Question:
When i atempt an alley dock i try to set up a 45 degree angle. but i consistently end up over sterring and drifting to far to the left side. this is corrected by way to many pull ups. when i make my approach from a 90 degree angle and jack it in i seem to always get it on the first try . Is this style frowned upon by the trucking companies because of the wear it causes to the tires. when i jack it the tractor and trailer never get more then a 90 degree angle (if that) so there is no chance i will damage the coupling, or tear my air lines. I have a swift road test coming up ( please keep the wise cracks down to a minemum) would like to no if jaking it in the spot or dock is exceptable.

Answer:
ANY way that you are comfortable backing is exceptable. The backing on road tests is usually set up easy enough to where you can pull up and do a straight back. BOL.Disclaimer:Pick too ugly to post at this time,LOL.

Answer:

ANY way you can get it in the "hole" without hitting anything is acceptable.
You can damage the air / electrical lines if the angle between Tractor/Trailer exceeds 90 degrees.
In reality it's very difficult to explain "backing" over the Internet. It's a technique learned
by experience. Your instructor at Swift should be providing all the basics.
On a side note Swift Drivers seem to lack the ability and / or training concerning backing.
Answer:
What they said.
Swift will be rating you on your risk of a backing accident -- not how many pull-ups you do. Don't worry how long it takes -- Swift doesn't care. But DO get out and look at your blind side at least once -- I'd suggest two or three times if you screw up the set-up.
All Swift cares about is whether your ability and manner is likely to cause damage. Drivers who get out and look as necessary don't back into stuff, no matter their skill level.
Don't change what you've been doing for the test!
Stay with what you're familiar, even if you know it needs improvement.
Sometime, when you have time and in a good place to practice, try adjusting:
1.
The spot you start to turn right to set-up a 45. You may want to go a little further before starting to turn -- I tend to wait till my drives have passed the hole I want before turning the wheel.
2.
Setting up at a slower speed -- gives you more time to look and THINK. (this WOULD be a good thing to do on the test)
3.
Adjusting when you start to straighten out and get straignt again -- you may be straightening out too soon.
But for the purpose of the test:
Do NOT hustle and try to do things fast. This is NOT what they're looking for. Slow and easy -- including how you walk around the truck and hook up the hoses, etc. Points off for too much "hustle". They're looking for safety, not speedy.
Do NOT try anything difficult you don't have to do, or show-off in any manner. If they say park anywhere and there's a pull-though, TAKE IT! That's what you'd do in the real world, and that's probably the safest alternative in almost any parking situation.
If you mess-up the set up too much, drive around and set it up AGAIN. A botched set-up isn't worth saving, and you will NOT impress the tester by flailing around trying to fix it. That's when you get into trouble and increase your risk of hitting something.
You job in this part of the test is to demonstrat your good judgment in protecting property from damage. They don't expect much skill from a newer driver. Good judgment ALWAYS trumps skill. Relax and THINK. And pull the yellow button a couple times to GET OUT AND LOOK. Can't stress this enough -- THAT is what they want to see, because it compensates for your lack of exprience by demonstrating you use good judgment in protecting property from damage -- the bottom line.
Good luck.

Answer:
Just get it in the hole without banging the hell out of the sides. Now where have I heard that before?
Answer:
I agree with what everyone else said, use a setup that works for you. Instructors will give you pointers to give you options but it really comes down to doing it the way you feel comfortable. Your instructor may push you towards doing it a certain way but if you show success with your method, he will most likely back off. In the real world it wont matter anyway because every dock will be different. That being said, if you find yourself going up to or past 90* you should probably change your approach before you get used to doing it that way. Someday you will have a truck with sleeper extensions on it and "crunch"., or you'll have a spread axle and roll a tire off the rim.
I taught myself to backup and got plenty of practice as a jockey driver before I started driving. You will eventually get to a point where the setup means less and less because you will learn to adjust yourself and you will learn what it "looks like" in the mirror to back into a hole at different angles. The main thing now is to make sure you understand what you are seeing in the mirror and make sure you know where every part of your rig is, that requires getting out to look sometimes. If you're too lazy to get out and look (or its raining) your other option is more pull ups. Eventually, by pulling up, you can usually manuever the tractor around until you can see both rear corners of the trailer.

Answer:
There are an infinite number of places you could begin your backing from, right? So no single place is "The Right Place". As long as you get it where it needs to be without damaging anything, you're good.
There is no "wrong" way to get it there, short of banging into the next trailer, or damaging your lines, etc. There is only the continuum from bad to so-so to good to excellent. There are better ways and worse ways to get it there, and yeah, even with a bad set-up you can get it done. It will just take a lot longer, and you'll look and feel like an idiot. So save face, save the equipment, save time, and save your skin. Abort and begin again.
Backing is a skill that is learned in much the same way as riding a bicycle. You can sit and talk about it all day. You can watch it being done. You can analyze every angle, every curve, every trajectory, and still lack the skills to do it. You have to get out there and DO it.
For practice, go to an empty part of the truck stop. Back between the lines, and pull out to the left. Back in again. Pull out slightly to the right. Back in again. If there are lines you can back all the way through, try backing through with your tires just touching the line. Then circle the lot, and back into a spot at the angle you need to work on. Keep practicing. That's why musicians practice scales. It's not because they can't play a scale. It's because they are honing their skill.
And of course, Get Out And Look!

Answer:
Bravo Shuffler.. Great advise!! Could not of done better myself!
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Basically i am going to second what everyone has said here..time, style points and all that doesn't matter...the thing that does matter is taking your time and getting it in the hole without hitting anything around you, if you hold another driver up..o well, they have held plenty of people up in there career too, dont worry about it. Just get it in there safely, nothing else matters, and rememeber Get Out And Look..it only takes a second and will save alot of grief..good luck

Answer:

I heard on the CB yesterday that Swift is starting to install airbags and roll cages in the trucks, and are reducing their speed to 62. Is this true?

Answer:
Don't drink and drive.

Answer:

Goin to far left uh .................I'm goin repeat what your teacher has probably said 50 times to you ....................QUIT OVER JACKIN THE TRACTOR, YA DON'T NEED TO OVER STEER AND WATCH THE REAR OF YOUR TRAILER AND PROJECT WHERE ITS GOIN BE AFTER YOU BACK A WAYS.....PROJECT, PROJECT................In other words THINK about what your doing BEFORE you engage the clutch. Your still trying to do a 90 deg while setup for a 45......Do it a little different your not breaking from the same angle, thing have changed..........Adapt, improvise, over come.
P.S. You Don't do an Alley Dock from a 45 degree angle...................................It's a 90 deg. (In the fairy land of testing for a CDL, in the real world anything goes)
Remember...............ADAPT.....................IMPROVISE.........................OVERCOME''


Answer:
Shuffler nailed it!
Now I'll add this, no matter how bad or good your backing skills are the #1 thing the Swift examiner is looking for is G.O.A.L., get out and look. I know Richard(examiner) at Fontana will automatically fail you if you don't get out and look, PERIOD!
My dos centavos on your 45° backing problem. If you do 90° well, you're likely putting too much wheel into it on the 45°. Cut hard 'till you have a little bend in it for a few (like 5-10) feet and then bring the wheel back to center, you should then be able to control the bend with no more than a half a turn of the wheel at max either way. When you're about 15-20° from square to the dock, follow it hard. If possible, look on the ground for the tire tracks of the last trailer in that spot and follow 'em as a reference.

Answer:
Make sure the truck is in reverse
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DUHHHHH ! ''