Is there a trick to keeping trailer from bumping curb?

Ya just have to get a feel for it, which will come after practice. Whatever you do, make sure you watch your trailer in the mirror to see where it's going. Don't be another steering wheel holder that thinks they have enough room, and cuts the turn way too narrow and ends up putting their trailer in a ditch because you didn't watch where it was going!

 

Hey thanks for the replies everyone, so sorry I actually forgotten about this topic due to me being so busy

 

Keeping the tandems slid forward to "California legal" or better helps keep them from finding curbs once you get out there in the real world. With them all the way back it's a nightmare getting around corners so I never have them slid back unless a shipper wants them slid when dropping an empty.

The schools will tell you not to jug handle or lane split...whatever. They also teach you not to shift on hills but you'll quickly find out that's balone out in the real world too.

Just stay in that wide angle mirror. Often you can straighten the steering back out if you started cutting it too early in order to avoid a curb kisser. As for cutting it too late and getting too far from the curb, it's less bad but you need to be watching for cars now instead of the curb. Some of them are just dumb enough to go there. You also need to be watching that front driver side portion of the trailer that pokes out on a sharp right hander. That can clip stuff too on your driver side if you start wedging the nose of the truck up too close against stuff (such as the car in the left hand turn lane or the other truck in the fuel line.)

 

Didn't read all the pages. But one phrase to remember throughout your driving career,

"speed is not your friend"

Keeping that in mind will help make sure you have enough time to safely perform any maneuver.

Mikeeee

 

the way your truck maneuvers, tandem position, speed, lane placement, intersection size and angle of the curb all affect keeping rubber off paint. Take your time watch your mirror and practice.

 

Used to teach this to the new drivers at a previous company. In your hood or door convex mirrors, if you have to look over or through something to see your trailer tires, you are going to hit it. Example: your eyes have to pass over a curb to see your tires...hit if you don't correct it now. Hood mirrors will give you the earliest warning of this on the truck - the benefit of that being only a small correction is needed earlier. Keep space between you and the curb...always aim for space and walk the trailer around the corner. It takes 4 lanes about 9ft wide os the minimum amount of space needed to make a turn...including the one you're sitting in. That guideline lets you evaluate an intersection well before you're in the middle of it.