newbie in school has question

[BigDumbDog777]

ok, this may sound stupid, but how do you back up straight? Everytime i back up practicing the dock back up, I'm always slightly or somewhat crooked. I'm not hitting any cones but I'm not straight.

Also any tips about doing the dock back up coming in from 90 degree angle from dock?

but for the life of me I cannot back up completely straight, I'm always slightly crooked. Any advice from you experienced drivers would be appreciated.

[Uturn2001]

The first rule to backing straight is to start straight. If you are even slightly crooked (angle between truck and trailer) you will end up crooked.

[BigDumbDog777]

Yeah that could be the problem, just seems like I have a tendency to start drifting. i think i might be over correcting on the steering wheel. I dont' hit the bpoundary cones or anything but I am slightly crooked (not straight) when i hit the dock.

I'm also having probs with backing into the dock from 90 degree angle. I have a hard time hitting the dock alley (getting between the cones), when i come in from 90 degrees.

[wsyrob]

One thing the instructor told me that helped is to make sure your drive tandums are straight underneath the trailer. Line them up straight with the edge of the trailer. You can see them in your mirrors and they will get out of line before the rear of the trailer starts to drift allowing you to correct the drift sooner.

[BigDumbDog777]

Hey thanks for that tip. Makes sense. I'm going to try and see if that fixes my problem.

[RockyMtnProDriver]

ok, this may sound stupid, but how do you back up straight? Everytime i back up practicing the dock back up, I'm always slightly or somewhat crooked. I'm not hitting any cones but I'm not straight.

Also any tips about doing the dock back up coming in from 90 degree angle from dock?

but for the life of me I cannot back up completely straight, I'm always slightly crooked. Any advice from you experienced drivers would be appreciated.

Well, first of all, it is impossible to back up straight. You will always have a bit of drift from side to side. The key is in recognizing the drift and then dealing with it before it becomes an issue. Look in the mirror, if there is more trailer in the right mirror than the left, then the trailer is drifting to the right. Simply steer towards it and it will correct. Just dont put to much steering into it so it does not over correct. Do the same if there is too much trailer in the left mirror, steer towards it.

Another thing is to reference a point forward as you go from mirror to mirror. This will usually tell you if you are out of alignment, because that picture will change.

Most of the problems I see with students is that they will not correct soon enough, over correct and not look from mirror to mirror often enough. Also, they will not reference forward to see how the "picture" looks ahead of them to see if it is changeing.

[superdave9]

The one tip that really helped me was to open door or look out window and make sure the front tires are parallel with truck [straight]. Now look at steering wheel to see where the steering wheel straight spot is in relation to the actual straight front wheel. Next use only ONE hand on the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position, hold and start backing. As you are backing look into the left mirror to judge your trailer movement. It took me a couple of times to actually SEE the drift in the mirror as it will be very slight and usually every truck with a trailer has some drift to it. Then do like RockyMtnProDriver suggested.... as you see the drift, either to the left or right, turn your hand that is at the 12 o'clock position, to the 9 o'clock or 3 o'clock position [if you drifting to the left...9 o'clock;...to the right, go to the 3 o'clock position] hold it until you see the trailer coming back straight, then go back to the 12 o'clock position. If you get really whacked out in your drifting you might have to hold the turn [3 or 9 o'clock] and then go to the opposite turn [3 or 9 o'clock], and hold, then go back to 12 o'clock to get straight. Biggest part of this is to remember to hold your ONE hand on the steering wheel at the exact part of it you when started backing, thus always knowing where your straight [12 o'clock] position is, and allowing for SMALL easy corrections. :idea: Hope that helps you.

