Question:
I was out at the school I am going to be going to here in a month. I took a finale walk around before I signed the loan papers but, something caught my eye when I was watching the students doing 90 degree alley docking. Everyone had problems and if it would have been a real dock there would have been some badly damaged trailers next to where they were going to put their trailer. Now, Why is this so hard? Even just standing there to me it looks hard. Anyone got any tips to get through this besides the same old comments, "Take you time" and "Practice". Well, What I mean is...... is there anything you guys do to help you do 90 degrees in tight docking areas easier. Such as any tricks, Certain measurments from a certain point in which you turn? I know this is on the PA CDL test so, can anyone offer adivse to ease my way through it. Anyone know how many pull ups you can do during the 90 degree backing test in most states?

Answer:
For starters the farther away you get from basically straight the more difficult a back becomes. There are several reasons for this. One the angle in the tractor/trailer, the loss of sight (you start getting close to a 90 and basically all you see is trailer), and then there is the tendency to oversteer and over correct.
With all backing the same basic tips apply.
1. Take it slow and be paitent. Give the truck and trailer time to respond. Try to avoid over steering and if it seems to be going to far one way or the other avoid understeering.
2. Give yourself the best setup you can. The better you set up the easier the back will be.
3. Make sure your mirrors are CLEAN. Dirty mirrors will make it hard to see and will disotrt your preseptions more than the mirror does by itself.
Beyond that it really is one of those things that you need to experience for yourself. We could give you 1000 tips but few if any will really make sense until you get up there and try for yourself a few times, and even then you may have your own unique thought about what to do.
As far as how many pull ups you will get for each back....you should get at least 2 before your score suffers too much. In real life your score only suffers if you run over something. Each state is a little different on how many they will allow though on the skills exam.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
90 docks aren't too bad after you've done it a few (dozen) times. About the only 100% effective trick I've learned is to do it over and over, until you feel comfortable.
There is a slightly less effective "trick" for doing it that I know of, and that involves putting a piece of tape on the landing gear, and watching where it is in relation to the rear wheels - some of the schools teach it, but I pull trailers without landing gear, so I'm not 100% on how it works.
Best advice though is to spend as much time in the seat as the school will allow, and get as comfortable with it as possible.

Answer:
Newbies, and plenty of oldbies, always oversteer, don't pull past the hole far enough, pull past the hole too far, set up too far away from the hole, whatever. Wish we could draw pictures. LOL.
Don't worry about it; comes with practice, which you aren't going to get near enough of in school, anyway. Doing OTR, it will take a while to get to know your tractor's handling. Most likely you will have to do a little relearning every time you get in a different type of truck, so just get the general idea of setting up and all that. It's fun watching OTR drivers in a day cab their first time with short trailers.LOL.
The hardest thing I had was parallel parking, for some reason. Took me forever, then one day it just hit me for some reason, and became a piece of cake. Hang out in a truck stop for a while and watch; some people never get good at it, and some who are good in the mornings aren't worth crap when they are tired. Same with shifting.
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Answer:
Originally posted by midnightrunner:
I was out at the school I am going to be going to here in a month. I took a finale walk around before I signed the loan papers but, something caught my eye when I was watching the students doing 90 degree alley docking. Everyone had problems and if it would have been a real dock there would have been some badly damaged trailers next to where they were going to put their trailer.
If you are talking about TT then it was probably because that class just entered that phase of training yesterday.
Did you set up your start date yet? You and I may be in the same class.
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Save the trees, eat more beavers.

Answer:
Unlike your car, the trailer will travel about 8 feet before any steering wheel movements take effect. Setup is vitally important. So is getting quality instruction. This is why you need to check out your school carefully.
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Take your time and definetly stop the truck and get out and look at where you are going. It is much better to look like a dumb rookie than hit something. Remember, if your trailer makes contact with anything it ain't supposed to -- that is a preventable accident. Accumulating preventable accidents can get you fired.

