Backing a trailer

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:34 am

Ok...so I'm bored!

With your hand on TOP of the steering wheel, turn in the direction you want th FRONT of the trailer to go. Imagine steering a shopping cart backwards. Steer in quarter turns or less.

LostinReno · Post by **LostinReno** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:37 am

TomServo wrote:Ok...so I'm bored!

With your hand on TOP of the steering wheel, turn in the direction you want th FRONT of the trailer to go. Imagine steering a shopping cart backwards. Steer in quarter turns or less.

Shhhhh, the noobies are fun to watch!

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:38 am

Whoops!

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:40 am

wow. you ARE bored. However, I had to sell a pop-up tent camper because I NEVER learned to back it up. don't get it.. not even a little.

Token · Post by **Token** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:40 am

Or steer with the bottom of the steering wheel and all is logical again.

Its real easy. Trailers countersteer.

Now I'm bored too. All packed up and no place to go.

swampdog · Post by **swampdog** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:43 am

After 2 runs of "this rig can only go forward" I appreciate the guidance. I will duct tape this to the visor of my truck. It was bad enough when I was pulling a 20 ft trailer with a half ton pickup and couldn't back it up, but when I had a little 8 ft trailer and still couldn't figure it out - well, it was a bit embarrassing. Even though no-one was there to enjoy my despair.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:46 am

Boijoy wrote:wow. you ARE bored. However, I had to sell a pop-up tent camper because I NEVER learned to back it up. don't get it.. not even a little.

Backing was a deep discussion in truck driving school. It seems trivial, but parking a rig at a truck stop is a big deal. You're not parking between cones anymore.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:48 am

longer trailer, and longer tongues, are easier to back up.

(puns? anyone, Buehler)

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:50 am

swampdog wrote:After 2 runs of "this rig can only go forward" I appreciate the guidance. I will duct tape this to the visor of my truck. It was bad enough when I was pulling a 20 ft trailer with a half ton pickup and couldn't back it up, but when I had a little 8 ft trailer and still couldn't figure it out - well, it was a bit embarrassing. Even though no-one was there to enjoy my despair.

Shorter trailers are harder to back. They react quicker.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:54 am

ygmir wrote:longer trailer, and longer tongues, are easier to back up.

(puns? anyone, Buehler)

I'm thinking....

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:57 am

TomServo wrote:
ygmir wrote:longer trailer, and longer tongues, are easier to back up.

(puns? anyone, Buehler)

I'm thinking....

congratulations!!!

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:03 am

TomServo wrote:
ygmir wrote:longer trailer, and longer tongues, are easier to back up.

(puns? anyone, Buehler)

I'm thinking....

don't strain it.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:04 am

Thank you! Its been a while.

Bounce530 · Post by **Bounce530** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:09 am

You need to go to the SWIFT school and tell them that! I get noob's in here all the time, fresh from SWIFT school...they're soo bad, that when we see SWIFT on the side of the truck we know we have pleanty of time for a smoke break.
Couple of them were soo bad and got so twisted up, they had to drop their trailer to get out of the mess they got their truck tangled up in while trying to back in to a dock.

SWIFT= Sure Wish I Finished Truck-school.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:14 am

How about getting someone on the ground for you, who knows how to give useful hand signals?

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:17 am

Bounce530 wrote:You need to go to the SWIFT school and tell them that! I get noob's in here all the time, fresh from SWIFT school...they're soo bad, that when we see SWIFT on the side of the truck we know we have pleanty of time for a smoke break.
Couple of them were soo bad and got so twisted up, they had to drop their trailer to get out of the mess they got their truck tangled up in while trying to back in to a dock.

SWIFT= Sure Wish I Finished Truck-school.

If I saw a swift driver trying to alley dock, id go around. They are the reason half our safety posts were uprooted.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:22 am

it was prolly the post's fault, not being painted bright enough yellow !

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:30 am

Token wrote:Or steer with the bottom of the steering wheel and all is logical again.

Its real easy. Trailers countersteer.

Now I'm bored too. All packed up and no place to go.

With your hand on top of the steering wheel, right is right and left is left. No need to think in opposite.

Just_Joe · Post by **Just_Joe** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:54 am

Token wrote: Now I'm bored too. All packed up and no place to go.

C'mon up north and setup in my yard. I'll reverse my wet vac and blow a little desert at you. Sorry, no shirtcocking tho-the neighbor on the left gets all pissy and calls the cops.

Just_Joe · Post by **Just_Joe** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:03 am

Find a radio flyer wagon and spending 10 minutes PUSHING instead of pulling it.
Once you "get it", the "hand on the wheel at X o'clock " thing won't be necessary.

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:53 am

My brother trained with SWIFT, he never passed his backing tests. His trainer wouldn't let him back up, but then, the trainer wasn't all that great at it. He ended up as a bus driver.

sputnik · Post by **sputnik** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:55 am

It's easy with this setup!

[youtube][/youtube]

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 1:20 pm

weather man wrote:Find a radio flyer wagon and spending 10 minutes PUSHING instead of pulling it.
Once you "get it", the "hand on the wheel at X o'clock " thing won't be necessary.

That's good practice, but radio flyers don't have steering wheels, and your not looking behind you in a moving vehicle.

Just_Joe · Post by **Just_Joe** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 1:45 pm

TomServo wrote:
weather man wrote:Find a radio flyer wagon and spending 10 minutes PUSHING instead of pulling it.
Once you "get it", the "hand on the wheel at X o'clock " thing won't be necessary.
That's good practice, but radio flyers don't have steering wheels, and your not looking behind you in a moving vehicle.

Just like shopping carts

I wonder, are there any competitive backing up events??

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 2:12 pm

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 2:57 pm

sputnik wrote:It's easy with this setup!

[youtube][/youtube]

Jack Paar????

Thecatman · Post by **Thecatman** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 3:17 pm

TomServo wrote:That's good practice, but radio flyers don't have steering wheels, and your not looking behind you in a moving vehicle.

Plus looking in the side mirrors, when everything is opposite as well, throws another curve into the equation.

I never did master backing up triple transfer dumps, cuz the draw bar on the front trailer is somewhat longer than the rear which causes the rear trailer to turn quicker and sharper. I know there are alot of drivers who can. Double transfers I coud do.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 3:27 pm

Thecatman wrote:
TomServo wrote:That's good practice, but radio flyers don't have steering wheels, and your not looking behind you in a moving vehicle.
Plus looking in the side mirrors, when everything is opposite as well, throws another curve into the equation.

I never did master backing up triple transfer dumps, cuz the draw bar on the front trailer is somewhat longer than the rear which causes the rear trailer to turn quicker and sharper. I know there are alot of drivers who can. Double transfers I coud do.

I don't use my mirrors till I know I'm in. My day cabs exhaust is in the passenger side, so makes it much easier. Either way, steering from the 12:00 the front of the trailer moves the same direction as my hand.

I've never had the pleasure of pulling doubles, though I'm endorsed.

dragonpilot · Post by **dragonpilot** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 5:27 pm

I learned to put my hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and stick my thumb out. No matter which hand I'm using, the rear of the trailer (the end that goes first when backing) goes in the direction my thumb is pointing when I turn the wheel in that direction...which means the rear is going to go in the opposite direction if I steer away from my thumb.

I know, sounds confusing when you read it. Practice it a few times and it's foolproof.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Aug 13, 2010 5:53 pm

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri= ... nkeCeLE0E0

Thought that shitty air looked familiar!

Backing a trailer

Backing a trailer

Re: Backing a trailer