The Backing Challenge

Topic 7560 | Page 1

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Errol V.'s Comment
member avatar

All you students out there, this will probably happen to you:

We just got fuel, and my instructor asked me to back into a spot so I can take my 30 minute break. Noooo! Backing into a tiny slot like that? With all those people sitting in their cabs, some I know will be laughing at me. I want the CB to be turned off. Can I close my eyes?

Well it's 2 o'clock in a truck stop in southern Mississippi. I'm doing what I do best - waiting. I'm also watching trucks pull in for the afternoon.

Guess what? Most of these are professional, solo drivers. Just in the last half hour I have seen:

  • a truck back in at an angle, crossing through two stalls. He pulled up & managed to get into one.
  • one truck managed to back straight in, only the dividing line is between the wheels. He fixed that.
  • a driver did a good set up for a 45° alley dock, the most common set-up, but when he started backing, the tandems did not line up with the hole.
  • Yes, most truck drivers did it quick and easier than you'd a thought.

So not to worry. It won't be so bad after a bit.

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".

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Justin N.'s Comment
member avatar

I always hated trying to back into a tight spot on a busy night with trucks piling up all over waiting for you to get it in.

Even now after 18 months of backing several times a day it can still challenge me.

Bud A.'s Comment
member avatar

I find it much easier to back into a tight dock between steel coils in a confined space between buildings than into a spot two spaces wide at a truck stop for some reason. Maybe it's all the reefer drivers watching a flatbedder try to get that split axle in there -- I'm always impressed by how smooth the reefer drivers look whipping those trailers in.

Reefer:

A refrigerated trailer.

HOS:

Hours Of Service

HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
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