Question about backing in training

In my line of work there are sometimes backs that are up to a mile. It's seldom, but high range helps in those situations...

...unless mud is up to the axles. Then I just stay in low reverse and take my time.

 

Well... that's not too terribly fast, after all it's what I call a pulp video, something to throw peanuts at. I could wonder if there was more traffic coming out on the left to surprise him or what else might happen.

Ive taken a dump truck into high range and towards the top of the 15 speeds in reverse without trailer once or twice just really did not have the hair to really stand on it at 40 plus. It's FAST going backwards. But a automatic truck does not know how to go backwards very fast. A manual does. the low range reverse and high range. 25 or 30 at best.

I hear and understand Tiny Tim's position but I disagree with the idea that personal videos will be banned. And yes there was a little bit of lugging at 1.23 backing up.

Finally paying attention to Velli's position the idea of never giving up is a good spirit to have. And Lepton1 did mention something I realize I have not thought of in a long time. Two decked out petes. You are dealing with thousands of dollars on someone's baby, make that two babies. You definitely do not want to hit them.

I offer something else. Try a 1920's grocery building with docks so tight that you have to fold your mirriors to get in. Now in my time we did not have folding mirriors until later, we had the west coasters on giant brackets. It's a good thing 30 bucks bought them when needed because I would break a number specifically in the back row of the Dallas T/A in west virginia on 70 not far from wheeling. It was dark and the ground was sloped (It's a mountain after all) and I would hand over 20 or 30 dollars as a peace offering many times when mr mad climbed out of the bunk to loom over me and demand what did I do to his truck? Cost me a bunch of 30's until I learned.

Velli might do better when he understands that the entire tractor is the front wheels of the trailer. The distance turning circle of a tractor decides how well the trailer turns. And it's always HARDER to back a 20 foot container with a large tractor. Believe it or not. The easiest trailers are the little 70's era 17 foot box pup with a 58 White two axle day cab from school, which is why the school ran it. I'll give anything to drive that little white one more time for half a hour. It's a treat. Not the back so much but it's a treat with that old iron. Or maybe a Diamond Reo or T would do it.

I don't know if Velli has a Mack or not. Some have walking beams that make off road easier and when you back the axles work to help out on the turning of the trailer. One day soon we will see a post from Velli saying he is the master and King of all things backing.

 

8months solo and I still over steer. Pain in the ### to break that habit. Work on it early

 

All things considered I got alot better at backing with this longer wheel base kw. Maybe my confidence got better maby I finally had enough seat time to really start getting it or maby just something with the truck idk but either way it helped. Op your get it. We've all strarted somewhere. give it time and your pull up to a dock and just whip your wagon in like a veteran yard dog.

 

That would be cool to see. A bit expensive but a good drone could be good in those situations too.

I'm just against 'performing' for the camera and imagine the 'suits' would be too.

 

I usually pull a 48' flatbed with a spread axle. But then I am called on to pull regular tandems with a bulk trailer or smooth bore tanker. Lately that's when I feel like a total newbie. Those tandems respond quicker than a spread axle. I look like an idiot trying to back a pneumatic into the blow out tank. FIVE pullups my last time.

 

We had fun once. It was raining cats and dogs up in I think it was Milldale CT, I will need to really look that up because I screwed it up the town name. There is a old 76 up there with the largest salad bar in Connecticut. American Eagle I think it's the name they went by.

Anyhow. It's stinking biblical rain at night they had dug out a hill side and called it overflow parking. A foot of mud. Here comes Pumpkin with a kid on the wheel looking to park. There were about 8 of us up there in a group fixing to walk inside for dinner.

One of us got onto a corner of that Pumpkin, and two more got onto the drives on both sides (Front trailer corners) and two behaved as superviors. Kid lit up with this big smile Oh BOY! 8 Profeesionals!! Parking will be EASY.... he had a older international. Probably with no power steering.

It worked like this. Every where his eye went, both mirriors to look over someone that person gave him initially a correct signal to turn this way, then when the eyes went else where to the other spotters he started getting conflicting signals but worked really hard in the cab wrestling with the wheel and pulling up a number of times.

After about 3 minutes working really hard he started sweating his shirt through, and that for us was the pay off. He finally added 2+8 people came up with the idea that we were having fun with him and stopped dead to yell at us AWW COME ON!! etc etc etc.

We put him in there in like 10 seconds, someone bought him dinner I don't remember but it was worth the show. Have to have a little fun now and then with the young ones.

My personal favorite brand of fun with young inexperienced people is real simple. I get them all stressed trying to put together and organize the load bills, logs, permit books, fuel cards and looking for the bingo sheet that does not exist and when they are reaching a point that they had enough with me I take a minute and then gently ask them a BIG favor, hop out and match this seal number to this log shoot please. They snatch the log page, with the seal number (ALuminum strip with a 6 digit number on the trailer door) and jump down to start walking straight back. I hop into the drivers seat, gently release the brakes and ease off just enough to start the whole thing rolling backwards slower than the man is walking fast to check that #### seal for the crazy demanding trainer in the truck so we can get the show on the road already #### it.

Boy is this freaking trailer too #### long.. hey! wait a minute!! *&%

Bingo. =)

 

I completely understand why dozens of drivers would rush out to spot me when I drove for Swift...

 

I had the opposite reaction. Everyone ran away from me

 

I've been towing around near 8500 gallons of water in a smooth bore tri-axle the last 3 weeks. My few backups per night require adjustments I'm not really used to.... That and I'm a bit of a perfectionist..... We're parallel to the line or it's an up-out-forward-angle-back-in-angle-readjust *repeat* kind of night.

FIVE is a good night. Lol.
Flush. Square. Equidistant.

I'm harder on myself than any of you guys could ever be on me.

Oh yeah - lest we forget: I'm of the Millennial generation.

Oh Snap!