Question:
The JoeTruckDriver on Line School of Truck Driving
A little introduction is in order; perhaps some here remember The Trainers Tale
This is the continuation.
I have picked up BB (not Bearbell) last week and we have been together for a week now BB has went through 10 weeks of truck driving school that Crete Carrier Corp. excepts and he went through 8 weeks of training with another trainer and was on his own for a few weeks and then had to take family leave for an extended time now Crete has rehired him and place him with me for 6 weeks of retraining. The other trainer never taught him to back up; he had a lot of trouble the short time he was on his own with backing. It had him worried; we have been working on backing for a week now.
February 21, 2004 Bowman NC
Most people can back a car well enough and it seem intuitive if they have been doing it awhile the problem New Drivers have is with the articulation and the extra set of axels backing is counter intuitive it is like backing a car with a school bus mounted on a pivot in the trunk.
(Now a little side bar on backing so you may understand my teaching method a little better. In explaining backing I use the two clock method a clock face for the space and a clock face at the fifth wheel of the tractor. The head of the space is 12 the back of the space is 6 the right of the space is 3 the left of the space is 9 the fifth wheel is the same)
BB never got enough backing training form his other trainer so he is not very good at it yet. He had trouble in Chicago with a narrow dock on his own. We had a narrow dock the other day I showed him how to handle it. 30 feet wide approximant, the dock offset he jacked into the dock but the approach was to narrow and clogged with snow to fallow it up and get in front of the trailer so as the steering axel got close to the snow on the right I had him turn right bringing the steering axel to the left and the tail of the trailer to the left, as the tail of the trailer came left it got closer to the building. I had BB stop put it in first and turn left pulling the nose left and the tail right as the trailer came to 5 minutes before the hour of the space I had BB turn right, bringing the tractor to 7.5 minutes before the hour of the trailer, as he did that the trailer came to 7.5 minutes to the space. This got him away form the snow pile on the right and he could fallow the trailer up and get in the hole. Then he realized he could have used that in Chicago if he would have only known about doing it that way.
It has only been a week and BB has only began to back one of these days we are going to hit backing school hard and we will work out some of his other backing problems.
Stay tuned to a computer near you.Do the VI maintain your following distance maintain your lane position observe the speed limit observe the things around you and keep good records
Safe driving to you.
Joe


Answer:
Joe,
It seems like his old trainer was not wanting to really teach him anything. I was driving and backing on first week out. I was driving mountains and somewhat busy cities on my second. I believe my old trainer did a great job. I am glad he's got you to be his trainer.
One more thing, I thought the whole reasoning of driving school is to learn how to back, drive, rules and regulations. I know that the real world is totally different, but the fundamentals of backing is important. Every dock is different and everyone has their days, but instructors at schools and some trainers need to improve their teaching skills.
Sweet Whiskey

Answer:
Sweet_whiskey BB seems to Agree with you BB says he has gotten more backing with me in one week than he got all the time he was the other trainer I keep telling him we have not began to back yet. Some of my new drivers think they back up more than they get to drive forward. Which is not true but I am sure it seems that way.
Good to here from you by the way. At least some of my readers made it to the new site any way.Do the VI maintain your following distance maintain your lane position observe the speed limit observe the things around you and keep good records
Safe driving to you.
Joe


Answer:
I have had my moments not to long ago that I found a hole I just could not hit. I actually had to have a yard jocky aka yard dog put my trailer in the hole. After some tough consideration, I know then was not a good time to even try it. I didn't give up, I was real real frustrated because I knew deep down it wasn't that hard. What made the back hard was the long nose Shaker that was on my driver side and the brickwall. I've had harder holes, but that one definately stood out amongst the worst.
Here is a example of a backing that was amongst ones I didn't give up on. In Los Angeles I delivered to this place that had one way in and one way out. The one way out was the one way in, if you get my drift. The receiver wanted me to back into the dock that was closest to the fence. Instead of the dock that was easiest for me. Now picture a building less then 100 ft right directly in front of the docks. I cranked, I turned, I jammed, after 10 minutes of doing it his way I told him I was only 4 inches away from the dock on my blindside. He didn't like that and was not going to unload me. . He agreed after another couple of minutes that he could unload me after all. I tried all I could to get the measely 4 inches, but my truck was just not going to go. I got unloaded and had to back out of the lot. No problem, except there was a median directly out in front and had to manuever my way around it. That was alot easier then backing into the dock by the fence.
My whole story is for BB, I just want you to maybe learn from other peoples stories. To not lose your head, lose your temper, hurt your truck or someone elses because you got flustered. It is so easy to do out here and it doesn't make it easier when people watch you.
Joe,
I found it easy with my old trainer when I was backing to take me to a empty lot and let me practice once in a while. I also practiced at the yard a little. When I got frustrated he would get out and stand outside the truck while I was backing. That seemed to help alot, he watched me but his teaching was to not let me see him kind of thing. If I was making a mistake he let me correct it and I learned G O A L real well. I still use it today and there is nothing wrong with Getting Out And Looking. Saves my truck, your truck and whatever else stands in the way.
Sweet Whiskey

Answer:
Precisely! Immediately after becoming a first-seat driver, the first thing I realized was that too much gravity is given to the task of backing. It is over-intellectualized to the point of making it more difficult than it is. The day I was assigned my tractor -- with no one there flapping their arms, telling me when to turn the wheel and in what direction -- I started backing like I'd been doing it all my life.
A trainer can only offer metaphors and analogies based on how he or she views the situation, but that won't necessarily click with the student. In the end, you just need some "alone time" to reconcile with yourself the way the unit moves and responds to input. You have to assimilate it.

