The Safest Way to Make this Right-Hand Merge in a 53' Trailer

You got the right idea in the picture you made up. I agree with the idea of dropping to 5th. That will have you going plenty slow. You will have to drop down into low range to hit 5th in a ten speed, so do that a little ways ahead of the turn so you aren't trying to find your gear in the turn.
Hug the left side of your lane and ease around the corner. If vehicles are coming or anyone in the way, stop until clear. If not just ease around it. Watch your right trailer tires in your mirror and if they are getting close to the curb swing out a bit wider.
I think the biggest thing that will help is go plenty slow.

 

It might have been better to mark a google map with the exact corner in question.

I have seen these kinds of turns being too small to fit. Also there is a need to "Assert your size" by making sure no one sneaks by on the right.

Stop for people in crosswalks.

That tractor is going to be all the way left. Whatever happens to the trailer will just have to take care of itself in the right turn itself.

I am not one for road tests with these kinds of problems. I hae my own way of doing it and the examiner may or may not like it. When big rigs wants to go there or here people always try to get in the way. And that is a far bigger problem and threat than a simple failing.

There is no one gear to be in, road speed is important than just this gear or that gear. The gearing will resolve itself according to your decision of how fast or slow (Slow is good) to go through there maybe with a stop and wait a moment.

The way I would handle the engine is different than most. So there is no point in trying to explain. Essentially whatever I want horsie to do is what horsie will do. Just enough gear to move depending on whats in trailer by weight. This is not the place to be scratching gears or stomping fuel etc.

 

In real life if there are no poles and its not square edged, we drive the tractor up onto those islands.. Especially if the right side has a pole, hydrant etc.. that the trailer can walk into. He is gonna be watching YOU maybe even more than where the truck goes. Remember from his seat he cant tell if your driver steer goes into the other lane.. But he can see if you arent watching the passenger mirror for the box as you exit the turn.. Or the driver mirror for cross traffic as you enter.

If the curb is all run over and covered in rubber marks you are at a challenging turn.. Dont be afraid to drop it to the low side or even come to a complete stop and there aint a thing wrong with speaking out why youre doing something.. "This is a tight one and that island is all black from tires.. so im gonna ease way over to this bike lane to set my tandems up for maximum clearance.. And just to be sure im gonna stop to check cross traffic.. Toss my flashers on because i may need to use some of oncoming traffic's lane to clear the tandems and i want them noticing me." A rational tester couldnt fail you for illustrating competence. It would take a real pocket protector jerk imo bit theyre out there. I failed 3x with one jerk and then aced it with a normal human. Had been driving cross country for years.

In a classic sleeper you often cant see out the mirror at merges and have to open the door to swing the driver mirror and change its angle. This is normal in real trucking but probably a fail in a test. Anyhow that turn is where it may be necessary if youre stopped too long and cant see cross traffic. Whether the instructor wants or doesnt want you to do that will be case by case and i personally would ask. "Hey man, i cant see cross traffic. Will you fail me if i swing the door to move the mirror?" Cant fail you for asking.

Try to remember looking at all your signs especially speed and underpass. If you didnt see it, dont guess or stammer around. Just totally dignified say "no, i was focused on that drifting car up ahead incase i have to react.. Im sorry i missed the sign."

 

I just talked to my instructor and he is going to take me on the route before the test. No more trick me out of my CDL by a tricky examiner!

 

Go into the intersection until your trailer is past the crosswalk, then turn a hard left until your truck and trailer form a 90 degree angle. Hold the angle until you're facing the road you want to take and then straighten up the truck and trailer. Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.

 

Is your tandms slid forward?? You can turn a 53 foot van with the tandems slid all the way up for test purposes in less space than a 48 ft flat with fixed tandems too, if they allow it.

 

I usually split the right 2 lanes if theres cars behind me. If theres nobody behind me then i make that turn from the 2nd left lane. Those merges are tire scrapers , they eat my spread axles alive. Turning from the 2nd right lane u can approach at a straighter angle.sometimes its impossible if they put a curb there. But im taking the sidewalk as long as nobody standing there, rather than scraping the sidewalls. Definatly a great post and thread,i think about these types of turns everyday as im sure most of us do, each one seems to be different

 

They built us a nice roundy round right on the way to the only way to my shop. It barely has the room to get my long tractor around without getting on the curbs, luckily it has gentle sloped curves, with nice brick inlay. Thee are a couple of larger companies that has their yards here too, these pull long doubles and some extra long heavy haul stuff, that basically might as well just cut straight across. lol

 

So helicopter in the intersection until you see your escape path or your own tail lights, Ala USA Truck?

 

If it looks exactly like the drawing, you can make it by putting the left tires in the bike lane before making the right. As soon as you clear that island stuff with your left steers, steer left as if you're going straight until you are certain the right side trailer tires will clear the curb, then hook back right. If you have to wait for the lanes to the left to clear, wait. There's no penalty for waiting.

"What gear should I be in?"

Whatever gear you can creep around that turn and watch traffic from your left mirror and scan your right mirror and not stall your engine.