Jacking the truck
 

Just how far can you jack your truck when backing before you are in trouble and damage something?

Re: Jacking the truck
 

You know to stop when you hear breaking noises or your trailer flips.

Depends on the truck/trailer configuration! Some can go more than others. I have seen allot of orange trucks lately with bent side fairings(gap fillers)! And a spread axle, well that is a whole different animal, you can flip one if not careful!

The farther back the 5th wheel sits the more you can jack the truck before something goes crunch. Also if the truck has cab extenders/fairings or not will make a difference on how far you can go.

The main thing is to watch the damn mirrors. If you're paying attention, you won't punch a hole in the side of your trailer and/or rip up something on your cab.

One of the problems is that drivers pull the 5th wheel too close to the cab to make a real tight turn into a shipper, its all well and good, but they forget to slide the 5th wheel back...and thus you have bent tractor "wings" when they try to jackknife into a dock. There is no reason to for it, its just laziness.

They dont want to take the few extra pullups to decrease the severity of the angle when backing in , and they bend the wings.

When I was driving otr, I only needed to move the 5th wheel once to balance the load. I normally kept it centered.

Thanks I was worried this week trying to get into a dock and had to start backing with the truck and trailer in a straight line and jack it hard, so I could miss a ramp and AC unit on my right and a trailer to my left. If I started at any angle I was running my drives agianst a ramp. I am liking the OTR just wish I could get the backing down. I can straight line back and 45 back but when I cant get those perfect setups I strugle.

From the looks of many fleet trucks, you just keep backing till a crunch is heard, then pull up and try again.

Inmate, I have never seen a driver slide his 5th wheel to make a turn. The trailer axles yes, but not the 5th wheel. Are you speaking from experience perhaps? :lol:

Well yes and no. I was sent to some really small place in Florida. It had a very narrow entrance and a very tight left turn to get to the back of the place and you had employee parking on both sides. It definately was not designed with a '70 vehicle in mind.

Anyway I got it in there with very little hassle. But when I was going through the Qualcomm at the very bottom it said under special instructions "Slide tandems and 5th wheel all the way forward to make the left turn"

I guess this turn had hung up enough guys that this was the only way in. Granted If I did do it, my turning radius would be tighter for the corner.
But as it was, I still got it in there anyway :lol: