Not going too well

Go get a model truck from a toy store, you can play out many different situations with that, you will see all the angles that come into play, just remember it will look much different when sitting in the cab and you can not see much. much has to do with setting up properly so use all the room you have to your advantage and pull ups are free but still get out and look.

 

This is where a birds-eye view of real-world truck-trailer configuration could be invaluable. You can actually see how the driver manages his approach [and the available space] in a broader sense.

Granted, there are different "styles" (ways of managing a back into a given spot) but many of the "styles" are inefficient and just wrong. Some drivers do it the hard way for many years before they slowly start to figure out they've been doing it "wrong" forever just because that's the way they got it in the first time, so they assumed that was the way all backs should be setup and done.

 

That instructor needs to get a grip and realize some people can work with that and others can't.

If it helps, one of my instructors back in '93 actually knew Moses, and had wrinkles in his face that probably had lost civilizations in them. But he was a top notch instructor...

Did I mention he had a thing about throwing his clipboard at the dash in front of him when we screwed up?

Hang in there, take a deep breath, and when he starts yelling, turn down the volume in your head and try to pick out the intructions between the high notes.

 

Almost forgot. If it helps, try to make small corrections over big ones. That's what I almost always used to see when I coached, rookies overcorrecting with big steering wheel movements instead of small ones.
If you find yourself off and need to correct, make a few small movements with the wheel instead of wanting to crank it around.

 

Tell the instructor to quit being a dick and get about the bussiness of what your paying him for...

 

Im going to preface my answer by saying two simple things with all respect to you. This is not a intent to give you a hard time. But to build you up.

First. You are too sensitive. If a little bit of theatrical yelling upsets you that much, trucking is going to have a whole lot more yelling. Buff up don't be such a snowflake.

Everyone has a bad day now and then. Even me. The king of one moves.. (Ha... he says...) I remember one morning, I was offered my choice of 24 docks and a empty lot with nothing but a dumpster in the far corner. easy peasy right? No. I just completed a overnight 1000 mile run with that load of ketchup from Heinz. And was not doing well.

I could not get that thing into any of those docks. One of the workers popped it in there after they finished laughing at me. (Ha ha har...)

You can try. But it's very easy to take a look at your trailer, it will want to do certain things if you want it to or not. Your job is to sort of humor that trailer into any old spot. If you think school is tight backing into, wait until you are folding mirrors back in some of the older food places while backing with about a inch or two between trailers.

Leave off the emotional and focus on that trailer. Remember you said yourself you had a great morning. Hold on to that. Not all days are sunshine. And remember even in the worst of bad days you will climb to see the sun again if you keep at it long enough.

 

Get the game American Long Haul: Wheels of Steel. Cheap as dirt on Steam, and runs on just about any modern computer or laptop.

Hook a trailer and practice backing for yourself. Change views as you from in cab to overhead and all the other camera angles available. It helps with visualization when doing it in real life.

 

The "Turning Toward your Trouble" to straighten out, and "Make Trouble" to turn the trailer always helped me remember which way to turn the wheel when backing.

 

Are you paying this through a professional CDL driving school or is it through the Transport company driver training program, the instructor if he's got any common sense should know your new and inexperienced and should give you a bit of leeway bottom line is you should not have to put up with this donkey.

 

If you come on this forum and say you are having trouble backing, you will get 1000 different tips on how to back, how to set the mirrors, how to hold the wheel, when to turn, when to straighten out, etc. of course everyone means well, but the truth is it just isn’t as complicated as we all make it out to be.

My handful of years experience, including yard dog experience, has made me pretty proficient at backing. But if you were to ask me how to do it, I would probably just give you a blank stare because I don’t know. I don’t think about it, I just do it.

By the way, everything you are having trouble with, will be a hundred times easier when you are in your own truck with no one looking over your shoulder. Good luck man, you will get it. You have been waiting for this too #### long to give up that easily!