Buffalo Tractor Trailer Institute Instructer lost his cool today

I think some people just can't accept when their point of view is just not the true perspective of a situation.

 

Do you use that same leading cone as a reference point on both size boxes?

 

We were not taught to use the cone as a reference point. We were taught to use the landing gear cross bars as a reference point. This is why I mentioned the angle of the steer being different. The cones are used as a reference point for the straight line back portion. But guess what, still going to be out of position because of the wrong angle used on the first part of the maneuver. The only way to correct this is to know what to look for as a person is performing the maneuver. A student in CDL school is not going to have enough experience to trust what he or she is seeing with the movement of the trailer to adjust on the fly. Learning how that trailer pivots and drifts takes a lot of practice and experience. On top of that, no two trailers respond the same in this regard. The educational equivalent here is talking about a high school freshman learning Algebra but then trying to say that the student can easily use his/her knowledge to effectively work out advanced Calculus equations.

 

In relation to what, though?

 

In relation to the drive tires. It's how you have a point of reference to the angle of the wheel turn.

 

Never. Never. Touch another man's cones.

 

No,

Not until the straight line, which is after the angle has already been setup. A difference in box width requires a different angle so as to get the tractor in without encroaching on the lead cone.

 

I gotcha.

 

Messing with the cones and trying to show up an instructor would get you kicked out of the school I went to.

 

Definitely not the proper way to address the matter. Classic case of student thinking he is better than he is. Though he raised valid points, OP certainly made himself look like one of those that thinks too highly of his own skill and probably overstated how well he was doing on the maneuvers.