How the heck do guys who cant back up get their cdl?

It Won't be long I promise you

 

The ####### in the way should have moved anyway

 

This is a question many here in these forums have been asking for a long time.

And I might also point out I do see guys with truly ZERO useable backing skills maybe 2-3 times a month at various locations around the nation. Honestly, to me, most seem to be driving for a small or very small no-name outfit, usually from California. It's not that often you see a "mega carrier" driver having HUGE problems backing, although they do often demonstrate typical new guy mistakes that are generally not of the sort to tie up entire facility navigation of other truckers for extended periods.

Most of those foreign drivers you see a lot coming from California are pretty good at the job, but there are some like they were brought on to the truck as a favor for a friend of a friend of their uncle who owns the truck. Obviously having no formal training at any level.

 

why doesn't any one use their flashers when backing up??
used to be, everyone did.

 

I have been pulling tankers for almost 11 years now. Still screw up some of the backing maneuvers. But as a newbie I never judged other drivers. Everyone has a weak spot somewhere. You will soon realize yours.

 

Some trainers just teach you the bare minimum, and use a day cab and pup trailers, some use sleeper cabs and 53' trailers. When I was choosing a school, I went around and watched classes, some taught their students when you see this the mirror, do this, but didn't say why they were doing it, just do it. They memorized a spot on the trailer meant turn the wheel. Other schools will have you actually change where you are backing from, so you have to figure out how to get the trailer in the hole. The first time I had to back up split axles on a repo, you would have had the popcorn out and selling tickets. I eventually figured it out, but what a learning curve. Same with where are the tandems, slide them a few pegs and it changes everything.

 

I know, right? But some of these chemical plants were designed in the 1940's, quite tight. And imagine hitting one of the pipelines crisscrossing these places!