HELP

I know this probably is gonna embarrass the crap out me down the line but I need someone to give me tips on my straight line. My husband is a 10 yr veteran and he said I just need to keep practicing. Seems like i can picture myself doing it but I get in the truck and like my mind wont cooperate. I dont know if its the whole trailer drifting concept or what.

I know this probably is gonna embarrass the crap out me down the line but I need someone to give me tips on my straight line. My husband is a 10 yr veteran and he said I just need to keep practicing. Seems like i can picture myself doing it but I get in the truck and like my mind wont cooperate. I dont know if its the whole trailer drifting concept or what.

When backing up make small adjustments. The bigger the mistake, the bigger the adjustment to correct that mistake. If you can't see the rear of your trailer in your driver side mirror, then your trailer is probably drifting to your blindside

You are watching in both mirrors as you back, right?

If you see more of a trailer side in one mirror than the other, that means your tractor-trailer joint is bending when it should not be.

Turn the top of your steering wheel towards the side with more trailer in the mirror. Turn just a bit. When the mirror views are equal, straighten out the wheel.

Yes it does take practice. Make sure to use both mirrors, and dont over correct, make small adjustments then wait and see, it takes time and distance to actually see what the correction you made did. I would guess you are steering too much and too often.

Phil

Watch both mirrors and watch for trailer to start moving towards one side. Say to yourself; Drifting right, steer right Drifting left, steer left Turn wheel 20/30 degrees, wait for movement, then back to center

Like the others have said, only make extremely small corrections if trying to straight back.

Also, keep in mind the trailer rolls a good bit before it really changes direction when you do correct. The further back the trailer tires are set the longer this distance is. By the time you see the trailer where you want it aligned you have probably over-corrected, if your truck is not already realigned with it ("back under it").

Don't feel too bad, there's a lot of guys that can't seem to hit docks perfectly straight.

Just as a test, try this. Once the truck is set up for the straight line (as long as it's a decent trailer) as you let out the clutch, take your hands completely off the wheel. That truck will all but drive itself backwards without moving a bit unless the trailer drifts. The key on that lesson is to realize as you're watching the mirrors that any adjustments you make need to be very subtle. On a straight line, most people get themselves in trouble by doing too much. Less is truly more.

Robert you sound just like an instructor I had last Saturday. The truck will drive itself so why fight it and make it harder than it has to be.. He demonstrated (when the other instructors weren't watching).. jumped into the drivers seat, put it in reverse, leaned the seat ALL the way back (lying down), put his hands behind his head and said to wake him when we got through the box.

Rebel chick.. At first I had major trouble with over steering and an instructor told me to scoot the seat up close and put my elbows into my sides, basically limited me to small wrist movements. It worked like a charm and I only had to use that technique a couple of times, and once I got used to how little you actually have to move the wheel straight line backing has been a piece of cake ever since. Try that and simply turn the wheel very slightly to the side you see the trailer on. Also, don't ride the clutch. The truck will actually move much slower ( and you'll have better control ) if you aren't "freewheeling" it, so make sure you get off the clutch and put your feet on the floor.

You can do it. Just relax, breath, and don't fight the truck.

I failed the backing test the first time bit then practiced on both flatbed and reefer...on flatbed if u see the marker lights on the corner of the front of the trailer turn away from that light to bring it back. On the reefer keep the trailer numbers even if you see more of one nu.be than the other side u need to adjust. Doing this will limit the drift good luck

I was way way way oversteering by the sound of it.