How do you set up a dock where you have plenty of space to set up for a straight line back?

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Im a very new driver but i like to drive to the hole or dock and look for a reference to aim for in the opposite direction. Execute the question mark turn end end facing the reference point you picked out. Also watch your mirror for the target to appear as you pull forward and the trailer straightens out.

 

Hugging the dock side on the left. Pass the open dock and when the steer gets to the spot next to the target, hard 90 degree turn, straighten and go forward until you can see the left rear of the trailer in the mirror.
If you are tight on the real estate, hook a slight left as you are reaching the end of the real estate.

 

Find a empty truck stop during the middle of the day with lines for the spots.

Put the spot you want in the driver's window and stop.

Look out the passenger window at the spot opposite.

Get truck rolling and crank wheel over.

Then come out of it and park straight in the spot on the passenger side.

Straight back after that, the lines will help you visualize it.

Think of it as a 180 then 90.

 

Nothing prevents you from using the 45 or 90 degree backing technique in that situation. I prefer that than what many newbies do, pull 2 miles away from their dock door and back without seeing what is driving toward the rear of left/right of end of trailer.

 

In other words, you want the back of the trailer as close to the hole as possible before the hard right turn, or just get a spotter to help you, they are always more than happy to help,,

 

When you do a 45 or a 90 when you're almost in you're doing basicly the same thing as if you could have set it up so you can straight line back it in. Once you see your trailer in both mirrors as well as the hole you're aiming for, bonus if you can see light at the back on each side meaning when you look back if you went perfectly straight back you wouldn't hit either truck but you'd be crooked- all you gotta do at this point is minor steering adjustments, don't be cranking the wheel hard like you have to for a 45 or 90 back in, this will vary a bit depending if your trailer tandems are back or forward, but the idea is the same. Go slow and wait for the trailer to do what you already know its going to in your head. Give it time, it isn’t going to turn much the way a pickup and a short trailer does. Get out and look as much as you need to, yes I may be impatient sometimes behind you but I'm equally as appreciative if I'm the one you're trying to get in beside so don't worry about it. I'll just be impatient quietly to myself or else I'll get out and help you. Lotsa folks are just too annoyed at life to realize if they help someone rather than honk or rev engine or otherwise act like an idiot the whole process will work smoother for everyone. It's one of those skills you'll get with practice, just remember don't hurry yourself, if something worth doing it's worth doing right.