I Love Backing

Practice every chance you get. As I mentioned In my earlier post, take advantage of huge Distribution Centers if you pick up or deliver there. Find your "marks" For example. Pull up to the spot you want to get into. Start with your drives in the center of the spot. Turn hard right, pull up a certain distance, turn hard left pull up again. Count the spots on the left that you pulled up. Start your back. If you are not lined up, adjust the spots forward or back. You WILL find what works for you. Try to be consistent. Talk out loud while you do it. " Turn towards trouble", " Right to go left", "Ok, get under it now". Whatever it takes. Repetition is your friend. One day you will just "know" where you are supposed to be for your set up.

Look on the brightside your co driver can help you out if you're in a pickle.

True. Part of it is that I haven't really had to do any, and part of it is that my husband does it differently than we were taught at the school and I realized today that I've been trying to combine both ways. I see it this way...I have thirteen more days to get it figured out.

A tip fron a yard dog.. Go ahead and slide your tandems all the way back before backing in... Youll have much less swing and more control so youre less likely to have the end of your trailer swing into stuff or make it harder for you to get it in the parking space or dock straight

That's actually a great tip, thanks! I am going to work on over correcting...like Errol says, "an inch and see what the trailer does". (something to that effect, anyway. Sorry Errol.)

One day you will just "know" where you are supposed to be for your set up.

Ha! I know one day I'll say you were right, but I sure feel far from that day right now lol.

I best get some sleep. Thank you for the support everyone, and I'm sorry for hijacking again. Night all!

Not a problem Phoenix and it sure helped me. I was dropping aload at the lowes DC in north vernon, IN and their drop lots were extremely full and tight that day. A female yard driver approached me when she saw me struggle to squeeze between 2 trailers that were not in straight and one was over the line.

She had been watching me and said "you know if youd have had your tandems back youd have already had it in there. You were so close but your trailer is swinging way too much for that tight space" I moved my tandems back and set up again. It was a piece of cake.

I thanked her for the tip and now almost always slide them and then setup to back. I too line my drives up with my target space, turn a hard right then a fast left which will get my trailer aimed directly at my target space or dock consistently. Its made a huge difference for me.. That and looking directly out the window at my tandems instead of only using the mirrors as i was taught to do in school and required to do for DOT skills testing.

I originally posted this photo in Just a funny trucking picture to brighten your day (Towards the bottom of that page.) There were several open spots at this truck stop, but with so many lazy-@ss drivers going in head first, I just had to do this one. It's a blind-side back up.

And, yes, I did it just because I could! My mentor had a dedicated route , and I ended up backing into a dock nearly every day. So I had plenty of practice. After I went Solo, yes, I would rather not back in, thank you, but that seems to be the thing drivers end up doing.

Now I see many spots that become a challenge. That's the reason I started posting the Backing Practice™ series.

BTW, If you have an interesting back-up you'd like to share, either post it yourself under Backing Practice™ or send me some information and I'll get it out here.

Email to TT.errolv@spamgourmet.com

Repetition is your friend. I find I can nail the hard ones, sometimes easier than the ones I see as a cake walk. More focused on the tough ones. Too confident on the ones I "percieve" as easy. Practice, practice, practice...that is what I tell myself!

Tman has this one right repetition is key. And I don't know about anyone else but I honestly find blindside backing easier than sight side especially for those angled parking spots. I have no idea why but blindside just works better.

I can understand why you like backing. It's satisfying to be able to do something that you once struggled to do. Anyway, that's how I feel when, at least when it goes well.

Tman has this one right repetition is key. And I don't know about anyone else but I honestly find blindside backing easier than sight side especially for those angled parking spots. I have no idea why but blindside just works better.

If you can do it then I could see it being easier, because you just have to look at the mirror instead of looking over your shoulder. But I can't see enough of what's going on in that small mirror to feel confident about it.