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lifetime lefty
Joined: 04 Apr 2008
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 5:56 am Post subject: BACKING RANGE HELP |
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| :?: I am currently attending a C D L school. Myself and another student are having trouble on the backing range. We both are left handed, we both are average or above on all other driving. The right handers are days ahead of us, instructor is baffled. Straight line backing o k, parallel parking not so good. Both having trouble setting up straight. Most left handers do right handed things backwards, such as writing or tying knots. Any help or advise welcome. thanks lifetime lefty. |
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Rawlco
Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Posts: 1115
Location: Central Maine
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:16 am Post subject: |
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Practice, Practice, Practice. There is not a pill I can give you to make you understand backing, you just need to do it more. You are at school because nobody can back without practice. Get out and look so you understand how the trailer moves when you turn the wheel. Take every minute you can to get behind the wheel.
There also must be a formula, like turn the wheel so many times, back up so far, turn the wheel back, etc. Discover the formula and you can do it the same every time, the key is in getting set up properly. |
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Uturn2001
Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 4600
Location: East Central IL between the corn and the beans
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:17 am Post subject: |
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If I had to take a guess I would say you are over thinking things. I am left handed and IMHO unlike other things we come across there really is not any adaptation for being left handed when it comes to driving a truck.
There are several methods you can try that may help you in figuring out which way to turn the wheel to get the trailer to go in the direction you want it to go in.
Hand at top of wheel: Steer towards trouble. In other words in which ever mirror you see too much trailer in or the trailer going to the wrong side or to the side you don't wish to the trailer to go.
Hand at the bottom of wheel: Turn the wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go.
Hand at top of wheel: Turn in the opposite direction you want to go in.
Try them all and see which works best for you.
Also remember to go slow and that it takes time for the trailer to respond to what you do upfront. Oversteering in a common big problem for newbies during backing.
Finally relax. Play around with things until they click for you. When I went through school, each and every one of us progressed at a different rate. We all had backs that just clicked quickly and others that took some time and one thing we all had in common is that we found the advice from our instructors was a starting point and that in the end we had to find our own way of doing it so that it made sense to both our minds and bodies. |
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Papa Rick
Joined: 07 Sep 2006
Posts: 307
Location: North Alabama
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:47 am Post subject: |
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I worked at a driving school for a couple of years, and most of my time was spent on the backing range. What I am going to tell you is not something I came up with, but taught to me from a man who had 30 years experience.
But I found it to be so true.
When you are backing up get use to holding the steering wheel and not looking in the mirror, out the window, and then back at the steering wheel. Do look out the window and mirror, but don't look at the steering wheel because it does not let your brain get used to working without seeing what your hand is doing.
When I had new students I would get on the running board with them in the drivers seat (We had a big range) and have them just back the truck up (not trying to get it in a hole or straight line) just get use to backing the truck up by looking in the mirrors and not the steering wheel.
There is no formula for turn the wheel so many times and then turn it back. Reason is that you will never ever be in the exact same spot every time you back.
You just have to get use to working your hand, eye, and brain together.
Not everyone I had learned the same.
It takes 8 feet from the time the steering wheel starts to turn until your trailer tires make the turn.
One last thing, the people who had the most problem backing were people who had pulled boats, trailers, etc... behind their vehicles prior to coming to school. This was due to the fact that there is alot of difference between a boar and 53 trailer. |
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matcat
Joined: 09 Sep 2007
Posts: 301
Location: Wilkes Barre, PA
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:43 am Post subject: |
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Papa Rick wrote: I worked at a driving school for a couple of years, and most of my time was spent on the backing range. What I am going to tell you is not something I came up with, but taught to me from a man who had 30 years experience.
But I found it to be so true.
When you are backing up get use to holding the steering wheel and not looking in the mirror, out the window, and then back at the steering wheel. Do look out the window and mirror, but don't look at the steering wheel because it does not let your brain get used to working without seeing what your hand is doing.
When I had new students I would get on the running board with them in the drivers seat (We had a big range) and have them just back the truck up (not trying to get it in a hole or straight line) just get use to backing the truck up by looking in the mirrors and not the steering wheel.
There is no formula for turn the wheel so many times and then turn it back. Reason is that you will never ever be in the exact same spot every time you back.
You just have to get use to working your hand, eye, and brain together.
Not everyone I had learned the same.
It takes 8 feet from the time the steering wheel starts to turn until your trailer tires make the turn.
One last thing, the people who had the most problem backing were people who had pulled boats, trailers, etc... behind their vehicles prior to coming to school. This was due to the fact that there is alot of difference between a boar and 53 trailer.
Actually I would say its more of the 'Ohh I know how to do this' attitude, same thing with people who drive manual tranny cars and go to drive a truck, tend to have a lot of probs ;) |
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double back
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Posts: 9
Location: Lawrenceburg,In.
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject: lifetime lefty |
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| hey there, i just finished school, and there are some tricks i can pass along. are you having trouble with your parallel, your str. lime backing or both?? 8) |
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Drew10
Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Posts: 1525
Location: 0001 Cemetery Lane
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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Another thing to think about or consider when trying to "steer" a semi trailer. (forward or backward). A semi trailer, unlike a full trailer, does not have a steer axle, per say. (not till its coupled to the power unit). Guess where the steer axle is for the trailer when coupled. The power units Drive axle(s). (not the power units steer axle). As you practice backing on the range, "visualize" the "cut" the drive axle is giving the trailer, the more "cut" the tighter the turn...also the more cut the longer it will take to recover the trailer from the turn. Once I understood that concept it got a whole lot simpler. Also...dont disregard the power units steer axle as this must also be kept in mind, you are steering the power unit to steer the trailer, you are always steering two units, at all times. To this day, I still "think" about my drive axles acting as the "steer" axle for the trailer, and it works great.
