Backing up a Trailer
A History
The first thing that I was told as a truck driver in my CDL class 4-5 years ago was that Modern Semi Trucks were and are designed to move forward along the great highways in America transporting freight much like a train does. They were not designed to back up to docks and corner back into places like many businesses in the New England area. Those places were not designed to deal with modern trucks and do not really have the infrastructure for dealing with Americas modern trucking economy. As a result many of us modern truck drivers have had to learn not just to back up in a straight line, but back up doing all kinds of horrible angles and corners to avoid various obstacles.
I found this fascinating as the number one most important think that you spend hours practicing on as a new trucker is how to back up to a dock.
Why should I learn to back up?
There are three types of drivers out there on the road where this is concerned.
There are those that can back up and do it very well. They line up neatly in their parking spaces or if there are none; neatly in line with the truck next to them.
Then there are those that are part of a team - B Seat drivers. These drivers have no real need of learning to back up into really complex areas because there is always another driver that can (husband and wife teams are a great example of this). However, if something happens to the team member who does the backing up the other person is either forced into the first category or off the road.
Finally, there are the drivers who just cant seem to back up in a straight line - or maybe they just don't care, but it looks really bad, can endanger other drivers and loaders and just generally reflects badly on the company you work for.
So please. please. please. as a driver, fall into category one.
How often will I be needed to back up?
As I mentioned before, certain areas of the country are more prone to the really difficult back ups than others. In this I would list the following cities and states:
How do you back up?
Side Notes:
How do you learn to back up?
Here are some really useful ways of learning to back up:
Backing up to a trailer:
This is really easy. Basically you need to remember that when you are separated from a trailer you are driver a car like vehicle and it will move likewise. You need to remember 2 point perspective. A good example of this is when you look at a painting done by an artist of a road. As you look down the road, the road itself gets small and smaller in the distance. This can be applied to lining up with the trailer. When you look in your drivers side mirror and your passenger side mirror you will want to see the top of your trailer getting closer to the bottom evenly on both sides. You also want to see the same amount of trailer on both sides. This tells you that you are in line with the trailer. Another trick is to look at the back wheels of the tractor in comparison to the wheel of the trailer and how they line up in the 2 point perspective.
Despite what your CDL handbook told you, you can be a little off on the angle on backing up to a trailer. As you back up into the king pin (trailer locking mechanism or Plug) it will cause the trailer to shift slightly and be guided into place by the angles in the 5th wheel (Other trailer locking mechanism or socket) and then lock into place. If you are too far off or the terrain on which the vehicle is parked it can cause some small damage to the landing gear.
As soon as you feel the 5th wheel lock into place. Put the truck into gear and gently move forward pulling on the trailer to make sure it is locked (If you really want you can get outside with a torch and make sure it is locked, most truckers do not do this unless uncertain).
Connect your pigtails/ air and electrical lines. Wind up your landing gear and your good to go.
Please note: These are just general guidelines and recommendations. Your truck and trailer may be different and so the angles will be different. You are the driver - or will be, so you make the decision. Just be careful.
What if I hit something?
It is not uncommon that a driver will hit something while backing up. It is a very easy thing to do - especially in a parking lot.
The first thing that I was told as a truck driver in my CDL class 4-5 years ago was that Modern Semi Trucks were and are designed to move forward along the great highways in America transporting freight much like a train does. They were not designed to back up to docks and corner back into places like many businesses in the New England area. Those places were not designed to deal with modern trucks and do not really have the infrastructure for dealing with Americas modern trucking economy. As a result many of us modern truck drivers have had to learn not just to back up in a straight line, but back up doing all kinds of horrible angles and corners to avoid various obstacles.
I found this fascinating as the number one most important think that you spend hours practicing on as a new trucker is how to back up to a dock.
Why should I learn to back up?
There are three types of drivers out there on the road where this is concerned.
There are those that can back up and do it very well. They line up neatly in their parking spaces or if there are none; neatly in line with the truck next to them.
