Personal Backing Procedures With Not Much Space

Topic 31015 | Page 1

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Garrett J.'s Comment
member avatar

Hello all, hope everyone's well and keeping safe out there.

Just wondering if any experienced drivers care to share their personal, step-by-step methods for backing in a tight space? (about 20 meters or less between rows at a packed truck stop for example)

My trainer's method, for example: "Being 4-5 feet away from line of trucks, pull up 3 parking spaces > hard right to 10-11ish o'clock > drive straight about 5 feet > hard left to 7-8ish o'clock > wheels straight, back, giving some right if needed > once trailer tandems are about to cross imaginary line, hard left and chase trailer."

This method has tended to put me pretty far away from the hole and usually makes for a somewhat difficult back.

Anyways, been experimenting with my trainer's method, the WE safety dude's method, stuff from YouTube and with what other driver's have told me, and I'd be interested in what the experienced guys and gals here use as a general method. I understand that after a while it probably becomes more of a "feel" thing and not really a thought-out, calculated thing, but what did you guys use as a kind of "guide" when you were just starting out?

Tandems:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Tandem:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Art M.'s Comment
member avatar

It all depends on how much of a "trailer tail" you have sticking out, where your tandems are. It is best to drop all the math and calculations with feet and angles and practice somewhere safe. Usually it is a 90 degree angle to break and "stick" it in from the middle of the lot. Never try to do it in one move, it takes few back and forward moves to really "stick it in". Always watch trajectory of where your trailer tires will roll.

Tandems:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Tandem:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

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