Straight line backing

I have many thoughts on this. Chief amongst them is humans have a tendency to look at the past through rose colored glasses. We'll remember our colossal screw ups, but a lot of the littler mistakes get covered up by nostalgia. It's one of the reasons that 'old hands' tend to make lousy trainers, they've forgotten what was like to be new. Think back to the first time you ever tried to back a trailer - it was probably with your dad or an uncle and it probably didn't go too well. This guy is in his first week of school, a little grace is in order.

My next thought is "man, truck drivers really like to eat their own". When a new person asks for help or advice and is met with scorn, two things happen. The first is they don't really hear the answer that follows the scorn, their active mind is on the dressing down. Secondly, they stop asking questions which leads to massive screw ups. One of the reasons that we don't have 'those kinds of drivers' anymore is that there is no real impetus to train and develop drivers.


In my first few weeks I tried to park at the Murfreesboro Pilot. The only spit open was where the blue car hauler is. I tried to blind side it in, failed miserably, then slid my tandems all the way up to try and get a little maneuverability, then failed miserably again. A couple of other drivers came and helped me out of the predicament I was in, then coached me on what I should have done - sight side into the dead end lot, then set myself up. They also told me that while sliding the tandems would increase maneuverability, it also changes the overhand and isn't going to get me much in this type of scenario. I also remember getting reamed by other drivers a lot my first year, but I don't remember what I did to piss them off. Compassion combined with polite, firm disappointment is very effective.

My final thought is this is a 'failure of instruction' scenario. A pound of Wisconsin aged cheddar to a Kraft Single the driver doesn't have his mirrors set properly, which means he's not going to be able to detect the trailer is drifting until after it is too late to correct. The instructor is critiquing technique without identifying the underlying cause of the failure. Good chance they got a demo, then got tossed the keys and got told to 'figure it out'. That works, but having some initial feedback/correction and THEN time and space to play around before another coaching session works better. But good instruction costs money, the and the CDL makes the same whether the driver passes, fails, or worst - passes without the necessary skills. As an industry, we need to address this. We won't though, we'll just keep cramming more technology into the truck and churning through drivers.

 

I just went through a private truck driving school and I have driven before so backing was not a problem as I have driven in the past. We had 2 students in my class that had the same problem, not being able to back in a straight line. I suggested that the instructor get in the passenger seat and hold the steering wheel with the student lightly as the student backs the truck and might "over correct" the instructor can help the student correct going the right direction. After a few times doing that the students had the feel of the steering wheel when backing the truck. Also do what the other previous posts said is less is more. Don't turn the wheel very much, just small corrections. If you make large over correcting moves then you will be chasing the trailer the whole way down the backing lane. I know there are many posts before this but I hope that all these will help you and it takes practice and most of all "Don't give up"

 

When I was training, I always made student "look down from above" on a combination vehicle.

Most of the time I used my forearm and wrist and fingers to simulate a tractor trailer. Made them stand shoulder to shoulder and then we both looked down at my forearm and my wrist defined the rear of the tractor, and my fingers were the steers. My elbow would be trailer swing.

Usually worked out well to get the "big picture", about how you need to set up.

Once you get that, then you can build on fine tuning.

The big thing is....you have to have basics down first. Most students nowadays went through school having an instructor yelling left or right through the window to get them to pass. They don't have the basics of backing.

 

