So I have my CDL but am a functionally incompetent trucker. Now what?

When I first bought a 33' fifth wheel camper, The Warden and I took it to a local campground, to get the feel of everything we'd need for longer journeys away from home. It was just a little redneck party campground / cow pasture. My pickup truck was (and still is) a 24V Cummins, quad cab long bed with a 6 speed, and a 5" straight pipe. All the party campers were already there, and they heard me coming, cause it's friggin loud.

They had their tow vehicles parked all over everywhere. And my camper was one of the bigger ones coming in and this place was all but full. Campers on both sides of the spot I was assigned. So as I pulled up, here they all come to spectate a comedic performance of some doofus trying to get his big camper in a small tight spot. The wife was as nervous as heck, and I told her to sit back and relax. And I was a touch nervous not wanting to screw it up in front of an audience. One of the tow vehicles that was in the way was a pickup truck with a ladder rack and a bunch of ladders on top. I had so very little room, that the hood of my truck wound up UNDER his ladders AS I was backing in. I almost asked him before hand if he would move it, but later was glad I didn't.

I got it in on the VERY FIRST try. And all the drunk heros that came around to laugh and/or show me how to do it, sauntered off very disappointed, as there was no show to be seen. I felt like a P-R-O. But like I said, I've backed 33 foot trailers into tight spaces likely over a thousand times. So my camper was a very similar situation.

One day my dad's neighbors from across the street knocked on his door and said, we saw Jax was here (because I lived elsewhere, they saw my vehicle), could he come park our camper? Idiot neighbor was renting a space in his backyard to some other idiot and had already tore up the yard trying to get it in. I used THEIR truck, and put it in on the first try, while also running it across an inconvenient starting point that had no curb, so's not to damage their camper axles. Felt like a PRO then too.

You guys may wonder, by what I'm writing, no I'm not a CDL holder at the moment, but will be changing that in the near future.

 

When you do that at a truck stop and someone asks, "That's perfect; how long have you been driving?"
You answer, "Uhhh..graduated from cdl school last week."

 

I still like the was Miss @Rocks did it. Rolled down the window and screamed "Look out!! Female driver that doesnt know how to back!". She said it got everyone out of the way with all sorts of help (she doesnt need it, yet it was a way to have fun)

 

too many people think you have to be taught how to back and nobody is there helping or always telling them what to do.

how do you think people like me that were self taught and drove for over 35 yrs learned?

we figured it out. wasn't easy, but it ain't rocket science either.

YOU CAN AND WILL FIGURE IT OUT!

if you don't give up.

good luck.

 

Sliding your tandems all the way back makes control a lot easier. Lots of shippers want them back anyway.

 

I was told I was a hard ##* the other day when I tossed the new farm hire (an 18 year old college gal) the keys to the F250 with a small trailer, and told her to back it up and park it, which was about 200 yards of backing. “I don’t know how to back a trailer!”. I know, you’re going to learn......

She was completely out of her comfort zone, but a little over an hour later, she’d horsed it back there and came walking back a little taller.

Us farm kids all learn that way, and it’s a skill that translates from tractors with trailers to cars with trailers to semi trucks. If backing a semi truck doesn’t work for you, find someone who has a pickup with a small trailer you can play with for a couple of hours. It’ll translate directly to a semi trailer.

Just be prepared to feel like a rookie again if you ever have to back a 28 ft pup after getting used to a 53.......

 

While these guys offered some pretty sound advice for you here is the simplest way to learn how to back. Turn toward your problem. When you are looking in the mirror and the problem is the trailer is going left turn the wheel left. Same for the right. No thinking involved it just becomes second nature. If you want to get really good at backing , spend a few months as a yard jockey.

 

What's your 20 good buddy???

Second question is do you get to Phoenix???

Myself and the merry men are pretty good backer uppers.

It's all in the set up, and understanding.

None of us have much time to fool around, but I SO appreciate your honesty, and being forthright.

So if you let's us know where you are, or if you get by Phoenix when I'm here, I'm thinking one of us could get you headed in the right direction.

 

I started driving my Dads 1986 Kenworth K100 cabover in 1994 so I could help my Dad. The truck was a glider with a 630hp 3408 CAT, 13 speed and no power steering. On the second day of "Dad's Truck Driver Training" we went to an old closed down Walmart parking lot. When I got in the driver seat I was only allowed to drive in reverse. No forward gears until I figured out how to back up.

It was the best and only training I ever received. Me and my Dad spent all day in that parking lot. He set up cones and obstacles for me to back into to and around. He also had my Mom bring other vehicles so he could make it as real life as possible. It was an awesome, eye-opening experience to say the least and I will always be grateful for my Dad putting me in that situation.

I started by driving in reverse for about 2 hours non-stop so I could learn to maneuver the truck and trailer around and see what the trailers reaction was to my steering wheel movements.

I was telling my wife earlier today that I could open a new business to teach drivers the "art" of backing up. There are so many different techniques out there that confuses drivers. For instance, when backing into a tight spot at a truck stop, don't pay attention to the other drivers and there hand signals. More than likely they do not know how to back up that good either. Always "GET OUT AND LOOK". If you are ever in doubt, get out. Don't ever assume you are in the correct position. When we get lazy and sloppy mistakes happen.

I'm always open to helping a fellow right lane warrior. If you want to meet up on the road somewhere or come through the Dallas, TX area I will gladly take the time to lend a helping hand!

 

Pretty much what @Gliding ProStar said, but remember this. Your truck and trailer will always back up the same. Its always going to be the same length.

Also its worth repeating. GET OUT AND LOOK. Don't be like the dude who tried to back in between me and another truck to my left and he back straight into the guys truck and didnt even know it. I wasn't in my truck, but I scrambled as fast as I could up and hit my horn to get him to stop.

Being female, about the 1st time you get out to look, there'll be a dozen guys offering to help you.