Cheap way to practice backing. And you can do this before you get your CDL.

i learn to back doing construction hauling little air compressors adn those are harder than 53' vans but i still have trouble someimtes with tight spaces. i feel that my setup i go too far out from the spot instead of angling sooner before i back

 

just go slow, i thought i would NEVER learn to back, remember slow and goal are good, slow like molases if you have to. one day you will have that ah ha moment and itll be a lot more natural after that

 

Or.... just go to Toys R Us and pick up one of these

 

I have foumd that the longer the trailer the easier it is to back... providing there is room.

I learned in the Army where I drove a truck with a 40' trailer... doesn't sound big compared to a 53', but some of those streets and roads in Europe have beem there for centuries... and are about the same size they were in the middle ages... anyway I digress...

I remember arriving at a reciever one time and had to do a simple 45, popped.it in first time, not even a pull up just one of those times it was perfect, I got out and was walking across the dock to the office ansld another soldier stops me.and says Man you are good, I drive that Duece and a half and that little bitty trailer there and I can't do anywhere near as good as you. I looked over at it, now inderstand that trailer he had was smaller than the truck, if you see it in your mirror you are already jackknived... I just told him to keep practicing and he'll get it while I walked away thinking, I can't back that little ####### either.

In reality, the longer the trailer the slower it reacts to your movements so the easier it is to correct the.over and understeers.

 

Which is why I will sometimes slide the tandems all the way to the rear of the trailer in a really tight spot. Counter-intuitive, but...

 

The way a combination backs up is related to the length of the tractor and the length of the trailer, as well as the position of the axles on the trailer, and, of course, how tight your truck can steer.

Now, the shorter the tractor is under the rig the faster it will react to movements, meaning the rig itself. This does translate into the trailer reacting quicker. This means its easier to get yourself out of line with a single-axle tractor. BUT, it also means you can get back under the trailer and correct yourself quicker, as well.

A short wheelbase tractor and short wheelbase trailer is about the trickiest combination to back up because of how quickly the whole unit reacts to your movements. One of the trickiest combinations I ever backed up was a single-axle Freightliner (yard hostler) and a short-wheelbase jeep (lowboy jeep). It will react very, very fast and is hard to get back underneath it in time to correct.

A longer wheelbase tractor and short trailer (say, backing up a road-tractor and a 28-foot pup) is relatively easy to back up just keep your movements of the steering wheel very small because, now, if you get the trailer too far out your truck is too long and won't turn quickly enough under the trailer to get back underneath it in time.

Now, a long truck and a long trailer, is that easy to back? Well, yes and no. It depends on how long "long" really is. A standard wheelbase tractor (say, between 220-280in) and 48-53 foot trailer will react fairly predictably. However, when you get very long it can be a bit of a trick. When I'm pulling an extended lowboy, getting it into position if I have to back under a load you have to have plenty of space because the trailer won't react quickly. This means lots of room to make turns while backing while also meaning that your tractor likely won't react quickly enough to get back underneath the trailer if you go too far one way or the other.

Remember when your backing up a trailer, every bit you're off at the front of the trailer is going to be magnified at the rear.

In my opinion, a short tractor and long trailer is probably the most forgiving combination to back with because the truck can quickly get back underneath the trailer.

 

A cheaper alternative is if you know anyone who has a boat trailer you can borrow,,,,for free!