even when i was new, i knew to stay away from the pilots and loves half-assed truck stops. the only pilots i like are the towne pumps in montana and the one pilot in madera, california. that one in madera is pretty big and the idle aire spots have quite a bit of room to back out of.

 

Trust me i've seen you werner guys from out of that DC back into some TIGHT ASS DG!!! During the Middle of the Day At Some!! So i got nothing but respect for you guys.. it seems like the Kev don't!!

 

I've seen the "Dollar Generals", and I'm not going to try to diminish your ability in any respect. Most did not take the truck that delivers into account when they laid out the setting for the stores. But, the worst docks I've ever been into, by far, were not any of them.There's one in Chicago that shouldn't be in that area to begin with (of course, there are a number that fall into that in Chicago), and it's a shipper, not a Dollar General. You leave I-290 and go north on a restricted street about 7 blocks. With cars parked on both sides of the street, you're the only vehilce that gets through on a two-way street. The intersection where you must back around the corner has an elementary school on the northwest corner (absolutely, do not get there when school is letting out). And, of course, the street you are backing into is even narrower than what you were just on. Then, back about half a block to the loading docks on your right. (Sighted side, oh good) The street is narrow, you have 4 feet of sidewalk, and the wall of the building with the overhead doors you must back through to the dock. On the other side of the street, you have about the same. 4 feet of sidewalk, and the wall of the building. But, you also have a utility pole at the curb. Oh, yeah... They will not load a 48'... It must be a 53'. The walls on the opposite side have scars where drivers have taken off the right front headlights, and the sides of the doorways you must back into have marks where drives didn't line up right. Once inside, you also see scars on the walls where the trailer wasn't at far enough of an angle to make it. Once in the dock, you must unhook and move the tractor because 4-wheelers can't get between the front bumper and the wall of the building on the far side of the street.

If any of you have ever delivered to "BLIND INDUSTRIES" in Baltimore, MD, it's a piece of cake compared to the one in Chicago. When I hit the dock in Baltimore, they told me they'd had 53' trailers in there before, but NEVER with a 265" wheelbase. That's also the same truck I backed in at Chicago more times than I care to count. All the other trucks I saw picking up there were much shorter wheelbases.

I'll bet Kevin would take one look at it and pass out.

After THAT shipper in Chicago, NO TRUCK STOP IS TIGHT.

 

Thought the thread was about parking not how to park. The advice about keeping your eyes open and taking notes is good. I ran New England for years and found tons of places to park that were not truckstops. When I went by them I would write them down.

I find that the people that back into trucks at truckstops are mostly super-truckers that "can back that trailer into any tight spot". They usually get cocky and want to prove how great they are. Don't get out and look or ask for help. Me, I'm not proud. If I stop at a hole and think "thats kinda tight" thats enough of a signal to me to move on. I've got nothing to prove and after almost 18 yrs of backing into the worst places you can imagine I know how to back a truck.

Hawk, you want to practice backing? Do it at your yard when you come back in from a run. Go slow and take your time and pay attention to how you set your truck up, how far you pull past the hole before kicking out to come back, etc.... It's just like anything else, practice and GO SLOW. Pull up as many times as you need. G.O.A.L. If you muff it, don't spend 1/2 hour trying to jiggle back and forth. Pull out, go around and set up again. You can give all of the people making comments the finger after you've backed into the hole without hitting anything.

 

I'm sorry, you can back. What you can't handle is the 'going forward' part, and forgetting you've got a 53' azz behind you. =) Kinda important to remember that, hence that is the whole business we're in.

 

Oh, i've had to back in some tight azz spots. Try US Port Services in Norfolk, VA, just to name one off the top of my head. And that was within my first few months of going solo. Know what I did? backed it in real nice and slow, and could give a F less how long it took me. (took me a good 15-20 min, and other drivers were getting annoyed......and i could have cared less)

 

Try the post office at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.

 

LMAO!!! are you serious?? thats the only one you could think off?? I've picked up system loads from there and that aint ****... just got to do a 90 degree back and take your time, at least at the part of the parking lot i was at... WOW!! and here to think that actually the Kev might have a Leg up on me!!

True Dat True Dat.. But what i can handle is not having the Temptation to jump out the cab move a barrier and call the po po when i F Up and i also have the Temptation of Walking up to a Guard and a Truck Driver having a Convo and asking them can they speed up the convo in a nice way because i'm running low on hours or some crap and I also Do have the Temptation of Letting Cars and Big Rigs in off of Merge Ramps on the Interstate.... yeah Kevin Touche Bioatch!!

 

Yeah i've been doing that lately... Mainly early in the morning when i'm the first one coming back from Meat and Produce loads i'll set up for a 90 degree or a Modified 45 Degree back and try to simulate where the trucks are going to be in front of me (of course i'm backing between to trailers)... I went to the Pilot at the 213 off of 81 last night and was Watching a Knight Refrigerated Truck Back in to a Fairly Decent Spot in My mind and it took that Poor guy close to 10 mins, Hell he even had a Volvo and so what i hear most Volvo's are fairly good with Backing... Everyone was Helping him over 19 tho... I think if i set up right and take my time i could get it probably get it but i think my first time doing it i might be scared *****less lol

 

wow im just surprised that you actually got a spot at that Pilot heh