Most difficult backing.

Been doing it for 38 yrs and I still have good days and bad. I still think it's 50% skill and 50% luck. You can back into the same spot 10 different times and never do it the same way twice.
Always set yourself up when pulling forward, if you want the trailer to steer left, then aim your tractor a little to the left before you start to back (and vice-versa)
Don't overcorrect! If you're looking at your trailer in the right mirror, steer SLIGHTLY right. When the trailer starts to disappear in that mirror and you look over to the left mirror, steer SLIGHTLY left. Keep doing that, looking back and forth back and forth...always turning your wheel towards whichever mirror your looking at.
If you have to steer the trailer around a corner, once you get it going where you want, you always have to try to follow it. This (in my opinion) is where the luck comes in, but you'll get the hang of it.
Always try to back on your sight side although this is not always possible. I HATE blindside backing (more luck involved)

 

Terrible advice.
This is how mirrors and front ends get
Torn off at truck stops.

The tail of the trailer is 7/8 feet behind the tandems.
It's the part that hits everything first.
And your telling someone to pretend it doesn't exist.

 

When I was hauling steel, we did a lot of bridge work. Lots little bridges on county roads in the middle of nowhere. The loads could be anywhere from 80 to 120 feet long. They'd want me to back up to the crane and most of the time there was never anywhere to turn around. So we'd find the nearest intersection to spin around (I usually had escorts)
Then I would back up to the crane, sometimes 2 or 3 miles away!

 

Getting the truck and trailer "set up" and pointing where the trailer needs to go, while pulling forward, is the key. With any backing, your set up is key.

I assume you mean dock parking between two parked trucks. In this scenario, and most others, it's better to set up a little too "tight" because it's much easier to correct than setting up too wide. A simple and quick pull up of 15 feet can reset and correct your set up, if you're backing in a bit too tight.

Resetting after backing in too wide means you might have to circle around or at the very least, pull up and then reverse 100 feet or more.

Good luck.

ps. Roll down all your windows and blast this on your stereo.

 

Picture this.
Bar Harbor Maine

 

Charlettsville, VA

Garrett St. dead ends just off edge of pic to left. Must get onto dock at produce store with tractor and trailer jack-knifed at 90 degrees so as not to block Garrett St. If one looks close the shadows of 2 telephone poles can be see opposite Garrett St from produce store... They have both been hit and scraped many times. Once unloaded must pull up to dead end of Garrett St, then back up past Gleason St. so as to take Gleason St. out.

 

Set yourself up at a 45 degree angle. Only turn the wheel if your trailer says turn the wheel. Many people oversteer. Your initial.turn of the wheel should be turned only about a 1/4 to 3/4 of a full turn. In tighter spaces, you may have turn it harder. Certain truck stops I recommend going to if you have other options. I know I went to the pilot in Minooka, IL last week, now that lot will give you fits!

 

Cattleman84, if Garrett is a dead end just out of the picture, what is so important over there that you can't just block the street?
Or if you're gonna be there awhile, just drop the trailer...

 

It almost looks like you can set your rig up straight on the "start" street so you can see your target on the "end here" street
then pretty much back straight in...
am I missing something here?
I suppose you might have to make minor adjustments to miss that pole or a car parked on the opposite corner...