Backing Practice

Pull into a Love's today in Casa Grande Arizona to grab a shower and I see this Prime truck with the guy standing on the concrete. The lady in the truck was working on backing. What I thought was cool about it was it was 121 degrees on the lot and he was just standing there watching her. He wasn't giving her instructions he was just observing. Letting her figure out what she needed to do to get it in the hole. When you're in CDL training at a private school you have the instructors constantly telling you what to do and you really don't learn a lot other than the initial instruction on how to make each particular backing move. It reminded me of my trainer. If I was having trouble he would give me a few pointers and then get out of the way and let me figure it out. That's how we learn. Taking your time watching what your backend is doing and making the adjustments. The back lot was empty so she wasn't going to hit anything and it was the perfect opportunity to make mistakes and to figure out how to correct them. I hear how some trainers don't have the patience or take the time to let their trainees work on these skills and the time to figure it out on their own. Good for that trainer and even better for that trainee I really enjoy seeing things like that on the road. There are days I wish if I still had my trainer me but I always figure it out eventually. And she will too.

Luckily at my school my instructors would show the group how to do it, then get out of the way and let you do it if you where struggling you could always ask for help. or they would come over, and have you ride along as they went through it, then you would switch seats and they would ride along and help.

I agree 100% about the trainer, mine was awesome with giving pointers then staying out of the way and had me practicing in Walmart or truck stop either when we where done for the night or of we had time during the day.

Was at the Denver Prime terminal a few days ago and there was a flatbed trainer and student working on 90s at the back of the lot. Trainer was doing the same thing. Give a few pointers and step back.

My permit trainer at Jim Palmer did the same thing with me. Really is the best way. Shoots, my current trainer lets me mess up, gives a pointer here and there but for the most part leaves me alone to fix my mess.

My CDL instructor said left left right etc and it didnt help. i failed my test cause he wasnt there telling me how to do it.

Now, i just tell trainees "GOAL and do it yourself" hahahha of course my trainees already have the CDL and we are doing real world stuff. But again, dont GOAL and hit something, that is on you and your license. not.mine. rely on no one to guide you. they could be stupid.

I had to learn how to back up a hay trailer behind a 39 Case with a hand clutch. So for me backing a semi tractor/trailer came a bit easy for me. Plus I had a 17 yr. veteran driver teach me on the road during my company training, and he thru in a few tricks to get me on a quick learning curve.

We pulled into a Lowe's early one morning to drop off a load... once we parked we got out for a walk. We noticed a big white line bent at a curved 90 degree angle to the right ... out in the middle of the parking lot.

My trainer gets back in the truck and pulled the trailer tandems around that right angle and got out and told me to practice backing around that curve, which meant of course pulling those same tandems forward ... you get the picture.

He never said a word... he just let me get out and look and work it out.

It changed my whole thinking about backing up...just a little simple exersize you can do in any open space.