Need help with doing a 90

My wife and I are in our last week of CDL training. Everything is going good so far, except the 90 (alley dock). What tips, if any, can anyone give us? We have the pre-trip pretty much down, and we are doing good with our driving (up shifting, down shifting), it's just this #### 90 that we can't seem to nail! Thanks for the help!

 

Practice! Practice! And practice some more.

 

I just got it down pat. (I'm second week in school). Best advice is banana it in. Lol. It's hard to explain but shape your truck and trailer like a banana. once you get your truck straight and start to back up about 10 foot or so give the wheel one full turn to the right and hold it until you get about 20 foot and make minor adjustments and you'll get it to where you'll get in there without a pull-up your truck and trailer should be shaped like a banana

 

Ok thanks! We are going to the yard tomorrow with our instructor for a few hours of practice, we will definitley try this!

 

I've been driving off and on since 1979, sometimes I get close the first time, sometimes I don't. It's a matter of working it in there, get close, then pull up and judge it again.
Jack

 

Go SLOW. You aren't in a race. Set it up. I've found that when I think I've pulled ahead far enough, to go even further. I set it up by going about ten feet past the hole, I crank the wheel hard right and count three seconds, I crank hard left for another three count, and then straighten it out. That's when I pull forwards even more then I need. If you can, draw, paint, or scratch an arch you want to follow.

During training they always told us to drive the rear duels. Well, I was pretty bad at the 90. I was with my mentor and kept messing it up. I finally figured out that I should be watching the end of the trailer and driving it to where I want it. Since then, and the three count trick I learned from my tester, I've had pretty good luck. I have to say that the slower I go, the better I do.

It has worked for me for a couple of weeks now....ya I know...what does the new guy know. Just my 2 cents.

 

open that driver door lean out and cut that wheel all the way, when the ### end of the trailer is about mid way straight to the hole bring that steering wheel back around watch ur mirrors and take her slow also get ur driver side trailer tandems as close to the cone or line as possible with out running it over just takes practice

 

I had problems too! I even asked on the forums here, it helped a little but ultimately, you need to get with an instructor face to face, you paid money for them to walk you through it so they will help you. When I had to do alley dock for the skills test, I basically did this: don't make a super sharp turn at first, make a small turn on the wheel. then give it some more turn and then take it off, make sure you are looking out your mirrors and window if you have to. If you really need to do a Get Out And Look. Once you get to a jack knife, straighten back out by turning the wheel the other way. It's going to be difficult trying to learn on text. Go to the instructor, sometimes even your classmates will help you if you went through a class. Mine did, they were very helpful! I went through a CDL mill school where they hurry up and get you in and out the school just so you can get your CDL. I passed but I still need a hell of a lot more practice. Like some comments said above, take your time, and look at where the trailer is. Think of a parabola, you have to hook the trailer in but you need a jack knife but slowly unjacknife it or you may over correct. I passed it though thank god! I actually prayed to God when I was doing my skills test. I prayed that I did not need to go parallel park because I would have failed without a doubt!

 

2 options practice that back up every time even when you can do a straight back and also use your wife as a spotter. And option 2 is to just ask a spotter to do it every time. Oh three would be just drop it in the middle of the aisle and leave it is now someone else's mess lol.

 

Dude from CR England explains it pretty good on you tube.