How to back. The straight back set up. Use this at truck stops also.

Some drivers use the crunch-back method.

They back up until they hear a crunch.

 

LOL! Whatever works!

 

The reason I drive a flat bed is so I dont have to back as much... Thanks for the info. you are right the set up is the pivot point to backing. its like shooting pool with the right angle it will go in the hole every time

 

No it won't.

Although setup is the key. Nothing complicated, if it's not right when you start, start over. When you know it's not right don't try to force it to be right. Lot's faster to start over than get all jammed up trying to correct it. Every few days I test my theory by trying to follow through on a bad setup to see if anything has changed with my skill and it normally hasn't.

 

Tried and tested by generations of hopeless drivers lol

 

That was funny

 

The key to backing is patience and practice.

Don't always take the easy spot.

Don't get the yard guy to put it in the hole for you.

Don't be afraid to try different setups.

Don't be afraid to blindside. It's actually easier in some ways once you get comfortable with it.

This is a bit of a rant. The last couple of weeks I have witnessed a number of cases where drivers with a lot more experience than me couldn't or wouldn't put it into a hole and either got someone else to do it for them or dropped it in a stupid place. This has been at a couple of different drop yards and at a shipper where we often drop/hook. Three times I have got there just after another driver and each time they have seemed embarrassed and said things like 'I'm tired' or 'I'm not the best backer upper'.

Well guess what, for the last ten years you have been circling the truck stops looking waiting for the pull through, parking where you shouldn't and looking for any excuse not to do the 'hard back', you'll never be any good at it.

On second thought keep doing that. I like running late and hate parking in a stupid spot or dropping a trailer where I shouldn't so thanks for leaving me a hole.