Okay, thanks for all that, a couple thoughts too. First of all, I would have found a different spot to park, but I realize, your "tattletales" may not let you do that today, and perhaps it's just experience, but sliding tandems up and backing is like backing a short trailer, it's a lot tougher. "Eat their own", you haven't been around too many old timer farmers, I reckon, who were proud to say they knew what they were doing, and made excellent truck drivers, trucking was a natural shoe-in. I do beg to differ, they did not "eat their own" when it came to showing me some things, they were great. It was more like make you feel stupid, and by golly, you wouldn't do that again. My point is, most of us went into trucking because we already had experience in most facets of trucking, the rest we guessed, like love. It was trial and error, but it wasn't designing a new space shuttle, or world peace, such a big deal is made out of driving a stinkin' truck today, like it's this super complicated thing, it's not,,,well, I suppose to some it is.
You are right, perhaps we have forgotten what it was like to be green, but I all but guarantee you, if we asked these kinds of questions years ago, we never would have gotten hired in the 1st place. We don't have those kinds of drivers today, farms are gone, trucks are electronic nightmares an old timer like me would be lost in, and for what? Are the roads actually safer with these kinds of drivers that can't even back up? We as a society, can't afford to "teach" these people that have no experience on a "learn as you go" anymore, like I did, and you wonder why there's a phenomenon called the "massive pileup" today, because, in part, the drivers just don't have the experience, costs our society a lot.
So, you're thinking, what's the answer, pops? Sadly, I don't have one. The world is such a different place, I literally can't add a solution. This AI crap and computers and phones, has the public brainwashed, and literally can't think for themselves. Why bother, push an app. will tell me what to do. It's too far out there for me, but one thing is clear to me, with up and coming truck drivers like these, AND, the disqualification of many drivers who can't speak English, but somehow got the strawberries to the DC safely everytime we never hear about,, our country is in for a lot worse times. As harsh as it sounds, those immigrants can probably back into a dark dock just fine. I tell people, you wonder why foreigners are driving our trucks, AMERICANS DON'T WANT TO, or can't do it, or must be taught how, but still demand those strawberries on the shelf. Backing up is on the low end of what a truck driver has to do, and I wonder how someone like this will handle REAL truck driver situations? I probably won't see the final outcome of all this,, and you know, it's probably just as well.

 

Glad you got it! Another advice I have that I have not seen here yet is to get a toy truck with trailer. Yes I said a toy truck. Sounds weird I know but use that to see from above how the trailer reacts to a turn. My trucking school actually had to trucks for this and once I could visually see what was happening it made a huge difference not just with straight line backing but all types of backing maneuvers.

 

Look, I don't want to admonish your initiative, but I'm not going to do somersaults because you can back a truck up. You seem to have a personal vendetta that you can do this, and that is wonderful, you will probably succeed. I'm just saying, it was so different years ago, the job was a joke, you going to pay me to drive around? Okay, , even with 35 years in the industry, I never really thought of trucking as "professional", or something anyone would have to train for, but here we are. I'm not a sugar coater, and you have a ways to go. We didn't have the luxury of a site like this, we had to make our own decisions, but that's technology for ya' . Good luck, and if I can offer any kind of universal advice, TAKE YOUR TIME! Don't let anyone rattle you. If in question, set the brakes, and get out and look(GOAL) Backing is like the #1 cause of accidents. I'm sure we'll hear from you again when you start trying to back into a dock, and unlit ones are a challenge, but that's okay, why we're here.
And yes, I know, I'd make a lousy trainer,,,or a good one, I guess we'll never know.
Oh, another thing, regarding getting a toy truck, that doesn't really show you how turning the steering wheel affects the backing. Before you know it, it will be old hat.

 

And a bonus. You have something to pass the time when waiting around!

 

It wasn't just you that "eat our own" was aimed at. It's the entire industry, from the CDL mills, to the megas, to the L/P, to the regulations, to the 'experienced drivers'. The simple fact that it's cheaper to hire an inexperienced driver than it is to give a solid, dependable driver a cost of living increase is mind boggling. No one cares about relationships, it's all about short term profit. When I started at Schneider I'd say over half the company had been there longer than 5 years, and a solid third more than 10 - conservatively. The "Million Mile" banquets were HUGE affairs with dozens of drivers being newly recognized every year. When I left, it was a picnic with only 5 new recipients, and only 3 of the them showed. "Is he going to be safe enough?" is what ops asked about trainees, when it should be "Can he safely and effectively do the job?". It should be a challenge to get a CDL and a trial to get a job, but it's not. Even with all the hoopla right now - no real changes will be made and we'll resume the race to the bottom in short order.

It's depressing and hard to respond positively, but every time I can answer a stupid question it's a little victory against the lowest common denominator. It's an empty gesture, but better to go down guns blazing than capitulate.

 

used the toy truck idea waay back in the comments. lol

I've seen new drives call me crazy until they do it and it's "OH, I GET IT NOW". lol