Trailer swing while backing and position of tandems?

i can say this about that.

i retired from my job, where i had 3 deliveries (most nights) in downtown Boston.

2 in Chinatown, 1 in Southie

i had BETTER have that tandem all the way forward.

left them that way throughout my route.

and in downtown Boston?

the street lights are AT the corners not safely feet away.

as well as parked cars on both sides, and god had to help me when the plowed streets?

made them smaller than ever.

good times, try it sometime!

 

I've heard of people taking off the hood of the truck next to them with the tail swing when pulling out of a parking spot. How can that be avoided? If you move the tandems back to reduce tail swing, the tandems off-track more and won't clear the truck on the side you're turning towards.

 

That's why you have to travel farther forward BEFORE you START turning, if you have tandems all the way back.

 

g

Yeah, that makes sense to me. Ok, I am starting to understand this.

 

So when you are backing, do you have to turn the steering wheel farther to get the trailer to react when the tandems are all the way back? Or do you have to turn the steering wheel farther to get the trailer to react when the tandems are all the way forward?

I used to be a trainer. I was teaching my student how to back. After my student successfully completed his back, another trucker (who I will call other trucker) got out of his truck and said that my student was oversteering. This other trucker said that on a small boat trailer, you have to turn the steering wheel a long way to get the boat trailer to react, but (according to this other trucker) you don't have to turn the steering wheel as far on a semi-truck because the tractor-trailer is so long. I think that this "other trucker" was wrong. I think that when you are backing, you have to turn the steering wheel farther to get the trailer to react with a long trailer than a short trailer. So I think that you have to turn the steering wheel farther to get the trailer to react when the tandems are all the way back than with the tandems all the way forward.

 

i personally never gave it any thought, or over thought it, i just saw my docking door, and backed the heck up.

backing is so second nature to anyone, why over think this?

just do it.

 

Some people like to understand things at deep level. If you're not one of them, why bother responding to my message?

 

cuz you a re over thinking.

get a truck and trailer, a camera man, set it all up and try it yourself.

one man's trailer swing is another mans worry wart.

 

Some truck stops i.e. Pilot you can't pull very far forward. I've never seen anyone's hood taken off by tail swing pulling out of a spot. Just wondering how it happens at all.

 

How come you're not a trainer now???
Asking for a friend.