As others have mentioned its just like backing a regular vehicle. Angle your mirrors down to where you can see the bottom of your rear tires In case your backing around a curve. Just keep in mind you have quite a few feet of overhang behind the rear wheels so you'll have to compensate for when backing. Take as much room as you need/ can get. Try not to blind side back if possible. Get out and look at any potential hazards that may damage the box, tires etc etc.
Your setup all depends on the situation you are in and how much room you have to maneuver. You want enough distance away from an alley dock/ parallel to where when the front end follows around you wont hit something (curb check/ stationary object/ fence) Similar to how we have to judge these things in a combo setup.
Everything you see in the tractor/trailer videos holds the same principles. Only difference is your not in a T/T setup. If your watching those aerial videos. Cut the tractor part of it off in your mind and imagine the trailer having wheels in the front. That'll give you a base line of how to back a straight truck.
You'll get a feel for it in a few weeks. I had little time behind the wheel before I went and got my class B license a long time ago. It'll take time to get use to judging distances in your mirror for backing around things but its just apart of the process.
How to back a straight truck
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by GatoTrucker, Dec 15, 2016.
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Now that some people were kind enough to recant their trolling accusations, we can move on to more practical matters.
One thing I learned very quickly and very early in my own career in this job is that no two trucks are alike. Every one is different in an indeterminate number of ways.
As to your question, basically a straight truck will back the same as a car, whereas with a trailer your steering wheel movements must be the opposite. This throws a lot of tractor trailer drivers that drive a straight truck once in a while, myself included.
You can't learn this out of a book, or even by watching someone else do it. All we can do for you is point you in the right direction. Knowledge is of little use without the means to apply it. That means you have get in that truck yourself and get it done.
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This thread is from 2016..
Since then we’ve all become kinder and gentler
Bean Jr., God prefers Diesels and Diesel Dave Thank this. -
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