Practice....Practice....Practice. |
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JewelsnTools
Joined: 11 Mar 2007
Posts: 85
Location: IOWA
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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I remember the range...shudder...shudder...
The thing that helped me most, in finally "getting it" on the backing, was the moment I realized that there really is a period between the time I made an adjustment and when the trailer responded (like the one poster mentioned above.)
I would turn the wheel really hard, trying to make the turn as sharp as I thought it needed to be to put my trailer in place. What always happened was that I'd turned or cut it too much!! And would end up practically jack-knifed!!
This'll probably sound weird, but I started "aiming" the back end of my trailer at a point just outside where I wanted it to go---because that drift period would drop it into place if I let it! It started working consistently once I realized I could use that drift to my advantage!
Good luck. Getting out and looking, at each point of the maneuver, also helps you visualize problem spots. Just keep at it, though. It'll actually become a matter of pride, someday! |
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headborg
Joined: 06 Nov 2007
Posts: 1072
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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another thing to consider is?
are you left EYE dominate? |
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SlingBlade07
Joined: 26 Aug 2007
Posts: 25
Location: NE Georgia
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 1:30 am Post subject: |
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Uturn2001 wrote: ......Hand at top of wheel: Steer towards trouble. In other words in which ever mirror you see too much trailer in or the trailer going to the wrong side or to the side you don't wish to the trailer to go.....
Thats the way I remembered how to correct |
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Splitshifter
Joined: 19 Jun 2006
Posts: 635
Location: Right here
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:37 am Post subject: |
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Nobody mentioned another important point:
While you're fixated on what the trailer is doing, don't forget to keep an eye on where the front of your tractor is!!!
Real easy to swing the front corner of the tractor into something when in a tight spot if you're not paying attention. |
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jw6831
Joined: 03 Jan 2008
Posts: 68
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:37 am Post subject: |
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| When correcting, start w/quarter turns on your steering, & wait for correction, |
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golfhobo
Joined: 16 Oct 2005
Posts: 3833
Location: the 19th hole / NC
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:30 am Post subject: |
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Quote: It takes 8 feet from the time the steering wheel starts to turn until your trailer tires make the turn.
This leads to a few of my favorite tips.
THINK AHEAD..... and move even SOONER!
Start your "jack" before you think you need to, and more importantly..... start to turn OUT of it before you think you need to. If you wait until you "think" you need to turn the wheel..... you are already too late.
Also, SMALL MOVES. Don't over jack the wheel thinking it is not turning "fast enough" or soon enough.
Once you get the trailer turning into the hole, turn OUT of it right to the point where it would start to go in the WRONG direction. Then turn the wheel back just a LITTLE. You are now at the "break point" and NO LARGE moves will be necessary. You will be in control of the TANDEMS.
Also, once you get the trailer going down the side of the truck next to you, watch your DRIVES. There should be a line separating the slots. Measure (with your eyes) the distance between your sight side tandems and the line, then look down (in the mirror) at your drives, and "steer" to put them parallel to that line at the same distance. If the drives get more "inside" than the tandems.... you are about to hit the truck on your blind side.
And if your tandems are far forward (alot of overhang,) keep them about 15 feet in front of the nose of the other truck before starting your jack. You can't "sneak" them around his fender if they are too far forward. You MUST be more or less straight with the slot before they get near his nose.
I don't know any specific tips for "lefties" or care which eye is dominant, you will push the trailer with the drives. Think about what you have to do to get your drives in the right place to "couple" a trailer. It is very similar. Steer the cab to position the drives. |
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EviLynn
Joined: 31 Jan 2008
Posts: 21
Location: St Louis, MO
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:47 am Post subject: |
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I am left-handed and I passed after many failed attempts. I don't think it was my"handedness" that was the problem though, I think I was being too much of a perfectionist. It doesn't have to be pretty, just score-able. Knock out some of those cones, it doesn't hurt them. I wish I remembered the joke my instructor told me that had those exact words in it. I am pretty sure it had something to do with last call at the bar, you are giving up on pretty and looking for score-able. :lol:
And most importantly, don't listen to me. :wink: |
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Soladad
Joined: 18 Dec 2005
Posts: 372
Location: Vancouver, Washington
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 10:43 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe this will help you. I struggled with the "hand on the top" method and "hand on the bottom method". Regardless if you are left handed or right handed this will work.
Think "Rightisy tightsy, Lefty loosy". Think and look at the angle between the tractor and trailer on the driver's side. If you want to make the back of the trailer go left you are "tighening" up the angle on the left between the tractor and trailer. Turn your wheels to the right. To loosen up the angle, turn your wheels to the left.
Just stopping to think what you want to do with the angle sometimes makes all the difference in backing. The rest is practice and retraining the brain to think in reverse and using mirrors.
As long as you touch the dock at least on one side and the dock plate makes solid contact along with not hitting anything (another trailer or truck) as you back is all that is important. Good luck. |
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