[solo379]

[quote="Midnight Flyer" Also remember when backing TURN YOUR CB OFF!! [/quote]

I'd have to disagree on that one! Just ignore an A-holes, but this way you could be warn, or advised, from the "normal" drivers.

[Mtc_Is_Hell]

How long is your school? See my screen name, I went to mtc, a run down school that needs to get thier S&&t together. Its a 2 week course but after the first day of the second week I basically showed up did one manuver and went home, the head instructor got pretty mad ready to throw me out... I was called Valivictorian by the 45 students in the class with me.

The pre trip was hardest thing for the rest the rest of my class, I doubled as an instructor once I pissed off bill.. Showed them the pretrip.. Got a 104 my self the guy said I didn't touch the power steering pump, I meerly pointed at it.

Before you know it you will be on your own.. I'm already planing on leaving this Otr Driving after my year is over. Its hard to keep in shape out here.

[Midnight Flyer]

[quote=solo379]

Originally Posted by "Midnight Flyer" Also remember when backing TURN YOUR CB OFF!! [/quote

I'd have to disagree on that one! Just ignore an A-holes, but this way you could be warn, or advised, from the "normal" drivers.

You're absolutely right solo379, sorry 'bout that! Keep the CB on but ignore the A-holes and listen to the normal folks who are trying to help you! :rock:

[RockyMtnProDriver]

I find the following with our students and it seems to happen with them all.

Why they struggle is because they do not believe that the mirrors tell them the truth.

The worst thing a person can do when backing is to get out of the truck and look backwards to where they are going. When they do this they almost always get back in the truck and turn the wheel the wrong way.

It is much better to get out of the truck, walk to about 20 feet behind the trailer and look forward. Then think what you need to do with the wheel.

Also, never think right and left with the steering wheel. You have a 50% chance of being wrong.

If you are trying to straighten out the unit, look in your mirrors and see where you have more trailer. If there is more trailer in the right mirror, steer right, if there is more mirror in the left mirror steer left.

You will not need to steer very much, if it is not out of alignment very much.

As far as parallel parking and alley docks, that is a function of time and experience.

As far as having a CB on while you are doing it, I would never trust someone else.

If you don't know what is behind you.....STOP.....get out and look.

Some said that it is embarrassing to get out five time and look.

I would rather see that than have some one try it once and drive over someone.

You cannot give me a reason why you backed into something where I will not be able to not only show that you where wrong, but make you feel stupid because you did it.

If you back into something it IS your fault.....YOU backed into them, right?

[danj_otr]

G.O.A.L Was drilled into my head! I always turned the CB off, turned the radio off, and it made it much easier to back in.

[satori195]

I used to rack my brain thinking "if the trailer needs to go left ,then turn the wheel right".One of the older instructors at my school gave me some of the same advice as Rockymtnprodriver . Turn towards the trailer drift.Drifts left turn left,drifts right,turn right.Seems to be alot less brain strain. And that right mirror,its a liar for sure. dont stare at it for very long or you will get off track. 8)

[rigidsporty]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Did anyone else here have tons of trouble when they first started learning how to drive?

Yup. Your not alone there, I had a hell of a time at first but I got it and you will too. 8)

[Windwalker]

Originally Posted by Douglas

:!: Okay, Tuesday of this week was the first time we got to drive. We drove for Tuesday, Wednesday, and yesterday (Thursday). We get Fridays off. The first thing I ever did to drive an 18-wheeler was back it up. The first day we practiced straight-line backing. After a few tries I picked it up just fine. But then we had to do the lane-change (where you pull up ahead of one lane, then turn while your backing to back in the other lane right beside it), parallel park to the left and to the right, and the 90 (where you alley dock it), and it's hard as hell.

I can straight-line back fine, but I f@ck up on the lane-change, and I can't even begin to do the 90. I can do the parallel parking but ONLY BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTORS ARE WALKING ME THRU IT; TELLING ME WHICH DIRECTION TO TURN, AND WHEN TO TURN IT Without them, I couldn't do it worth a crap.

Now, I know it's only the 1st week of driving, but I still don't know that I'll be able to get all this down pat within 3 weeks. It's tough backing one of them motherfudgers. I know it's easy enough to remember to turn the opposite way you want the trailer to go right now, but when in the middle of a sharp turn you tend to get confused.

Did anyone else here have tons of trouble when they first started learning how to drive?

Do you have a garden tractor and trailer available? If so, use that on the weekends to practice backing. You'll have much better view of what the relationship is between the tractor and trailer. But keep in mind that the response of a CMV is much different, as well as what you get to see in the mirrors. I've found that trainees that come from rural areas, and grew up operating farm equipment seem to have a much easier time of it because of being used to the relationship of the tractor and trailer when backing. Also, "AIM" the trailer by using the bottom edge and extending a line to the edge of where you are trying to back into.

It takes a lot of practice.

[Mars]

Originally Posted by Mtc_Is_Hell

Its a 2 week course

Yep that's one of those schools that cater to the impatient. Most decent schools are at least 6-8 weeks for the basics, and longer for more advanced training.

All of the recruiters I talked to, seem to ask the first same question, "what school did you go to and how long was it."

The more time you spend at backing and driving the better you get.

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by Mtc_Is_Hell

How long is your school? See my screen name, I went to mtc, a run down school that needs to get thier S&&t together. Its a 2 week course but after the first day of the second week I basically showed up did one manuver and went home, the head instructor got pretty mad ready to throw me out... I was called Valivictorian by the 45 students in the class with me.

The pre trip was hardest thing for the rest the rest of my class, I doubled as an instructor once I pissed off bill.. Showed them the pretrip.. Got a 104 my self the guy said I didn't touch the power steering pump, I meerly pointed at it.

Before you know it you will be on your own.. I'm already planing on leaving this Otr Driving after my year is over. Its hard to keep in shape out here.

It's 10 weeks long. I go to Moultrie Technical College (also abbreviated MTC! :shock: ). So far it's pretty good. I'm going to try hard tommorow.