Question:
was at the j in london,ca .it's almost midnight.............
were at the end of the t/s ,last parking space
there's a challenger trying to back up between 2 trucks,were waiting
im behind him,2 other trucks behind me......
it's late were all tired....that's when accident happens...
if i dont blow the horn this guy would of rammed in the 900 red kenworth
from ohio,that was sleeping
i pulled the maxis and head up to the driver,bring him back to see...
he was within inches of hitting that kenworth...............
he tells me he not even a year in this business,now stop it right there..
there's is no pride in trucking,when it comes to backing
try it 5 times.dont hit anything,Get Out And Look as many times it takes.
im fine with that,when i see a driver do it,for me he's a profesional,
sometimes you will get it the first time,some other times you wont..
but dont try going slow,and take the chance to hit,you will do alot of damage
to very expensive equipment.......
doesnt matter if youve been doing it for a year or 30 years{<----i still do it with over 20]
you wanna go to sleep,pee,hungry,tired of driving,that's when it happens
at the end of youre day,the last back up of the day,
get out and look that's where you will get youre pride
Answer:
Driver got my pax side fender mirror last night, trying to head into a pull-thru. Just bent it a little, didn't really hurt anything, I didn't complain.
But if I hadn't got on the horn he would have took my fender off
Then got the other trucks driver side west coast trying to back out. Sigh. He had himself in such a mess that the other driver had to pull out of his slot to let him get thru. Three of us out there trying to figure it out.
We see it all the time... no GOAL. They either waste their own time (I talked in another driver on my other side, he was clear on the blind side but kept pulling up instead of GOALing).
And the thing is, drivers -- NOBODY WAITING FOR YOU EVER COMPLAINS!!!. Sure, there may be some running commentary from the parked crowd, but I've never seen another driver do anything other than sit and wait patiently for you to get it in the hole.
And it's not always the 30-day driving school wonders
When I embarass myself with half a dozen pull-ups and a GOAL or two, I still feel better that the 3-4 trucks waiting to get to the fuel island don't razz about it. Take yer time and get it right
P.S. Before you go large car, make sure you can back .... that was a topic of CB conversation last nite too... chicken truck couldn't get it in the hole, gave up, and a JB came in behind him and slid it into the spot with one pull up

Answer:
...I agree Mark, the one other thing pull-ups only count against you while your in school, in the real world get it in with out any damage!!

Answer:
If the CB chatter is getting to you, do what I do and turn it OFF. Makes concentrating on the backing job much easier.Henry Ford

Answer:
Something to think about. PARK STRAIGHT and in the middle of your parking spot. It really doesn't matter how many pull ups you have to do or how many times you have to get out and look as long as you don't hit anything. Just make that last pull up one that sets you up evenly and straight in your spot. Alot of drivers park real close to one line or the other and at times some part of their truck and trailer is sticking out into the spot next to them. Dont do that, get it straight and in one spot only. It will make you look and feel professional. It will also save you and the next driver some grief.

Answer:
The one time, that I did not get out and look..I nearly hit the Heartland truck on the right side of me. I was tired, bad day..and paying more attention to the guy guiding me in the spot. It was still early in the day but I was so very tired, was doing sight-sided too. Tried a few times to get in and the guy who owned the truck to the left of me started helping me. All of a sudden I hear an air horn. STOPPED. I was so close the guy helping me really didint know if I had hit the other truck or not. I dont think I did as the other driver never said anything to me.
Lesson learned doesnt matter if you have help or not. If you unsure and cant see GET out and LOOK!! Simple as that. Also dont forget roll down the windows and turn extra noise off or down so you can hear someone yelling or honking at you.
To this day I have no idea why I had not gotten out. I was so angry at myself that I had not. I will not make that mistake again.

