations are going to be the same. You'll drive some trucks that will cut hard, and others that won't. Where your trailer tandems are set will also affect how the trailer backs, as will the length of the trailer. How much rear overhang do you have? Got to keep that in mind, too.

It always cracks me up when someone starts spouting some hard 'n fast "rule" they were taught about how to set up for a back. It might work on the range at the school, but out here in the real world, you'll RARELY be able to pull it off the way the instructors taught you. Just like as you were growing up as a kid, teachers taught you how to pass the tests. The ones who actually cared about inspiring actual LEARNING were few and far between. Pass the tests and they have the appearance of doing a good job. Pass the state tests and the school appears to be doing well. That's all most schools are going to care about...getting you proficient enough to pass the test to improve their pass/fail ratio.

Your best bet is to practice...learn HOW the trailer is going to react to anything you do. Get a good mental picture of the space you have to work with, and figure out where you need to put that trailer in order to get it to go into the hole you want it in. Picture in your mind what it looks like...where the truck needs to be in order to push the trailer where you want it....how the wheels need to cut to get the truck where it needs to be. You won't be able to do that, though, until you know how that trailer is going to react behind your truck. Once you figure all that out, backing is easy...and with enough practice, it won't take long at all to figure out how to get the trailer into even the most difficult places.

 

My tip would be to take it slow. When I say slow I mean slow. Remember which way to turn your wheel before you start backing up, annnnnd, you can actually stop the vehicle to recover sometimes if you see yourself getting out of position. Or if you see yourself getting out of position stop and pull up and get back into position, but do all of this slowly and you will get the hang of it.

A trucker friend told me something similar to this when I got started. He said if he doesn't have to back in he doesn't.

 

Take as long as you need to back into your spot, if there are others waiting to get by, too bad, they will just have to wait. Tune them out and concentrate on the task at hand..