more training

RoadRooster hit the nail on the head. If as you stated the main concern you have is with backing, rest assured that ALL of us had issues with backing. There are several excellent videos on Youtube on how to back a truck, with step by step instructions on how to make your setups, initiate the back, jack into position, then get ahead of the trailer to straight back.

Beyond your own practice, when you are sitting in your cab at a truckstop late in the afternoon, watch and pay attention to how other drivers are getting into difficult holes. When you are at a receiver or shipper getting loaded, pay attention to how other drivers are getting into difficult holes. Critique what they are doing in your head and compare their technique with your technique.

When I was mentoring a brand new driver, fresh out of school with minimal hands on experience, I found using a remote control rig extremely beneficial to learning to back. That way you are above the action and can see how the trailer reacts to your inputs for turning. The frustrating thing about first learning to back is trying to "see" the position of the trailer with that bird's eye view, the remote control rig can give you that perspective and you can apply that knowledge to the real world. In the real world you should GOAL to get that perspective. Take your time and GOAL as many times as you need, walk back behind the trailer, see the position of the trailer tandems and where you want to pivot around them in a jackknife or work around a radius to get into the hole. Estimate the angle of the tractor to the trailer to make that radius happen.

One form of practice that is invaluable: practice backing around a curve on a side street somewhere that has a fog line going around the radius of the turn or a curb. Try to keep the trailer tandems about one foot away from the fog line or the curb. You will find the obtuse angle of the tractor to the trailer that will allow you to make this happen. Think of it as if you were going forward around the curve trying to keep the trailer tandems one foot away, then do that in reverse. You can't keep the trailer tandems on that curve if you are getting the tractor into a full on jackknife all the time.

My final piece of advise is DON'T ask for additional training. The reality of this job is that MOST of what you learn will be in the first 3-6 months running solo. You are doing it on your own. Take EXTRA care during this time with your backing and GOAL aLOT. Maybe make your handle "Sir GOALaLOT".

 

Stop turning the wheel so much.

 

Drive the trailer , follow the wheels . When the trailers were 48 feet you followed the end of the trailer because that's where the tandems were. At least you're honest and that gives you a big advantage over a super trucker

 

Glad I keep this all ready to go...
Use the steering wheel to your advantage! Everybody teaches "steer the opposite direction"...bad thinking, poor instruction!

Your visual part of your brain is already doing a "reversal" with all the information coming in through the eye...it has to reverse the image to be processed. So when you try to think "opposite" you actually are stressing yourself a bit more. Here is the trick I taught all my students for 15 years:

The top of the steering wheel turns the direction you want going forward, the bottom of the steering wheel turns the direction you want to turn going backwards.

The set up is the most important part of backing into a dock or parking location. Let's learn what I call the "Banana Profile":
1. With the units in a straight configuration, drive across the front of the location until the space between the tractor and trailer is at the midpoint of your location.
2. As you cross this midpoint, turn right to a 45 degree angle away from the point. Drive straight (45 degrees from the location) until the tandems are at the midpoint of the location. (You must be watching your driver’s side mirror) As the tandems attain the midpoint turn the wheel left (again) to put a bend in the tractor/trailer until you have achieved the "Banana Profile". (The tractor/trailer has the same shape as a banana.) Now straighten up and continue until you have clearance of the driver’s side rear corner of the trailer and the location the trailer will be backing into.
3. At this point, you should be able to smoothly "track" right into the "hole". Just visualize the line and adjust the turn aspect (declining) as you enter the hole and straighten up as you go.

LET THE TRAILER DO THE WORK...ADJUST TO THE TRAILER, DON'T FORCE THE TURN MOVEMENT BY OVER STEERING. The longer the trailer, the more time it will take to show its movement. Don't get anxious, be patient, and let the trailer make some movement, then you correct the tractor to the movement of the trailer.

1. When backing, place your hand palm down on the center bottom of the steering wheel.
2. Use the bottom as your guide for the direction you want the back of the trailer to move.
3. Having your hand, palm down, gripping the wheel will prevent you (with the natural limits of movement) from over-steering. DO NOT LET GO OF THE WHEEL!
4. Grip the window post (the separation bar between the wing window and the door window) with your left hand, and again, DON'T LET GO. This "anchor" stops you from moving around in your seat...every time you move it changes the visual perspective in your mirrors...SIT STILL!
5. A tractor/trailer combination will NEVER back in a straight line...you need to "add" and "subtract" turn movement constantly. A little adjustment either way will keep the units straight and where you want to go.
6. If there is no "guide line" painted on the surface, visualize the straight line you want to line the driver’s side (sight side) of the trailer then the tractor onto.
7. When you start backing, pay attention to the tandems (trailer wheels)...these are your first and primary points of lining up the unit. As soon as the tandems have gone into the box, begin reducing the turn aspect of the tractor (bring the nose around to the "square line" with the trailer. Now change your focus to the midpoint of the trailer...just before the midpoint gets to the "line", get the tractor square with the trailer so there is no turn occurring...you have achieved the aspect of straight line backing once the tractor is square with the trailer and the midpoint of the trailer is in the box.
8. Keep in mind there are 3 "pivot points" to a tractor/trailer combination.
8a. Tandems are the rear pivot.
8b. King pin (drive wheels) is the center pivot.
8c. Steer tires are the forward pivot.
To move the tractor trailer either direction (right or left) you must accomplish an "S" configuration/movement with the tractor/trailer. Which direction you need to move the units is the direction you begin the movement. (This is for forward adjustments...if you have not centered the units in the dock.) To move it will require 3 steering movements...make sure the movement is sufficient (far enough forward in distance) to achieve the moving distance required (right or left). Just imagine you are driving on an "S" painted on the ground and follow itCOMPLETELY.