Answer:
Originally posted by Arcflash:
Originally posted by midnightrunner:
I was out at the school I am going to be going to here in a month. I took a finale walk around before I signed the loan papers but, something caught my eye when I was watching the students doing 90 degree alley docking. Everyone had problems and if it would have been a real dock there would have been some badly damaged trailers next to where they were going to put their trailer.
If you are talking about TT then it was probably because that class just entered that phase of training yesterday.
Did you set up your start date yet? You and I may be in the same class.
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Save the trees, eat more beavers.
Arcflash, I don't have a date set up right now but, I am shooting for August if all goes well home.
Backing, I feel is just another one of lifes little problems and will always be. Knowing my luck ill get some of the hardest docks to back into out of school.

Answer:
I am hoping to go august 25th or September 1st. I still have quite a lot to work out at home, and here at work before I am totally free.
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Save the trees, eat more beavers.

Answer:
You said something about with your luck you will get some of the hardest backs imaginable right out of school. Well let me put your mind at ease. It has nothing to do with luck. It is the occupation you are about to enter.
I will let you in on another little secret.
The absolute HARDEST back you are going to ever face is trying to back into dock 9, 10, or 11, in a 20 dock warehouse that has no other trucks in a door, no lines painted on the ground, and 40 acres of smooth paved lot in front of the dock.
Backing is one of the most daunting challenges a newbie faces, but you will be suprised at just how quickly the basics become ingrained in you. With time, practice, and paitence you can and will become proficient before you know it.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
Uturn: The absolute HARDEST back you are going to ever face is trying to back into dock 9, 10, or 11, in a 20 dock warehouse that has no other trucks in a door, no lines painted on the ground, and 40 acres of smooth paved lot in front of the dock.
That is so true! Here I thought I was the only one with that problem!
When I would get one that looked impossible to get at (barriers, truck facing the wrong direction, or other trucks in the way as some examples) seems I had no problem getting in. Then like you say wide open spaces and no one around, plenty of room, acting like I never backed up a truck! Finally get it jump out of the truck and just laugh at myself!!
Drive on! bandit58....

Answer:
are NOT lying. I've done it at school, and witnessed the famed Taxibob do it.
Not another truck around for miles and can't seem to get that dang thing in there straight!
Man! That's annoying!

Answer:
Originally posted by uturn2001:
You said something about with your luck you will get some of the hardest backs imaginable right out of school. Well let me put your mind at ease. It has nothing to do with luck. It is the occupation you are about to enter.
I will let you in on another little secret.
The absolute HARDEST back you are going to ever face is trying to back into dock 9, 10, or 11, in a 20 dock warehouse that has no other trucks in a door, no lines painted on the ground, and 40 acres of smooth paved lot in front of the dock.
Backing is one of the most daunting challenges a newbie faces, but you will be suprised at just how quickly the basics become ingrained in you. With time, practice, and paitence you can and will become proficient before you know it.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
uturn2001, I find that very hard to believe but, you guys have been out there for a while so it must be true.
Tips are always very helpful when backing in school, during the CDL test and in the real world. Tips are always welcome.

Answer:
It's definitely true in my case - the more congestion/obstacles there are, the better I do. Give me a wide open space, and I'm hosed.

Answer:
and the reason it is true is a simple one. You have no reference points to speak of.
If you need more proof try this fun little experiement.
You will need 10 pop cans and 1 handheld mirror, and some string, rope, garden hose etc. about 30-50 feet long
Take 10 pop identical pop cans and set them in a line a few foot or two apart evenly spaced. Now stand in front of one of the middle two cans (this will be you dock) and walk about 45-50 feet straight out. Now turn 90 deg to your left and walk about 5 steps or so.
Now using only the mirror only walk backwards until you are directly in front of the can you started at.
Now repeat the experiment only this time place the string in a line straight out from the can you start at.
I will always be a mutter trucker at heart.
Answer:
Yes, the easy looking ones are usually the hardest for me. I tend to get a bit over-confident on them. You are doing yourself a favor by learning on the hard backs. That way, when you get to them in real life, they won't be as daunting.
One other fact of life. If the truck parked in the slot next to the one youre shooting for is not straight, you will have a terrible time getting your rig in straight.
"We have met the enemy, and he is us." pogo