Pointers for alleydock backing and blindside parallel backing?

Does anyone have any pointers for alleydock backing and blindside parallel as I will be taking my cdl backing test pretty soon?

 

Are you going through a school? Do you have an instructor?

 

Setup, setup, setup, setup. And I'm sorry but I don't think this can be discussed properly in a written format and can only be learned by hands on demonstration and observation, and personal trial and error. When it doesn't work, try and visualize your initial approach to the situation (setup) and try and see where you might have went wrong. You need to learn to fully understand how the joint in the truck/trailer hookup changes and how the direction of the rear of the trailer changes, and how these work together, and their effects if the same steer angle configuration is maintained. You can only affect the direction of the truck tandems, the trailer can only react to that movement. You need to manipulate the movement (position) of the front of the trailer to modify the direction and path of the trailer tandems.

 

Yes set up...the most important thing...watch the back of the trailer...learn how to ''walk the dog''...as soon as you figure out ur sweet spots on a set up it will be easy...don't be intimidated..just watch ur mirrors and know where ur nose is and what the back of the trailer is doin... good luck and God Bless

 

They are both easy. All you have to do is DRIVE THE TRUCK. Where newbies get confused is they try to over complicate things. The set up is an S shaped movement you make at the top of every back up. This gets your trailer lined up with the tractor.

The dockside alley back is just moving the trailer over trailer width. Like you pull into dock 9 instead of dock 10 and have to move over. It is no big deal. The blind side is exactly like the mirror side. You just have to Get Out and Look. Drive back slowly on both and do not oversteer. If you see your landing gear in your mirror you have gone too far.

Now in the real world, when you have to do this, just ask one of us to do it for you. $50 each time. You will learn or go broke.

 

Lol I've seen drivers pay 10 or 20 at an old distribution center in new orleans...in fact there was an old woman who hung around there who made good money backing into tight spaces...I never used her but I saw her everytime I went...she was good...lol

 

Um, don't hit stuff... Most trucks have windows and doors that are quite handy. If you are really special your truck may have windows in the sleeper to look at where you are backing.

Just don't hit anything and take your time, all you can do.

 

Blind side alley docking is no different than mirror side other than the fact that you want to GOAL (Get Out And Look). Setting up is key and, depending on the tractor you are using (turning radius), it is essentially just allowing for the trailer to cut into the sweet spot with a simple turn of the wheel.
It is an S-turn for the tractor and pull up and into the hole then set up about 5 feet passed the trailer next to you (it takes about 5 feet for your tandems to start cutting in when making your turn). Line up so that you can see the inside edge of the trailer behind you in your outside mirror and begin to back up. As soon as your trailer breaks the space you are going into, begin turning slightly to get the trailer going parallel.
As soon as you are drive wheel to back of front trailer, start cutting into the curb just enough to clear your whole cab.
Stop, get out and look to see how many feet you have behind you.
Now pay me to put it in the rest of the way.

 

Don't forget what you've been taught. I'm decent at backing, but I was pulling up a lot more when I upgraded. Another driver told me to line my trailer up with the yellow lines and I would Get straight faster. It was a DUH! moment for me. Reference points work. Even with no lines, after a successful setup, if you get out and look then find a way to line up where your trailer should be. It's easy, most days. Still gripe when there's a forty foot gap in front of my space and they want me to squeeze between two tractors. But I get out about twenty times and run up in the grass if I gotta. Thinking about changing my tag line to "think I killed your grass"

 

Practice practice practice ! remember there are two ends of the truck also. I have seen several drivers take a fender off because they just watching the mirrors and didn't look out the front !