doubles endorsement

Just like a regular tractor trailer...just can't back up and you gotta pay more attention to lane control. Don't swerve and the heavy trailer goes up front.

 

when i had to "learn" how to pull doubles, my boss told me that "so and so" will help you and you just follow him.

the guy helped me hook up, check things, then off to NJ we went.

once at the location, he helped me unhook, and told me to find an empty door, etc. he pretty much was my trainer for that ONE trip.

coming back, we both had single 53 footers.

just do not look into your mirrors and try to make steering corrections to the wiggle of the tail trailer. maintain a SAFE following distance...

change lanes slowly. and the other usual safe driving techniques.

 

If you end up getting a job with a company that pulls pups they will give you some training to get accustomed to it. At least most companies will.

 

As far as driving down the road far more maneuverable, you can actually go around corners/

 

I work at xpo logistics, formerly conway freight, and we would hire licensed guys with no driving experience as long as they could pass the road test the company sends potential drivers through. Even with no doubles experience, as long as you seemed like you were confident hooking/unhooking the equip, they would give you a shot.

You would be driving nothing but doubles for the first few years if you were hired on.

 

might not.. i did my road test pulling doubles for the first time. then i was thrown to the wolves to sink or swim

 

Most companies around my area won't send you out in doubles without some kind of training first. But if you remember a few things and you play it safe then they aren't as stressful as you'd think and you can feel confident with them in short order. The truck has to stay under the maximum allowable length and with the rocky mountain doubles I pull that means my lead trailer is actually quite short. So I don't turn much wider than a 53' trailer would because my lead doesn't off-track as far as a 53' would and the pup doesn't off-track much on its own either. Hardest thing to learn for most seems to be to steer slowly (so you don't crack the whip with your pup) and don't get into an area where you have to back up very far. If you can, start out pulling them in good weather so you are comfortable with them before you hit slick roads because that is when I start to curse that pup.

 

Why can't you back up? Roadway had guys that could put a rear pup to the dock without unhooking the set.