Backing up without painted lines or markers?

Jump in a day cab running p&d. You will get another 10 years worth of practice in 6 months lol.

 

Older hand once answered this with: Don't they still make long dockboards.

 

They did that on purpose. For me.

 

While we are on the subject of backing. I was reading on here a lil while ago about a guy having a hard time passing the parallel park part of the test because he was having a hard time judging the trailer to truck angle. I told him just look out the back window and boom, it's right there...that's what I do all day. He said the school wouldn't let him, they counted that as a goal. Lemme know if I'm the ### hole in thinking this because I just may be. First off if you have a tool (such as a back window) why wouldn't you use it? Second I understand that people need to learn to competently back but why would you penalize for a goal? With all the stuff we see out there and read on here they should be pushing people to goal to avoid most of the backing screw ups you see. I was trained at UPS and it was GOAL GOAL GOAL, they even had stickers in the dash reminding you (and also to take off in first gear to save clutches lol). Their whole line of thinking (and mine too because that's where I spent 20 years so it's really all I know) was get the #### out of the truck and look as many times as you need....DO NOT HIT ANYTHING! I have made it my whole career doing city p&d in one of the oldest, tightest, and busiest cities in the country without ever hitting anything so I would like to think that there has to be something behind the way I was taught. You would think these "schools" would be pushing goal constantly.

 

cant be done. truckers got to have lines.

 

It's the difference between a CDL test and real life. Unfortunately, like almost all tests, it falls way short of what one should be doing.

 

If it would save you 20 minutes (or more?) bring your OWN cones and mark your dock. Who cares how silly it looks; no more than you getting out 20 times. (Or you could use your triangles if you have them....WHO CARES?!?!?) Just Git'R'Done.

I do what @FlaSwampRat does anymore (almost) and cheat in my daycab, but was no different in the '379 hood either.