[sbatson]

Ok I seem like I'm having problems backing into a spot at a truck stop, can anyone give me some pointers on the best way to set myself up to get into a spot easier, I try and seem like I'm turning to soon or something so I'll get Pi#@ed and move on and try to find a straight spot.

[bjs24]

Originally Posted by sbatson

Ok I seem like I'm having problems backing into a spot at a truck stop, can anyone give me some pointers on the best way to set myself up to get into a spot easier, I try and seem like I'm turning to soon or something so I'll get Pi#@ed and move on and try to find a straight spot.

Being fairly new myself i have found that the slower you back the easier it is to turn and not turn too much. but i have had plenty of more seasoned drivers tell me to find the easiest space to get into if you dont have to back dont you get enough of that at load stops. they have also told me to use all the space you have to make it easier. hope it helps BJS

[sbatson]

Ya I always look for that easy spot but it seems like I'm running into these areas like Amarillo late and seems like the only spot is the one right in the middle of everything.

[matcat]

Truck stops after dark are the perfect places to practice that backing skill Unless I just wasn't in the mood, I often looked for the toughest spot and worked my way into it, and driving for swift I had a really nice cheering section over the radio .

You ask 20 drivers the best tips for backing and you will get 20 different tips and ideas. The biggest is don't blind side it, if at all possible. Most truck stops are setup that you don't have to blind side into a spot. Also take your time, if people start getting on your nerves over the CB about taking a while, just shut it off, don't worry about them (Me personally I rather enjoyed the penut gallery ).

[Uturn2001]

When trying to back try, if possiblef to not start the back at a 90 degree angle from the space.

To start you want to be about 6-8 feet away from the hole and parallel to it. When your door is about even with the middle of the hole stop and look to your right for some kind of land mark directly across from the space you are wanting to back into. . Turn hard right and drive towards that object. When you about a 1 1/2 hood length (maybe a little more) away from your landmark turn hard left. This should place your trailer at the opening of the hole. You may have to drive forward a little bit to improve the angle or orientation to the hole, but it should put you in decent shape.

Before starting your back, be sure to turn your steering wheel straight.

It will take some time and practice and you will need to fine tune your turns and starting point to fit your truck since every truck handles a bit differently.

[sbatson]

Ya I leave out 2-morrow so I will try all the advice I get today and see what works best for me.

[classB]

You need to find your reference points. Find a big open parking lot with no cars. Then select one parking space and try to back in. Look at the spot on the road where you started to turn before backing up and where you end up once your backing up. The next time try doing the exact same thing but from a different starting point, it could be a couple feet further down or a couple feet earlier. Maybe your reference point is the door. See where you line your truck up so when you turn the wheel you are lined up to go in straight. That is your reference point. It is trial and error but once you find your reference point you will be able to back in every time the exact same way without having to think about things.

On my bus the reference point is the center of the passenger door. Once I see that line up with the parking spot next to the one I want (right before my parking spot), I turn the wheel all the way to the left, hard left and go until I am lined up perfectly straight with the spot. I then back in straight. Works every time.

One more thing you want to do is when your actually backing up is use your drivers side flat mirrors and watch to see your truck get close to the parking line. Use those mirrors. Don't try and stick your head out the window or use some other system. Don't worry about the passenger side mirrors. If you're lined up straight and your tires are close to the parking line on the drivers side, you won't hit anything on the other side. You can look from time to time to the passenger mirrors, but don't use them to line yourself up.

Good luck. Once you learn your reference points and back in a couple times it becomes very easy to do. Go slow the first couple times and learn from each attempt at backing up. It is much easier to line yourself up and go back straight than to try and turn in at an angle.

[matcat]

Ohh and I should of mentioned it before hand, get out and look! People might look at you silly but it really is a great way to get a good overall picture of what you see in the mirror, and how it actually looks looking at the entire rig and where it is at and what it is doing.

[JeffTheTerrible]

This may sound a bit weird, but I actually managed to work out my backing difficulties through the dreams I had when I first started running OTR. I know it sounds ridiculous, but, when I first started off, I would actually have dreams that I was driving the truck, and it would always scare the living hell out of me when I woke up, because I'd immediately think that I'd fallen asleep behind the wheel.
I know it's not advice, but I just thought I'd throw it out there. As for backing advice, practice, practice, practice. That's all I can really say.

[sbatson]

This does help and I will use it out there on this trip and try to stop early so I can try to do it before everyone piles in.