Why Has My Backing Gotten So Bad?

I see both sides of it here. But for the purpose of answering a question. I found it was over confidence and unrealistic expectations for me. It causes me to just try and get the trailer in the hole without really slowing the process down and watching what it's doing.

When I pause for a minute at setup and actually look at the trailer, ask myself, what am I trying to accomplish and where do I want it to go, it works.

This, right here. "Speed" will nip us every time.

When I pause for a minute at setup and actually look at the trailer, ask myself, what am I trying to accomplish and where do I want it to go, it works.

Just keep on being careful and keep on trucking. You got this. You want to be a trucker just keep on keeping on and do whatever it takes to be safe! You got this!

After about 6 months out here I feel like I should be way better at it then I am, I think after having a couple of close calls trying to get in to REALLY tight spots it's made me nervous and made me loose some of the skills and confidence that I've had before. Thankfully I've never hit anything except for the one time I clipped a trailer my first week on a trainers truck. I always swallow my pride and pull up for get out and look which is why I haven't hit anything since then even if it makes me look like a jackass. I don't think it's a lack of skill that's causing my problems I think it's nerves after the couple of close calls and getting banned from a customer for taking over an hour to get squared up with a dock.. I'm making really good money and getting good miles I don't want to loose my job over this, does anyone have any advice on what I should do?

Ya I dont know why they are pulling your posts apart. I get the jist of all your posts and I would be ****ed if they were doubting me. I like this forum and it seems you do too. I think your posts are genuine and your really looking for ideas.

Tammy, you have been here only a little over a month, so are unaware of what we have been dealing with regarding Zach, his problems and his drama over the past 8 mths. The guys are trying to help him not only with trucking issues but also with life. I have no patience for his drama, so have quit dealing with him.

Laura

Is Tammy a CDL holder who is out here working, or looking to get into driving? I am confused.

Ya I dont know why they are pulling your posts apart. I get the jist of all your posts and I would be ****ed if they were doubting me. I like this forum and it seems you do too. I think your posts are genuine and your really looking for ideas.

Tammy, you have been here only a little over a month, so are unaware of what we have been dealing with regarding Zach, his problems and his drama over the past 8 mths. The guys are trying to help him not only with trucking issues but also with life. I have no patience for his drama, so have quit dealing with him.

Laura

Is Tammy a CDL holder who is out here working, or looking to get ijto driving? I am confused.

She's a caregiver currently, but is looking to get into trucking.

Laura

Hey maybe he justs needs to talk? I guess Ill be annoying you also when I get MY cdl too lol if im not already annoying. Everybody is different'. Im sure being alone in a truck takes its toll and a forum like this with so much information and experienced drivers it gives newbees a place to vent. Sounds like you dont want this forum to turn into a chat site. GOD you guys will kick me out when I start driving haha just go easy on me. Me and people like Zac need this forum to help us through. Being a drama queen/king is really not a crime. If your annoyed with someones post just dont respond. jmho

Tammy

The mentality of "adapt and overcome," in my opinion, is a very necessary trait for a truck driver. For those who have that capability, this turns into a very rewarding career. Those who are unable to "adapt and overcome" they become increasingly frustrated and often wash out. I think much of the frustration with Zach involves his seeming incapability to adapt and overcome.

Maybe but some of the responses are not helpful

Tammy

The mentality of "adapt and overcome," in my opinion, is a very necessary trait for a truck driver. For those who have that capability, this turns into a very rewarding career. Those who are unable to "adapt and overcome" they become increasingly frustrated and often wash out. I think much of the frustration with Zach involves his seeming incapability to adapt and overcome.

Tammy, we help people as long as they need help. We have a long history of doing that. It's what we do. We do it for free and we do it 24/7.

Here's where we start having a problem... When people are not honest with us. When Zach first told us he got "banned" from this customer, you were aghast. I tried to tell you there was more to the story. Zach took offense that I would say such things. You were right there with him like a mother bear. It turned out I was correct. Zach had made assumptions and exaggerated the story to us. Later he admitted he didn't get banned. Then later again he claims he did get banned. His stretching of the truth has caused the kerfuffle here in this conversation. Yet he brushes it off with...

you already know what happened... but heaven forbid of course you find a reason to knit pick something I say.

The problem with all this drama is that it causes other newbies to develop a biased outlook on their future trucking career. Here you are telling us how you are going to flip out if something like this happens to you. Well, the truth is it didn't even happen to Zach. He got frustrated and went right to the internet to tell folks about his daily drama. That's all it was - his overly dramatic reaction to something every rookie faces. We all have trouble backing a truck. We have been over this with him many times before, but if he can come up with another more dramatic way to ask us about it he probably will. That's been our history with him.

We absolutely love helping folks. We do it all the time and have a long history of being patient and kind. It honestly is our intention to "empathize, encourage and inspire." We do get frustrated at times, and I am going to publicly apologize right here and now to you and Zach. I am sorry if I reacted in a way that was unbecoming to our purposes here.

I will strive to do a better job. It helps us a great deal when folks shoot straight with us. Don't make up stories about being banned because you were slow to back into a dock. I said it earlier... I have never seen such a thing happen to any driver, no matter how slow they were. I have seen people get banned from places, but it was always because they were either unsafe, rude, or disrespectful in some form or fashion. We have tons of collective experience here. We generally can tell you when something isn't right. We tried to do that here, but you took offense. I am going to admit that maybe I didn't do the best job of it. I will continue to try and be an effective mentor here.