this may help you with your understanding of backing

You can be successful at it, If I can then anyone can be, I would like to ask where you may be going to work? I am not familiar with anyone in your area that may be very good but there are a few OK truck companies that you can check with most of them will send you out with a trainer and get you trained and comfortable with what you are doing. I wish you luck, This information is good for all Newbies or olders or in-betweenie! Thanks.

 

Before computers they used a toy truck.

 

When you get out there in the world backing to a dock: the maneuver will have no name other than; "Put it in door X". They are given names in schools to help understand the situation. Situation is always the same.

Door (dock), room, and fixed object hazards.. What you have to work with, with all three, is what you have. No name. Just DOCK X and what you have to work with.

I advise not concentrating on the "alley dock", "street dock" or "angle dock".

Don't worry about names. Don't over complicate things as so many that make so much money for sounding so smart and analytical sometimes do. "When you are in a 90 degree alley dock and looking at a blind side jack around in the mirror you should turn the wheel toward the side that . . but if you are in the same docking sequence sight side out of the window you do the opposite so you need to turn the wheel to the . . . to make the tail of the trailer marry square with the dock you turn the wheel . . ."

Backing is simple. Not always easy, but simple. It doesn't matter if you are looking out either mirror or the window. Try this:

1. Think nose (of the trailer) not tail (of the trailer). The tail follows the nose when pulled. The tail leads the nose when pushed. The nose, in any direction, tells the tail where to go - pushing it OR pulling it. Nose controls where tail goes. Life is kinda like that too; don't ya think?

2. Pushing is opposite of pulling. Backing is simple: watch your tail and turn the wheel in the direction you want the NOSE to go. It doesn't matter if you are looking at the mirror or down the side of the trailer with your head out the window. Just turn the wheel in the direction you want the nose to go. You want nose right? Turn to the right. Left? To the left. NOSE.

3. Pulling is same. As you steer right the nose will start to follow you to the right (after a tiny little kick opposite to say: Huh? OK), but it will still follow you right when you steer right and left when left.

4. You don't drive the truck; you manage the trailer. The nose of the trailer is the Boss of where the tail will go. Pulling; big sweeps. Pushing small ones. The nose still tells the tail where to go.

5. Forward or backward; move the wheel right, the nose of the trailer goes right. Move it left, it goes left and it doesn't matter if you are looking in the mirror or not; it'll still be the same if you are thinking nose - not tail.

Mighty hard for many of us to think of nose and not tail, though. Still, with a bit of practice and the right frame of mind; the tail will be subject to where the nose tells it to go. I said it was simple - not easy. Big difference LOL.

Tail goes where the nose tells it to. So watch your tail and keep your nose clean in front and behind you. Steer right and it'll go right. Steer left and it'll go left. Mirror, window or windshield view; left is always left and right is always right.

How much to steer and when? That's a matter of practice and trial and error.

I' think I've said enough. Night all.

 

My school didn't teach me 45 degree alley dock either because they don't test for that at DPS. The school is just trying to teach you the skills needed to pass the driving test. The key thing I was taught was to work the trailer, not let the trailer work you. And set up is definitely important.

 

Fun game/simulator and has tons of cool mods. I've played it for quite some time. I'd play it even if I wasn't interested in trucking irl. Obviously it isn't 100% like driving the real thing but it's the best sim on the market, especially if you have a steering wheel and pedal and shifter combo. Track IR works with it too. It's basically the same concept of buying a toy truck and seeing how the trailer reacts, but much better. So what's your favorite truck in game? I go with MAN. It's got a good balance of power and maneuverability.

 

ETS2 is indeed a good sim game. good practice for a wannabe like myself to get the idea and logic of backing. I know I will learn more in school and even more when I get out there on my own. I modded the game with American trucks. Right now Im driving a ClassicXL.....added a whole host of modded trailers including oversized. It makes putting it in the dock more of a learning task. You tube is a good source of instruction as well. Nothing wrong with trying to gain knowledge...all the while keeping in mind that the real learning will come seat time!

 

Meet drivers at shippers/receivers on a weekly basis who park exclusively at rest area on/off ramps cause they're too scared at the truck stop.
After the first 3 months most people usually get the hang of it.
Just watch out for the long nose Pete, they're known to get pretty feisty over their rig

 

but we are not in europe.

 

guys, i started out as a student not being able to alley dock a 28' trailer into the cones. now i drive a yard goat and have to dock 53' trailers ALL day long. that being said, you can and will learn this with enough practice. you can get a lot of the feel down by alley docking your personal vehicle into parking spaces. next time you go to wal mart, show off to the public by finding your parking spot, pull up 3 spaces past the hole and cut the wheel hard until the back drivers side corner of your vehicle is lined up with the white line that defines the parking space. as long as you can see the relationship between the back drivers side corner of your vehicle (your trunk) and the white line, you have set up properly. put it in reverse, and make adjustments to slip into the 'dock' you know what i mean? its hard to explain but the similarities between alley docking your personal vehicle and doing it with a trailer are apparent.