[BigDumbDog777]

Thanks ROCKYMOUNTAIN and SUPERDAVE those are very awesome tips. The point of reference and the one hand 12 position will help. I think i am overcorrecting so those tips will help along with the earlier tips. Thanks for letting me know that drifts are natural occurance, i was getting frustrated with myself thinking it was just me and then over correcting. You guys have been awesome intaking time and helping a newbie with these trucking basics questions.

any advice on backing into a dock from 90 degrees? Seriously really appreciate all your help and advice yo guys give me.[/b]

[headborg]

yep that's was the most common problem my trainees needed to correct...too many of them would go "hand over hand" or thread the wheel through their hands while backing...losing any since as to "where their steers
were angled" / the one hand at 12 o'clock is best . That and you can visualize how the fifth wheel interacts with the king pin...unless your pushing directly against the front of the king pin dead-on, you're not going to go straight back but starting to impart "english" in one direction or the other.

Also you got to understand what's known as the "12-foot" rule( at least this was the general rule of thumb-depending on your tractor wheel-base and distance from kingpin to (rear) trailer axle. This distance is the lag distance(distance your trailer will travel before you get a pronouced change in angle or Pivot of your trailer....this is where "timing" comes into play....this is why you have to chase your trailer or "start getting back under it" b4 your trailer is 100% aligned with the hole....because at any time your fifth wheel is pushing the kingpin at an angle...you're still imparting english on the trailer....the whole time you're steering to "get back straight" you're still causing the trailer to turn right up to the point when your fifth wheel is again pushing dead on straight again.
This is why you have to figure out the "timing" and be back straight with your trailer...before it's 100% lined up with the slot...if you wait until it's straight with the hole to start getting back under it you'll end up 'out of bounds"

[BigDumbDog777]

ok, I get it. the lag time explains my reaction of overcorrecting. I'm defenitely going to try the 12 o'clock position, I think that is going to be a big problem solver for me. I probably sound sad, weird or pathetic saying this; but I cant wait to climb into the truck later today and try out these tips. Thanks again for everyones help for taking time to answer a newbies basic trucking question.

[superdave9]

Hang in there Dog, you will get it. Patience, practice, and perseverance. Everytime you get the chance, get in the truck. At my cdl school, they had computer tests that were required to do, get these out of the way ASAP. I realized that these "tests" were the same basic subjects we had already studied upon getting the learners permit. After further review I realized that this was a ploy used by the school for reducing the "body-count" on the yard. My last 7 or 8 computer "tests", I wrote in my "score" without actually doing it. I figured out that the instructors weren't even checking the "actual" scores. Welcome to the CDL farm, money money money, thats the name of the game. But seriously, be the best you can be and absorb everything that you see and hear, as it will come to be oh so useful. Don't try and rush it, the slower you go the easier you will catch-on. Don't try to keep up with the flow of the traffic when you start driving on the streets, as it will do nothing but hamper your ability to learn correctly. PRETEND that the streets are empty and no other vehicles are around [obviously there are and don't drive recklessly; ie....side to side weaving] and do not worry that you might be "holding up someone", due to your slow moving. They will get bye and you will absorb the new skills being taught. Have fun an be safe. 8)

[TomB985]

I've only been on my own for a couple of weeks, but I used to get frustrated with backing when I was with each of my trainers. Never had a problem getting the trailer in the dock, but I got frustrated when I got cockeyed and had to pull up a few times.

The bottom line is, it doesn't matter how many pull ups you have to do! If you're a little cockeyed when you put it against the dock, I just get out, check my angles, see what's what, get back in and straighten it out.

That being said, what I like to do when I know i'm a little crooked is pop the brakes, get out, and look at it from the front. Much easier to correct it when you fully understand where everything's at.

Have yet to see anyone drive one of these things perfect.

[tjv189]

Yeah man, just practice what the above people said and you will get the hang of it. I had that same problem at first but it comes with practice and getting used to how the trailer reacts to your steering. You will get it.

Also, it usually won't matter if your tractor is a little cockeyed when you are backed into the dock as long as the trailer is squared off with the dock so they can get the dock plate up into the trailer.

[BigDumbDog777]

Thanks for all the tips. I think I need to be a little more patient than expecting to master it in a couple tries. Thank you all for your help. I'll see how it goes today. The driving session was cancelled yesterday because my instructor had a family emergency.