Comments By Scott D.

I cant find a way to PM on this site. is that a hidden option?

Only habits im taking with me knowing how to shift i drive a 13 speed tri axle dump truck now i want to focus on what i need the most which is backing lol but im open to everything im not going in knowning it all

You’re overthinking things a bit. You need to learn to back a trailer the way that McElroy wants it performed. Don’t worry about it now, and don’t go there with any bad habits you will need to un-learn. You’ll be fine!

im reading this like you dont know how to back a trailer at all. if this is correct.. get a pickup truck and the longest bumper pull trailer you can find. set up a few obsticles with cones, stumps, dead bodies, empty beer cans ect. should give ya a basic feel for backing.. then you just have to make that bigger later on, but you will have the basics figured out

Scott, don’t tell him that. I know you mean well, but you can’t simulate backing a 70’ rig with a pickup. I had pick ups and trailers for decades but I had to learn big boy backing from scratch. You cannot learn it from backing a pickup and trailer.

This was my experience. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

with how i do it yes... use same method from basics learned on other stuff.. same principle. at school everyone kept asking why i didnt do it the "book" way.. well i have a different way... used the same thing on big rigs and no issues yet. but iv yet to only see the range for semi.. the real deal starts the 29th.

Only habits im taking with me knowing how to shift i drive a 13 speed tri axle dump truck now i want to focus on what i need the most which is backing lol but im open to everything im not going in knowning it all

You’re overthinking things a bit. You need to learn to back a trailer the way that McElroy wants it performed. Don’t worry about it now, and don’t go there with any bad habits you will need to un-learn. You’ll be fine!

im reading this like you dont know how to back a trailer at all. if this is correct.. get a pickup truck and the longest bumper pull trailer you can find. set up a few obsticles with cones, stumps, dead bodies, empty beer cans ect. should give ya a basic feel for backing.. then you just have to make that bigger later on, but you will have the basics figured out

Tips and tricks? practice and practice, add some more practice. backing skills is a time developed skill. i was lucky to start on tractors and equipment on the farm so i just have a natural knack for backing up after 20+ years of doing it. but in the last month it pushed my levels the first few days and i can put a 53' just about anywhere i want it. indiana doesnt require the alley for the cdl test.. but i was bored at school and told the instructers to challenge me. i got a narrow alley (think europe) then a 6 cone serpentine.

TLRD just practice.. im sure there is at least 50 videos on youtube

Scott, farm boys seem to have an advantage in backing and maybe in trucking in general. I’ll never forget my brother-in-law back up a triple combination of hay wagon, square bailer and tractor up a 12’ wide timber ramp into the hay loft. He did it all summer with no G.O.A.L’s and no pull ups. He’d get in trouble now days without GOALing.

im good with just one swivel point lol.. no need to get that crazy now haha.

even still. iv yet to see what more of the real world has to offer as to backing up. just got to take them one step at a time as they come.

Awesome stuff. I do Indeed drive and train for West Side Transport. The company has been very very good to me. I came here straight out of CDL school and went through their company training program myself.

I currently have a trainee with me. We're in Cedar Rapids and will be leaving out in a few hours for Sebring, FL.

Let me know if there's anything I can answer for you, but our recruiters are awesome and real straightforward.

Shawn Marshman is who i went through.. Orientation is in Columbus, OH ill be based out of Indy as i live just south of it

Im joning mclroy truck lines may 8th jist trying to prep take in all information and tripping they are going to be more focus on my backing and lane controll since i already have learners premit have expreince shifting and down Shifting

Are you trying to do this on your own? We highly recommend getting professional training. You're going to need a 160 hour training certificate when you start trying to find a job.

i know this company very well... if you only have your permit... your going to driving school right off the bat and then them.

Tips and tricks? practice and practice, add some more practice. backing skills is a time developed skill. i was lucky to start on tractors and equipment on the farm so i just have a natural knack for backing up after 20+ years of doing it. but in the last month it pushed my levels the first few days and i can put a 53' just about anywhere i want it. indiana doesnt require the alley for the cdl test.. but i was bored at school and told the instructers to challenge me. i got a narrow alley (think europe) then a 6 cone serpentine.

