Man I hope I get used to trailer backing

You just started school and have never backed up a trailer. Its going to take some time and practice. Hang in there man you'll get it. I have faith in you!

 

You'll get used to it if you practice. FWIW for me, backing a 53 foot trailer is far easier than backing my dads small utility trailer, lol.

 

The longer the trailer and the shorter the truck the easier to back up. Like packrat said, short little utility trailers are the toughest. If you know someone with one or a snowmobile/quad trailer or any short little trailer that you can borrow, practice with that on the weekend. You get the hang of that, and while a long trailer will take a little bit to get used to it's slow reaction, it will come fast and be a piece of cake.

 

You know what I was told when I first went out with a trainer a "few" years back? He told me "I don't care if it takes you fifteen times to hit the hole, if you didn't hit anything you did good", this has been 8 years ago and it's something I keep with me daily. Just this morning I had a blindside back in to a concrete facility that gave me fits the first go round, but wouldn't you believe it the second time I was there I hit it first shot, that's just the way it goes somedays........

 

You'll get it. just takes a little time to get used to . And every different type of trailer backs differently so if you at some point switch to tanks or pup trailers or flatbed you'll have to get a feel for those too before you can get it down. Everyone learns their own way how to back. Yeah try a snowmobile trailer or hay wagon. That will help you familiarize yourself with how to manipulate the trailer.

 

I know it sounds stupid, but it helps alot if you are a problem backing student. Go get you a toy 18 wheeler and play with it backing on a table. You can't break anything and just might be what you need to get the concept down. Buy it at Walmart and then take it back, lol. I did that with a woman in my class. She was on her third trying to get her CDL. The toy broke the ice and she passed. Someone else in this forum mentioned doing that too. It helps.

For starters, just imagine a trailer all by itself. You would push it just like a wheel barrow. Then imagine what you have to do with the tractor to get the trailers front end to do the same thing.

Other tips is most students will overkill on the steering and have a hard time getting back under the trailer. About halfway of the angle of pushing the nose of the trailer, you should be turning your wheels the other way to get back under it.

Imagine the trailer is where it is suppose to be and how the tractor and trailer would track pulling forward out of that spot. Backing is close to opposite that.

Use aids on the ground like old tire tracks and make the trailer follow them tracks. Expanasion cracks in the concrete are usually perpendicular to the building. Painted lines of course. Sometimes something as simple as rock as a marker gives you a visual aid.

Like others said, practice makes perfect. This isn't something you learn overnight. Some have an edge because they backed smaller trailers in the past. The shorter the trailer, the harder it is to back because you have to react quicker. A year from now, you'll back without much thinking and make it do what you want.

Never guess what your blind side is doing. When in doubt, get out and look.

 

Just keep trying, do not get rattled. It takes practice, and I know you will get the hang of it. Take your time.You can do it.

 

I love when I have to get off of a flatbed and under a van or an end dump. LOL. With a spread-axle flatbed you gotta turn kinda hard when you back up to push the axles and make it turn. Then get under a van or a dump and wanna do the same thing and I end up dang near jack-knifed. LOL.