End of week 1 at academy. Having trouble(PLEASE Help)

Give yourself some time it will come. Get down the offset first. Parallel will be easier after.

When offsetting hold your first turn until roughly half of the landing gear.

Practice will be your best friend. Good luck!

 

Parallel is the LEAST important of anything you will do. Seriously, I parallel MAYBE once every 4 months. Basically just like parallel parking a car. Get your back tandems at a 45-degree angle with your drives at the back wheels of the truck/car in front of you. Easy-Peasy.

What you WILL do, a LOT, is 45/90 degree parking.

Practice THAT, a LOT. It will do you 1000 times better than offset or parallel. I practice 90-degree parking whenever I have space to do it. Pretend you have an imaginary line 40' from the nose line of the place you are parking into. Trust me, this is NOT uncommon.

If you ask someone to help you, it's a GOOD thing. You're new. You're PRACTICING. You will not find that you have a hard time finding guys willing to help you.

We all WANT to help you. we HELP you, you don't take out our radiators LEARNING.

Because we all had to learn it too. Just be sure you and your spotter get the same signals.

I cannot stress this enough. PRACTICE is what makes a good backer.

I've watched guys with 30 years have a bad day and take 45 minutes to back into a tight spot. I've watched rookies with 15 minutes take 5 minutes to get into that same spot.

EVERYONE has bad days. EVERYONE has good days. Don't let your GOOD days make you ####y. ASK for help if you need it. Most folks, if you ask nicely, are happy to lend you a hand.

This is a HARD maneuver (90-degree into a tight spot). Most people couldn't do it if their lives depended on it. YOU have to do it all the time. ASK for help. And with time, your skills will improve. And you'll have to ask for help, almost never.

 

Isn't that the truth. If I back in between two trucks simple ...
If there's tons of open dock's and no lines I'm all over the d#mn place and crooked.. LOL!

 

Xzay, a big part of backing any back is your setup. Get a setup you like, use it. Also, those formulas work OK on an empty parking lot in a school, and they will get your CDL, all things being passed. But real life isn't hardly ever that way, there's cars and trucks parked there, there's traffic, your tandems are back or front depending on axle weights, so on. Variables, that's why no 2 backs are quite the same. It's why street beater needs 3sq miles of open concrete and can't hit the hole, some days the truck just won't cooperate. Some days it almost does it by itself, another variable.

I use my tandems, drives, mirrors, and a ticking mental clock, either side. Get a distance out from the spot that you like, 10', 15', 8', whatever (this is another variable, sometimes you can jacknife that rig right in there, sometimes there a fence, a truck, a ramp, a bollard - always an adventure) Once you're at that distance cruising up to the back far enough to line up your trailer nice and straight, go past the hole, put it in reverse gear, and go for your marks. Front tandem just passed the front of the hole, cut the wheel. Whatever you want to use, look for a setup method, it helps.

Last, a big difference between 1st year and 2nd year? 1st year you hope you get it in the hole. 2nd year, you know you'll get it in the hole even if it takes an hour.

Once you get a usable setup method and stop caring who's watching or waiting, it'll be like cake. Best.

 

The trainer at my refresher school told us some of that "stop the truck, turn the wheel, so on stuff" but also, "line up the 2 inside drives with the outside landing gear leg and start to cut back." I use that sometimes.

 

Ya know what bugs me? When your backing in, and theres a wall, trailer, row of pallets whatever next to ya, you line up all perfect and straight.... get out to find your choice of line guides was off yaw from square.... great. Rookie much?

 

Just out of curiosity, what is your backing instructor doing while you're out there struggling to figure this out?

 

To tell if your wheels are straight without getting out turn your wheel all way left or right. Then turn opposite direction 2 turns. At least that is what I was told. Try it. Have someone help you. Turn all way in one direction. Then start making one full town while counting until they tell you your straight.

Keep in mind though. Truck vary. Some trucks may have better steering then others.

 

Here is my formula for offset. Try it if it will work for you.

Tip: Whatever side you came out, that is where you first turn your steering wheel. Turn it just 1, back up ( see the landing gear once you see the V sign ) or watch your convex mirror until the money cone disappear, STOP Right away! And turn ur steering wheel all the way to the opposite side and back up until you see the money cone on your other side. For example;


OFFSET Right :
You will pull up all the way close to the money cone. Since you are coming from your left side and you will need to put the trailer to the right side. The first thing you do is turn ur steerinf wheel to the left ( 1 turn ) then back up ( until you notice that ur money cone disappear on ur right side ) then stop right away! Turn your steering wheels all the way to the other direction then back up. Don't stop backing up not until you will see ur money cone on ur left side! The moment you will see the money cone and you will stop, ur trailer and tractor should be straight. You can then control the trailer until it gets in to the box!


P.S - Do not wait too long once you start seing your money cone coz if you wait too much it's gonna be hard for you to correct the trailer!

let me know if it work or if you are confuse I will explain it again