Need advice on turning.

Clear your tail end at 3 foot or less on right hand turns .. on a left clear the line ..

 

Oh yeah turning wide is called jughandling. You shouldn't have to do this except in a major urban area or northern towns or city centers. When I make a right turn I don't turn wide,that's improper. I get as far LEFT in my turning lane and end up in the LEFT lane when I complete the turn. Read, observe. This is a very small obstacle to overcome.

 

Better to be wide for the turn and not need it than the opposite.

Also, I believe it is better to use two or more lanes of the same direction of travel before the turn, if needed and sometimes it is, than to need to be encroaching into head-on traffic lanes after the turn.

Mikeeee

 

On a right hand turn watch for those cars, pick ups, motorcycles, and the occasional bobtail trying to slip by between your trailer and a curb when you swing to wide, 3 foot or less is what i use.. the less the better.. on left stay in the same lane your turning from.. look to see if it's clear before the next lane change.. There's blind spots during a turn

 

I make deliveries to Chicago and Cleveland frequently and some of those streets are so tiny you need to jughandle and buttonhook to make a turn and yeah I said on right turns get as far left as possible and yeah sometimes I do encroach in the lane to avoid backing up traffic when completing right turns. You really can't predict if you can do that all the time(traffic scenarios).And you can't predict exactly how you will complete tough turns on two lane streets mainly but the basics in the dmv manual is a great foundation to build your turning skills upon and of course experience will help polish your skills.

 

I do alot of city driving and I pull 53' flats and vans alot recently. I try and stay as far over on the oposite side of the road. If I'm turning left try and creep over to as far of the right hand side of the road early so your trailer has more room. Turning left I get right on the line and turn at the last second to allow my tandems to clear the curb. I use the jug handle method of making right hand turns. It will take some time to know and learn how tight your tractor can turn. Some makes don't have the same turning radius turning left as they do right, I know one kenworth I drove turned wider left than it did turning right. Had something to do w/ the steering box or tie rods is what one driver told me. Also if you have a trailer with sliding tandems and you won't be crossing any scales slide them forward as much as possible before you get into the tight city streets. I signal early and creep over, but be careful some cars will seek in between you and the turn you're about to make and it's really dangerous for everyone.

 

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.....what?!?

A "Jug Handle" turn is east coast (New Jersey) specific. It is basically making a right turn...to make a left turn. Turning wide is a "Button Hook".

To the OP...as stated before, there is no specific "formula" anyone can give you to practice. Making turns without hitting anything is a "feel", an "intuition" that involves common sense, understanding vehicle size, and depth perception.
Obviously there are mathematics involved with any movement...but the variables are so great that, even with the same tractor and trailer, with fifth-wheel and tandems set at the same positions daily; each turn will STILL have its' very own answer.

 

Just pull doubles. They turn a lot easier and in less space. LOL

 

Just use all the room you have to use. Go straight for as long as you can and then when turning stay as far out as you safely can.

 

After a while you just know.
Until then try not to hit anything.