Backing up a truck not as easy as it seems!

ever notice---when you do hit that nasty dock on the first shot--you get out of the truck and see that nobody is around to have witnessed your great feat---but when ever you are having a bad day and cant hit it straight--might as well be a #### parade cause there are so many watchers

 

From day one I was told when doing an alley dock was a little bit of right and not to let my rear drive wheels go past the "V" notch on the landing gear. It took a day of giving it to much right for to long and no matter how much left I gave it, the trailor would not go in straight. The best advice was to make sure I had the set up right the first time. Start backing, one turn right see how the trailer was turning then maybe a little more right, then straighten out and then almost full left. This usually works for me, but could be different for others and the situations there in.

 

80% of the back is the setup.

Also use any aids like lines, cracks, old tire tracks, even a rock.

 

Once you master that, you can try this! This is not the truck I drive, but I drive a transfer dump. It pivots at the pintle hook hitch and at the dolly axle on the trailer. Thus making you have to turn the wheel the same direction that you want the trailer to go. Not as easy as it sounds either, with 2 pivot points. Definitely takes practice.

 

Like anything else - the first time you see somebody who knows a little bit less than you, you will be fine. Not a bad thing, just some reassurance that you are not the only lost soul out there.

 

Turn the CB off..
Back in your spot at your own pace....
Every old hand was once a rookie....Even us old hands have days where we can't back in with all the room in the world to do so....

And don't be shy if you need a hand....Better to swallow your pride and ask for help than to have to explain why you clipped a mirror or worse....

 

Just get out of the truck put the biggest student driver sticker u can find on it then aim towards 2 big chrome large cars most the time they will bk it in

 

Especially when you are dog tired and there is one crappy space left

 

this is nothing new to me. god only knows the students i have seen struggle with what we call, "a simple straight back".....only problem though, for a student, "it's NOT that simple".

when i work with my students, i follow along side the truck as they are backing up. from there, i will tell them, "watch your right mirror, now your left mirror, now your right"............so on and so forth.

students (by nature) DO NOT use both mirrors, they fixate themselves into ONE mirror, which is a BIG NO-NO..........!!!!!!

as the student is backing up, i tell them to watch the rear end of the trailer for drifting. if you START to see the rear end drift into (say) the left mirror, give the wheel "about 1/4 turn to the left and hold it there for about 3 to 5 seconds, allowing time for the reaction to take place"..........if STARTING to drift towards the right mirror, turn "about 1/4 turn to the right" and hold it there for about 3 to 5 seconds, allowing time for the reaction to take place..........

you MUST catch the drift, BEFORE IT STARTS.........and that's NOT hard once you LEARN to use BOTH mirrors.

on average, it takes most students to "catch onto" straight backing in 2 hours or no more than 3...........

if its taking you THIS long to do a straight back, then you ARE NOT paying attention to the mirrors on BOTH sides of the truck.

i stand by what i am saying because so many students struggle with straight backing, and when i ask, "do you understand"..??? they all nod thier heads YES.........!!!! obviously, they DO NOT understand, which in some situations, it has taken some students to 2 full weeks of straight backing to finally get it right the LAST day.........and if they don't get it by the LAST day........??? they get "recycled" back into the maneuver, and fall behind thier classmates.

 

>>>>Turn the CB off..Back in your spot at your own pace....

That was my first thought, safety first, screw them...We're talking MINUTES, not hours here...If someone see me struggling and wants to help, god love em, if not, they can wait...