Rookie question: Is this a difficult move for you experienced drivers?

What happened to tankers?

 

I've done it blind side(w/sleeper). But not in one shot. When I'm at one of the broker's yard.....I make it a habit to park blind side to practice so when I'm actually delivering ..... Me practicing makes perfect on the street.

 

Not really hard with that tiny tractor. The point of backing isn't doing it first try, it's doing it without hitting anything. If that involves getting out and looking, and pulling up a dozen times, so be it.

Understanding the mechanics of how a combination vehicle backs makes it fairly easy to apply that knowledge to any type of truck/trailer combo.

That driver started somewhere just like the rest of us, and likely has done that back 100+ times. Don't feel like you should just know how to do this right away. It takes practice and a LOT of patience. Getting angry/frustrated is usually why people end up hitting something, damaging the truck (dropping/riding the clutch, etc).

I still remember my first time out on the big road. I was in Calgary, AB and had to back into one of the only spaces left at the Flying J. Up till this time, I had never done a back that tight and had no idea what I was doing. It took a couple pulls ups and one GOAL and I got in safe and sound.

Just be glad you don't have to blind-side alley dock B-trains into an overhead door "just" wide enough to fit. One of my fellow employees told me about one customer we have out in Saskatchewan that does this to drivers.

 

To me it *looks* bada**... but if you think about it it's a straight alley dock... the cool factor comes in play because the trailer disappears...

 

In the early months of my rookie months I was all proud when I nailed it on the third adjustment. Only to have to pull all the way out because I did not open the doors!

It was the third stop of the run, short on hours and no parking nearby. One of many lessons teaching; "Concentrate on what you are doing, not what is next."

Then the dock called me and said two pallets tipped over and I had to re-stack them or they would not accept them.

Mikeeee

 

Then there are those brilliant truck stop designers that have the spaces as a blind back! One TA/Petro in PA I remember from my short OTR days. No one would leave their truck until both sides were parked.

Mikeeee

 

I know in my early days, I'd get frustrated much quicker than today. For me, I would calm myself by getting out (goal) and walk around the truck entirely. Twice on an occasion or two. Yeah, I may have had a driver or ten get angry because I was holding them up. But I never hit anything.

 

Was the place in Chinatown, Chinatown? LOL bad joke.....

 

I look at this #### and think to myself, "man it'd be an easier life without a 10 foot spread..."