Answer:
1) Turn off all noise making equipment including the CB. If someone needs to communicate with you in a hurry they will use the air horn, however you should not be waiting to hear that if yer doin' the job right.
2) Roll down your driver's side window, even if only a crack open. This helps you hear what is going on outside better, if you hear anything abnormal STOP immediately.
3) Go Slow, don't feed it fuel when backing.
4) Use mirrors on both sides, scan all of them when backing periodically.
5) Don't say "yeah it is okay" when you are really not sure: GOAL - Get Out And Look... and be SURE.
6) If you really are in a big hurry to empty your bladder it might be wise to have done so in the APPROPRIATE manner prior to attempting a backup as this will have the effect of making you rush when you shouldn't be.
7) Once you think you are correctly positioned in the slot take a walk around your truck to get a "lay of the land".
Summer is coming, and with every summer brings the occasional kid that is out running with Dad or Mom. Watch out for them in the lots!
9) Before you pull out, at the very least take another walk around your truck even if you have only been there minutes. Make sure everything is still as you think it is and should be.
10) Don't make assumptions. Either GOAL or check whatever needs checking yourself. Can you really trust that helpful guy giving you directions or is he going to back you right into another truck? Remember, it is YOU behind the wheel NOT him.

Answer:
best thing you can do is get the trailer where you can see both sides asap
and then you won't have to worry about hitting anything.I 'll be the first to say i'm not too proud to get out and look.

Answer:
the one and only /pacman
Your right. many of are tired, some "real tired" when we get into the T/S.
If your "real tired" BE CAREFULL!!! Your brain doesn't function that well. Your a vegetable trying to back up a rig usually after dark. Don't always trust your brain, get out and look.
Don't worry what others are going to think, It's your rig, your responsible for it, not some other driver on the CB. I shut off my CB "OFF" the last thing I need are distractions from MR. BIlly Rigger on the radio. For all I know, MR. Billy Big Rigger with the "BIG radio and the two 50lb antennas strapped to his mirrors at a 45 degree angle may be a 6 month pro behind the wheel!!!
Take your time, get out and look if your not sure. Much more time if your tired.

Answer:
I would add to trust your gut. I was all setup to slide back into the hole when my gut said GOAL GOAL GOAL. So I go out and walked to the back of the trailer,I had about an inch to go before I took off a mirror on a KW 2000.
If you see a truck parked in an unusual manner, GOAL to find out why. I've come across flatbeds that were oversize and could not see the mounting brackets for the A/C units until I walked back down the parking space.
If you bladder needs attention, swing through the fuel island and take care of it, but as a courtesy towards your fellow drivers, get in and out quickly.
If your tired, your judgment is not going to be good, and getting out to GOAL will help you wake up.
-JHappy Dwellers Society
Company Driver Division

Answer:
My team partner just told me about an incident that occured a few years ago. Seems his partner was about to pull away from their parking spot in a T/S. The drive had a "funny feeling" and desided to GOAL. A 3-year-old child was under the trailer tandems taking a "leak."
Wow!

Answer:
my biggest fear about this new career is backing,this may be absolutly absurd but need to ask .....if it is any help to practice in jeep?out here in the woods the worst that can happen is to scare a few chipmunks and skin a tree ,plus it will probably amuse my dog,but if it is waste of time i've got alot of other stuff to study right now.

Answer:
Go study.
There is a grossly big difference between a jeep and a truck. When you get to school, take the extra time to work on areas that you are weak in. The strip joints will around long after you graduate.
The first two guys that washed out in my driving class were also the two that spent all their evenings at the nudie bar. One of them had a real hard time backing up.
You’re spending a lot of money to learn a trade. Make the best of it.
-JHappy Dwellers Society
Company Driver Division

Answer:
dear driver
have spent most of today in the books as don't want to appear to be a bimbet first of class, especiaaly considering am the only female in class and possibly the intructors first female student.
re nudies:have been a critical care nurse for 20 years if i haven't seen it i probably don't want to... lol

Answer:
Backing is not one of my strong points. I can get it in the hole but most of the time it takes a couple of pull ups.
i try and get to where im gonna be parking early so I can get a good spot that isnt too tight. What everyone here says about GOAL is correct. It will save you a lot of headaches.