How to Back a truck and trailer setup?

Try not to get into a situation where you have to back up in a truck n trailer. But if you have to just watch the dolly on the pull trailer and try to keep it as straight as possible and go slow.

 

don't be afraid to get out and look!
don't be afraid to get out and look! yes i said it twice.
assess the situation as you drive up. look for poles,holes and other damage causers. you can make or break a smooth back in on the initial setup. try to get the rear of the wagon lined up with the hole as you pull in.
avoid blind-siding.
it helps to be able to imagine looking down on the whole situation from above the truck.
most new guys over-compensate as they back up,sawing the front axle back and forth. no real harm,a little wear on the front axle and tires maybe.

not applicable with a tanker,but with a van,and the tandems slid up,the trailer portion behind the tandems can whale tail a significant amount and needs to be considered.

 

Not sure if this apply to tanker since its shorter, but while backing turn the wheel one full rotation. If you go crazy cranking the wheel, the trailer will just wiggle. Adjust if needed but for me, one full rotation makes the trailer move about 30 degrees to where I needed to be

 

Keep in mind he's talking about a California truck and trailer set up guys, not a regular trailer with tandems. If you're not sure what that is look it up on Google. It's completely different.

 

View attachment 69930 T&T? Ya turn the wheel the OTHER way when maneuvering this outfit backwards. Apd sounds like he's drove them.

 

Get out and look! Don't back into anything.

 

I've never pulled a drawbar trailer like what you see in dump and gas hauling rigs, but I imagine they don't like to be backed up too much. You've got two pivot points so it would kind of be like trying to back a pup trailer and converter gear

 

The draw bar is nice and long.. its not that difficult to do.. it just looks that way..

 

Once you get the knack of it, they can easily be backed around a building, zig-zagged through an obstacle course (which is often the case when you're trying to get out of the local gas station after a half dozen 4 wheelers have come in for their slushees.

Be exceptionally careful about over steering (over correcting), on a regular trailer where the bottom of the steering wheel tells the direction the trailer will move (when backing of course), directions switch up again with the double pivot point between the tanks. Remember, the first movement directs the opposite direction the draw bar will point along with that same movement will make the king-pin of the trailer go the opposite, and the trailer tires will be moving the same as the tractor rear tires. It sounds confusing, but the only way to learn is to practice in an open area. Set up some cones to maneuver around and through and go for it. Those local gas deliveries can be interesting for sure, sometimes you have the tractor and trailer positioned like the shape of a banana to deliver the product in the separate tanks.

The best advice I can offer...double and triple check the tank tag to make sure you don't put a different blend in one tank! Very expensive mistake, and usually a job ender!