I'm going to be blunt about this, our developemental fleet DM was a total jerk. I'd use a dirty word to describe him but I don't want to get in trouble. However if he was to catch fire i'm not sure i'd spit on him to put out the flames unless he was close to the fuel lines. And he was nicer to me once I got on the truck than he was to hubby when he was running solo. We went through developemental (which was also my mentoring period) just saying "this too shall pass and we'll get a human for a DM". And we did get a human for a DM once we got off developemental. As for backing......we all have sore knees lol and we all had our brains arguing with us. It will click, trust me. If it hasn't yet, ask for extra time on backing. You've got to be able to straight line back before you can do any of the other things. I had a problem with it at first and I was the queen of over correction. *waves my lil wand* You're doing great and we all know you'll get it down like a charm. Remember, only a quarter turn and it's like putting on your makeup in the mirror. Opposite motions.
Awww thanky Nana. Not sure what developmental is but nary a word about it on this end. I already passed my straight line backing, now ally dock and offset is what we are working on. OMG didnt know a truck bent like that!!! I think I twisted mine every which way but loose lol. My favorite was jack knifing, what that isnt a skill, well dang, it shure should be rofl.
Oh uh Nana??? I dont use makeup and I use a curling brush cause I burned myself to many times with the curling iron trying to figure it out backards.
LOL Oh girl I remember it well. I remember saying "you want me to do what with that truck?" lol I wish they had taught us the alley dock. They didn't. The mentor was suppose to. The first time I saw an alley dock is when my tester in Denver told me to do one. This was my testing after my mentoring period. I don't know.....maybe other fleets over the nation don't have a developmental fleet. In Phoenix when we got finished with mentoring we went on a special fleet and had to stay on it until the DM and fleet manager thought a driver was ready to go onto a regular fleet. My hubby was on the developmental fleet when I got on the truck. So they took us off the developmental fleet one hour after I tested out after metoring. hmmmm Maybe they don't even have it in Phx anymore. I don't know. I hope not. I hope they kicked that jerk to the curb.
Mine is short! But I use the curling brush to give it a lil flare. Kinda like Ed today on the 101 time he explained dont over steer/correct rofl. BTW Nana alley dock is on my state test also along with the offset dock.
Works for me! (Wyld, you're gonna be just fine. Pushing a 53' trailer backwards is NOT easy. And, if you're like me, you'll get pretty good at it and then, sure as I'm sitting here, you'll find yourself the talk of the TS when, on one of those days when you're so #### tired and you're trying to park in a spot the size of an landing strip, you forget everything you've learned. That's just the way it goes!)
did Ed start showing off, and sit in the passenger seat with his feet up? =) yeah....NEVER over-correct. when straight backing, you never should have to put in more than a few degrees of input. Just remember, turn toward the direction the trailer is 'walking' or turn away from the direction you WANT the trailer to go. I'm willing to bet that half the DMs (if not more) have never set foot in a truck, let alone turn a wheel. So they dont have a clue what it is like. I'd have that heart to heart, never hurts to make sure you're on the same page.