Answer:
BB and I had a lot of time and we stopped at the FL terminal fueled and went to backing school I had him drive around the trailers backwards making about 20 left turns backward after he got proficient at that we set up on a compound blind side sight side jack back. After all that this morning we backed into the dock and BB got it in. Now all we need to work on is accurately getting it centered and BB will be well on his way. He and I are pleased with the progress he is making.Do the VI maintain your following distance maintain your lane position observe the speed limit observe the things around you and keep good records
Safe driving to you.
Joe


Answer:
Good going!!!
I am sure the backing lessons helped not only him, but you as well. I say you, because you also learned the mistakes he made and helped him overcome them.
I talked to my trainer the other day and he did his every now and then "check on his girls." He told me he backed into a Jim Palmer truck. His first accident in 31 years. I guess you all were right when you mentioned not to long ago, that if you haven't had a accident one is bound to happen. He didn't sound too upset, when I asked him how it happened he just said "I just backed into him."
I know that somehow I got my side wing fender or whatever you call it somewhat smooshed in on the bottom. I am not sure still how that happened, but if you leave your truck at a truck stop be prepared for anything. I am sure I can fix it with a dent puller or just use my load locks. I think next time home, I'll park it at my uncle's shop. That way I know it can't get damaged and it's secure.
No Toto! Dorothy doesn't drive the truck, it's me the Scarecrow.
Sweet Whiskey

Answer:
Hey all...thanks for continuing this great discussion...I am a product of the JoeTruckDriver school of trucking (and backing)....I just wanted to say thanks again Joe for your dedication!
Take care and be safe out on the road
Singinintherain

Answer:
First: Hi Jerry good to read from you! I am glad you posted, it is good to know my efforts are appreciated
Second: BB is getting this backing thing, two weeks a go backing in a truck stop caused fear are trepidation now he feels there is hope that he might get this backing, (funny is it not Jerry I am sure you think he is going to get it or his left leg will fall off) I have no doubts BB will get it. I helped him get into a blind side spot in a Petro last night soon he will be doing it by him self and then it will be time to see about calling to let safety know I think he is ready. Backing is his only problem that I can see.

Answer:
Joe Truck Driver,
Kudos to you sir for taking the time and effort to pass along the knowledge and skills you have gained to others.In this fast paced world and "me first mentality" it is refreshing to know that there are seasoned vets willing to share their knowledge with others who are just coming into this profession.
I salute you!!
The Governor.
Answer:
BB is getting to the point that he thinks that he is ready to be on his own I am not so sure he is ready he has not proved to me he can handle the backing on his own he is backing much better than he was and is getting close to being independent though and when he is ready I will be calling to see if he can be cut lose early to get his own truck.
BB is having a hard time he wants to be on his own. I do not blame him, that is what training is all about getting some one who has been driving a car and getting them to drive a truck well enough to be safe

Answer:
JoeTruckDriver :
Thank you for all the emails on training your student drivers. I'm in my second week of driving school and first week in the trucks.
The light is finally turning on to candle power bright about backing but I and all the students in my class have a long way to go.
On the personal side, I see you post from S W Iowa. My parents were both from Iowa, Mom from Waverly and Dad from Nashua.
I still have kin there. PM me if you wish to, would enjoy the visit.
Codger"Stop holding me back. I'm going to clown college." Homer Simpson

Answer:
You will find that school backing is only a beginning of backing in truck stops docks and navigational errors I find that most of my new drivers think that they learned to back in school, in reality school only gets you ready to learn to back.
Hopefully you will get a trainer who knows how to back but I have seen some companies with trainers who could not back much less teach somebody else to back. If you have problems with backing maybe I or others could offer help.
Feel free to add to this post that is what it is for. I find that there seem to be a lot of no backing truck drivers out on the road. My efforts are intended to put one more backing up truck driver on the road.Do the VI maintain your following distance maintain your lane position observe the speed limit observe the things around you and keep good records
Safe driving to you.
Joe


Answer:
I guess the need for drivers is forcing companies to hire folks that cannot even tie shoe laces. Shifting requires some amount of time and I have watched folks over and over demonstrate no timing. Even chosing the right gear and gently boosting the rpm's so the transmission will "grab: into gear is impossible for some to learn.
As for backing, just park in any truck stop early and watch the show. It is certainly worth the price of admission. I have enve parked a few trucks other than my own because it became too painful.
And women? Hell, they don't have to park. Some jerk is always there to do it for them.
Sort of like having a woman doing color commentary on a football game.
I know I am on the minority side of opinion here . That is ok because all this political correctness stuff is gagging at best.

Answer:
Hi beanbag
I don't know about women not being able to back. I know one or two who back circles around me.
BB and I are getting ready to go this morning I expect that next Friday I will be contacting the powers that be and letting them know I think BB is ready to be on his own. Then others will make that decision. I know BB is looking forward to that day.
He cannot understand why The company would want him to run with a trainer so long the answer is exposure to liability. If he has a accident they can say they did there best to see to it he knows how to drive a CMV.