Struggling with backing, new driver.

Go to my trucking skills on YouTube. He has a video for every backing maneuver imaginable. The older videos have multiple camera angles, and the new videos are video game style. I've picked up some valuable tips from him.

 

Practice, practice and more practice. Pay attention how trailer patch changes when you have tandems set in different position.Trailer tail swing. Tractor nose swing. In some very tight places you need to move tandems back or forth to accomplish maneuver.
G.O.A.L. G.O.A.L. G.O.A.L.
.

 

i only put in 48 years before i retired. i can assure you that right now, no one here can actually give you real world advice, cuz we ain't standing on the ground helping you. so it's all on "what you might do", rather than what you should do.

next, you have to be the one actually backing.

take your time, and for crying out loud, G.O.A.L......!!!!! several times if you have to.

like the others here, i have had to back into very tight places, i thought only a horse and buggy would get into, and here in New England, that IS the majority of the places we go to.

just because i had 48 years of backing, does not make me really better than you or the others.

it's just that 48 years, you learn each day, take nothing for granted, and G.O.A.L.....!

even my last job, driving thru Downtown Boston, in Chinatown and Southie, i GOT OUT AND LOOKED..!!

 

Something I learned when I first started to make things easier. Grip the bottom center of the steering wheel. Move your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go.

Moving your hand to the left from the bottom center of the wheel (remember, you're turning the wheel to the right) will make your trailer turn to the left and vice versa.

Hell, when I learned, they made me park my 63 Cadillac to the left of the trailer and my Brougham to the right of the trailer. I made #### sure to GOAL (Get Out And Look) before destroying either one or damaging the trailer they were so nice to let me learn with.

I treat everyone else's rig, or even 4 wheeler for that matter like it's mine. I'm not too proud to get out and look, whether it be a spot, or an overhead I'm not sure about. Did I extend the stick and boom right to clear the tunnel? Sure as hell measured it.....but let me get out and check before I might scrape the fancy tin off the tunnel roof.

Best of luck to you. You'll get the hang of it with practice. As everyone said, you should be doing it, not the trainer. Hands on is the best way.

 

One month isn't long,start worrying if you're still having problems in six months.
When you have time practice at truck stops.

 

Remember left is right and right is left when backing up and always GOAL.

 

It would be hard to explain in writing, I suggest watch tight alley docking videos for starter & further here we go I am also learning ;
Driver side alley dock.
- Pull vehicle forward & stop ensure there is minimum 5 feet gap between docked trailers & your vehicle.( means your trailer is perpendicular to docked trailers).
- GOAL (Go out an look) make sure you have atleast One big foot step difference between tail of ur trailer & the space u need to turn in.
- Once u reach to that point; turn steering wheel full right & keep reversing on very slow speed to the point ur trailer back wheels are locked. ( keep in mind this will have blind spot on ur right).
- Once locked, steer full left & rotate once right without moving & then start reversing. At this point ur turning the back of ur trailer to align with parking slot.
- You will notice ur trailer back tires are not rotating but ur back trailer turning clockwise.
- The steer straight & keep reversing further more.
- Stop, move slightly forward with steering straight.
- Now, turn full left & keep reversing.
U may have to pull forward one more time to align ur tractor & trailer ( so u can see both side walls of ur trailer)

 

Snake out when you set up, by snake out i mean swimg right and then right with tractor so youll see left side of trailer. Dont lose left tail of trailer , dont over steer if you do youll end up chaising your trailer tail. Dont panic, dont rush who cares if another driver is waiting on you. When you panic amd rush you make mistakes.and like everyone said practice, practice and practice. Good luck

 

Some people just can’t get the concept or feel down as the where the tractor is or facing in relevance to the trailer

I have told some in the past. Get a toy tractor/ trailer and make up a little lot and see from above how you need to move around
Plus you get to play with trucks again. Who wouldn’t like that!!

I had a guy back so close to my passenger side he was closing my mirror against the window
No damage except a small razor like scratch
I get out. Was in front of his tractor telling him how to turn the wheel. He would but then in his head it felt wrong and he would swing right back towards my truck

Finally told him to just watch me.
He gets right in. The. Gets out and says he has 2 weeks experience and the trainer who trained him. 3 months
So neither have been on snow yet and they’re out running around?

He offered to pay for the mirror but it wasn’t noticeable and I had already ordered a new truck so wasn’t a big deal and not noticeable unless you knew

Moral of the story is park next to the multi color ratty faded trucks

I did actually tell him that.