Tips for turning?

Use as much pavement as needed and tell your instructor to shut it. Better than bruising/blowing out tires or bending rims.

 

Use all your available space and take the points/deductions.
Instructor advised starting a turn,when your shoulder,lines up with the center of the lane,you want to turn into.

 

I say that in the real world you watch for traffic and take all the real estate you feel you need and is there to use... But I guess if your taking a test or riding with an instructor you should do it their way until you are Captain of your own ship.. Then do it the way you think is safest and most comfortable.

 

Always start out as wide as you can to give yourself enough room.
Alternate between watching your front end and your trailer wheels. Go slow.
But watch those rear wheels! The path they are following, on a curve mind you, will tell you how you should correct the line.

On some turns you will have to wait for traffic to clear before you start the turn, just to give yourself some extra room.

NEVER be too impatient. The cars behind you can either wait or go around, but you have to make that turn safely.
I faced that situation early; during my road test with Swift. (and many times since)
The last turn to a street during the test was a narrow 2 lane road, and I needed both lanes to make that turn without curbing the trailer tires.
It was rush hour, so a lot of traffic.
I waited for nearly 5 minutes before the traffic on that side street cleared long enough for me to make it safely.
I also thought that I would be failed for holding up all that traffic behind me for that long.
After I finished the test I was told that about 20% of the new drivers flunk out at that turn, because they are in a hurry to finish and end up curbing the tires.

 

And I would say to be the captain of your own ship whenever you are in command of that vehicle.

If you are being instructed in a maneuver you should follow the directions of your instructor.

But if you are testing they want to know how you think and how you do things. At that point you should simply drive as you think you should in everyday situations.
You can't second guess what you think the instructor might want.

 

Sometimes you can't avoid hitting a curb. Cities like Boston were laid out in the 17th century by ignorant people who didn't bother to forsee that 70 foot trucks might need to maneuver there. Sheesh.

 

One instructor I talked to once when getting my LCV ticket said "grab real estate while it's cheap".
So if you get a break in traffic, take all the room you can get. Better to have way too much room and not need it, then just barely enough room and run out of it.
After some time you'll get the hang of it. If you are going to climb a curb, do it slowly and gently. The tires can climb it with out too much scrubbing, but if you nail it hard you'll pop a tire or bend a rim.

 

Want some fun? Go to Yo Farms in Naugatuck CT. The last turn before you get there is a 2 lane onto another 2 lane. Telephone pole right on the road and cars in each lane along with parked cars on the side of the road you are tuning onto. Its a right turn but a doozie and will teach you turns real fast.

 

And many companies consider that a preventable accident, not just a blown tire.