Getting square in a dock
 

I was an ltl road driver for a few years and then I drove a gas tanker for a couple of years, so I have never really had to bump docks. I recently got a new job where I have to hit docks all day. I do not have any problem getting into the spot, but for some reason the right corner of the trailer is always about 2 inches off the dock and the left is right up against it. It always looks straight when I'm done, but then go up on the dock it is not. If there are lines then I have no problem. I have tried different set ups with the mirrors to fix the problem, but its not working. Can someone please give me the secret. Its never a problem with the loading or unloading because its not that far off, but it is really a pride thing I guess. All help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Best solution,drive a flatbed.No docks involved.Sometimes have to back into a slot,but that is a piece of cake.

Two inches off the dock, on one side, is really not far off. If you care to know the math involved, it's an angle of roughly 1.1 degrees.

2"/102"=.0196078, tan(1.1233)=.0196078
Bear with me here, college was expensive and I occasionally like to think I learned something useful.

You probably just need to tweak your perspective a little bit. You're closer to the left mirror, so if the tractor and trailer are in a straight line, you should see almost directly down the left side of your trailer. Because the right mirror is further away, the angle is different, so the image in the right mirror should look like the trailer is slightly cocked to the right. It sounds like trying to see just a tiny bit more of the left side will give you what you're looking for.

hell i'm always 2ft off on my pass side. lol. when i go to a place in tn there are 10-15 co trucks lined up at the docks & all every time are 2-5 inches further away on the pass side also. i think mine is also a trailer alignment prob though.

Are you straight backing, 45 degree backing, or 90 degree backing into these docks?

If you want to get it right the first time, try doing two things:

1) Find landmarks or blemishes on the surface of the pavement to help orient your truck with the dock. Let's say, ok, there's a crack in the pavement over where I want the left drive axles to be, and a pothole near where my ride side tandems go. Use those marks to help visualize how the truck is angled against the side of the building.

2) Follow the sequence of manueverability from least to greatest: Trailer tandems, drive axles, steers. Get setup so your trailer tandems will just glide into place. Now you've got the back of the trailer centered with the dock. After that, focus on getting your drives where they need to be, now you've got the trailer square. Finally, get your steers lined up so the tractor is lined up with the trailer.

There is no shame in getting out, looking, and pulling up to make adjustments. If you still see that you're 2 inches off to your left, just turn the wheel hard right, pull forward a foot, then hard left another foot. Back up and enjoy the perfection. :)

There ya go.... Teamster! That's the problem (and the answer.) It is not YOU who can't hit the dock square.... it's everybody ELSE!! :lol:

Just consider they are all imperfect, and back in with the right front fender CLOSER to the truck on your RIGHT, and you should be PERFECT! :lol:

Seriously, without lines it is difficult, but either way.... remember that it is NOT your STEERS that will make you square.... it is your DRIVES!

Crank your left mirror down to where you can watch your DRIVES. Try to make sure THEY are the same distance from the trailer beside you as your tandems are. Or a bit FURTHER if you want to believe that HE is in there "crooked." :wink:

Then make sure that your steers are straight with your drives AND tandems, and you're a REAL "supertrucker!" :lol:

Other than that, you just have to look STRAIGHT ahead of you.... and TRUST the "force!" 8)

The post about the mirrors is right on. There IS a Parralax involved. You need to learn to OVER compensate for the right mirror, and UNDER compensate for the left. I don't understand it all, I'm not as good at math as the "Godfather!" :lol:

I just know he's RIGHT! :wink:

Don't feel bad. I've always had problems with docks that don't have lines. I find I wind up so that I look straight on my side, but I'm some distance away on the blind side, even sometimes several inches off, even though it looked straight as a razor.

The key is to over-jack so it looks far enough crooked to come out right. I think I just repeated what that math guy with the formula said. :D I have no idea how to explain this. It's just a feel thing. Get out and look and play around someday when nobody is around to bother you, and you'll figure it out.

Another thing that helps me is to just use one eye when sighting down the final alignment. I don't know why.

Just the other day I saw a flatbed back into a dock. It took him half an hour. His large car was a little bigger than my T600, but not that much bigger, and while the place was annoyingly tight, it wasn't that tight. I had the distinct impression that Mr. Flatbed over there didn't know how the hell to back into a dock. It was extremely amusing, but I didn't get on the radio and break his balls about it. I just ignored him, and left him in peace with his indignation.

Thanks for all the helpful tips. I will try them out and see what happens. It is just annoying to always end up the same way no matter what I try.

Actually, was at a shipper in PA last week (I drive for Crete) and 2 flatbeds were backed up to a dock (one of them was Boyd Bros.). The forklift drivers were drving out onto the trailers from the dock and loading them. It was insulation. I'm sure that's rare, but it was pretty neat to see.