Trailer Length

The number of B trains you see down here in the lower 48 is TINY. They're in Michigan and on the Ohio/Indiana turnpike sometimes...but our doubles are essentially all semi-, converter dolly, semi-.

I'm guessing the school used 28' for space conservation (they can teach in a smaller lot/course) it makes the actual drive test easier...especially if the test is done on one of those artificial itty-bitty testing facilities.

 

the good news is that if you can back a 28 you'll have no trouble doing 53's..........28 are harder to back believe it or not

 

no denying that lol if you can back that 28 with any degree of skill you'll be able to put that 53 pretty much anywhere you want it to go.....i understand why they train that way, but for road work, in-town and turn setup in the real world, the 28's are absolutely useless

 

I've been driving for ten years and last year a customer asked me if I could move a 28 foot pup trailer for them. No problem at all.....yea right! I'm an accomplished backer of 48's and 53's but I could not back this 28 footer. Luckily a sympathetic ABF driver took me off the hook and backed it in with his eyes closed. Totally different, I could have gotten it but wasn't in the mood to play around with it when I had my load ready to go and....well I had stuff to do pssh!

 

My school had all 28's and I'm glad they did. They are much harder than a full rig and require more skills and are less forgiving. After driving 28's through school and all of the maneuvers, I nailed a tricky 53' trailer alley dock without hesitation and can put them dead on where I want it now.

...now, they should give you some time in a larger rig, but learning backing maneuvers on a 28' is definitely a bonus in my book, you will be a much better at backing in the long term.

I just had to do a "S" bend alley dock in a cave of a loading dock this week with a 28', and without having learned on one, I would have been hosed!

 

yeah, the school seems crappy for doing that. lol.

Although just like everyone else says, 28s are tougher to back.

 

You want to have some real fun!! Go get a car tow dolly, empty and hooked to a long bed crew cab pick up. I spent 15 years as a auto wholesaler driving a crew cab with 5 drivers and a tow dolly. After a while you learn to react quicker and in very small increments.