TLRD just practice.. im sure there is at least 50 videos on youtube

Well after many many companies i looked at ect ect. I finally decided on West Side Transport. I start Monday the 29th.

Iv read most companies test the new drivers like this at first.. they are checking you. IE can you do it, or will you communicate that your gonna be late ect.

Drove an Auto for the first time today.... what a slow ass slushbox.. didnt think i was ever gonna get up to 65, and that was with an empty 48' trailer..

Don't keep it floored. Let off the accelerator as if you were shifting. I let off just as it approaches 1500 rpms & it shifts faster.

ill just stick to manuals until im forced to make the switch,, i was also bored as hell on this trip haha

Luchy you! I don't have a choice. Lol

iv not decided on a company yet... but if given the choice.. im gonna stay manual as long as i can. unless its a 10 year old ragged out old hag that lives in the shop

I see your from Indiana. who did you end up driving for?

Drove an Auto for the first time today.... what a slow ass slushbox.. didnt think i was ever gonna get up to 65, and that was with an empty 48' trailer..

Don't keep it floored. Let off the accelerator as if you were shifting. I let off just as it approaches 1500 rpms & it shifts faster.

ill just stick to manuals until im forced to make the switch,, i was also bored as hell on this trip haha

Speaking of prime.... one of their drivers about ran me over today when i was leaving school. locked up front and rear brakes on my motorcycle...

Drove an Auto for the first time today.... what a slow ass slushbox.. didnt think i was ever gonna get up to 65, and that was with an empty 48' trailer..

Congrats!! What CDL school did you go to?

Truck Driver Institute. they have like 15 locations across the states. Mine what the South Indy location

Well i passed my road test this morning. now off to finalize where i wanna drive for at least a year now.

The most important part is don't think for a minute that you can't do it because you can. It just takes experience and time.

what company is this since it shows your in Indy. im about 20 minutes south...

It's possible, best bet to avoid really tough situations would be regional work getting you home weekly. All I got to say is avoid dollar store accounts. If there is a will there is a way.

If you can backup to anything and everything ect.. go for it.. seem most ward away from local stuff because newbies suck at backing up... im in school and got bored... i made myself an old serpentine back test using 8 cones instead of 3... like i said i was bored lol

Backing is easy when it's cones. Wait till you got to blindside back into a business on a busy street with cars on both side of the road. Don't get too overconfident that will lead to accidents.

ill quote the russian bad guy from goldeneye (james bond) "use the bumpers, thats what they are for".

but in all serious yes its cones and every situation will be different. but when i im watching people here on the cone range take over 10 min on the strait back cone course and they still kill half of them after 25 hours of practice... i start to worry

If you can backup to anything and everything ect.. go for it.. seem most ward away from local stuff because newbies suck at backing up

Scott, we're proud to have you in here, and glad to hear you're doing so well going backwards. But... you need to be careful giving out advice like this. People get their whole careers cut short by going local first. We see it often. There's always a few exceptions, and we've got a few of those exceptions in here. Most of them readily admit that they got lucky. There's a lot more issues involved than just backing.

We teach best practices in here. We do that because they produce the best results. There are a lot of reasons why most local jobs require one year of OTR experience. So, we don't just encourage newbies to avoid local jobs because they might not be good at backing the truck. Sure, that is one part of the problem, but there are plenty of other issues involved.

Any job that is safety sensitive like trucking should be a approached with incremental steps into the learning process. Taking a local job first bypasses many of the opportunities for learning how to handle a rig in all sorts of situations. It's not recommended here.

yes i almost fell into the dollar account trap until this page forced me to do more research on it... prob spent 15 hours or so on google and you tube.... told them to shove that one you know where lol.

If you can backup to anything and everything ect.. go for it.. seem most ward away from local stuff because newbies suck at backing up... im in school and got bored... i made myself an old serpentine back test using 8 cones instead of 3... like i said i was bored lol