Trouble Backing

You have to be faster on the wheel. It takes a few feet for a 53 to "Feel it" and then move accordingly.

But you have to get under it much much faster than you are bending it.

 

Practise practise practise. And when doing so go slow, no I mean really really SLOW. Watch the trailer TIRES as you turn the steering wheel. Aim for where you want to be, not where you are. Soon you will have a feel for it. Then one day you will back in without thinking about it.
I remember as a new bed bugger. I couldn't back into a dock with 28,000 open feet on all 4 sides. But could back into a driveway, off a small two lane country road, with a ditch on both sides and in front

 

get a toy tractor trailer and watch how you make it back, keep that in mind.

sounds weird but actually is good to visualize what you are attempting to do.

 

Best advice I got from a seasoned driver was go slow and make gradual turns if possible. Its easy to tell a new guy cause he's trying to back straight and his truck is weaving from one way to the other. The same move could be done much easier with slow gradual movements.

 

relax, if you can, make sure you have no body functions that want to make you rush, get out and look a few times walking around the whole rig ignoring all those who are screaming, open your windows, turn off all electronics that distract you, relax.

 

As long as the tractor is at an angle to the trailer, the trailer will continue turning.

In other words - the steers control the tractor, and the tractor controls the trailer.

 

Good post! One problem with backing especially doing that alley dock is not every dock is the same. Some have good clear area's and some were not made for 53footers. You are not going to handle a 53 foot trailer the same in these situations. I have docked in some horrid places during my career. I have just sit and looked at where I was after and wondered how in the name of heck did I get that trailer in that hole. You MUST get those basics down pat! Not meaning to scare anybody. However there are maybe thousands of places in the US where trucks are doing these backs and the dang place was never designed for a 53 footer.

 

Maybe that's why Loves sells those at the truck stops. To teach the rookies how to back.

Driver 1: "Why are you buying that toy? Is that for your son?"

Driver 2: "No sir, its for me and it's not a toy, it's a teaching tool!"

Driver 1: "What is it supposed to teach you?"

Driver 2: "How to back up."

"Driver 1: "Oh dear God help us all."

 

Laugh all you want, but I have 3 toy trucks. It makes talking about backing much easier when the guy can see it.

 

I’m new but too but basically what I do find the hole I wanna put the trailer in.. go to the middle of the next space next to it and crank hard right (12 o clock) go up just a bit depending on how much space is in front of me and crank to the left (9 o clock) and pull forward a bit.. then I straighten out my steers.. crank right until I have it jack knifed and then I’ll get under it and do small corrections. Like I said I’m new and it takes me time but I’m starting to get it finally