Then there are those that are part of a team - B Seat drivers. These drivers have no real need of learning to back up into really complex areas because there is always another driver that can (husband and wife teams are a great example of this). However, if something happens to the team member who does the backing up the other person is either forced into the first category or off the road.
Finally, there are the drivers who just cant seem to back up in a straight line - or maybe they just don't care, but it looks really bad, can endanger other drivers and loaders and just generally reflects badly on the company you work for.
So please. please. please. as a driver, fall into category one.
How often will I be needed to back up?
As I mentioned before, certain areas of the country are more prone to the really difficult back ups than others. In this I would list the following cities and states:
- Seattle
- Chicago
- Portland
- New England Area (Maine, Conneticut, New Hampshire, Massacheusets, New York, New Jersey, etc.)
- St Louis
How do you back up?
- Find a parking space
- Drive past that parking space with your truck in a linear straight line.
- For a straight parking space: angle out at a 45 degree angle when your back axel hits the drivers side edge of the parking space and keep going until your truck and trailer are almost in line again. If it is an angled parking space: angle out when the drivers side edge of the parking space hits the middle of the trailer and keep going until your truck and trailer are almost in line again. Note: The location of your trailer axles will affect this.
- Make a hard left with your truck so you are at a 90 degree angle with the parking spot.
- Pull forward a little further until it looks like the back of the trailer is in a position to slid back into the parking spot.
- Gently ease back into the parking spot, slowly straightening the truck and observing both mirrors as you go. If you are unsure about hitting the truck and trailer that are now in your blind spot check on them, but 9/10 times if you are working at lining your truck and trailer up with the parking space line on your drivers side you should be fine.
- You may need to pull up in order to straighten out your truck and trailer if you have angle wrong or an obstacle or truck has thrown your angles off.
Side Notes:
- If you are backing into a dock, line up a close as possible to the edge of dock's drivers side door and you should be fine. Then just check to see that the back of the trailer is lined up or you may have an angry lumper or forklift driver ask you to re-park.
- In backing into a doorway, go extra slow - especially if the doorway is ramp angled. This can throw the trailer slightly off it's correct angle. Line up with the barriers (if there are any) or the dock wall. Be careful not to damage the tires. Pull forward and correct if the angle of the doorway does not match the angle of the docks.
- The closer the trailer axles are to the front of the truck, the less amount of turning you will need to do in order to affect movement in the trailer.
How do you learn to back up?
Here are some really useful ways of learning to back up:
- Grab a manual pallet lifter, find somewhere parking space like and practice moving it through the angles of it parking.
- Practice in an empty parking lot with cones.
- Use pull through parking spot (spots you can pull through forward and park) to get an understanding of angles. Pull through the parking spot out to the other side. This will automatically give you the correct angles to back up with so that you can see them and practice moving through them.
- Practice backing up at the larger shippers and receivers where there is a lot of room.
Backing up to a trailer:
This is really easy. Basically you need to remember that when you are separated from a trailer you are driver a car like vehicle and it will move likewise. You need to remember 2 point perspective. A good example of this is when you look at a painting done by an artist of a road. As you look down the road, the road itself gets small and smaller in the distance. This can be applied to lining up with the trailer. When you look in your drivers side mirror and your passenger side mirror you will want to see the top of your trailer getting closer to the bottom evenly on both sides. You also want to see the same amount of trailer on both sides. This tells you that you are in line with the trailer. Another trick is to look at the back wheels of the tractor in comparison to the wheel of the trailer and how they line up in the 2 point perspective.
Despite what your CDL handbook told you, you can be a little off on the angle on backing up to a trailer. As you back up into the king pin (trailer locking mechanism or Plug) it will cause the trailer to shift slightly and be guided into place by the angles in the 5th wheel (Other trailer locking mechanism or socket) and then lock into place. If you are too far off or the terrain on which the vehicle is parked it can cause some small damage to the landing gear.
As soon as you feel the 5th wheel lock into place. Put the truck into gear and gently move forward pulling on the trailer to make sure it is locked (If you really want you can get outside with a torch and make sure it is locked, most truckers do not do this unless uncertain).
Connect your pigtails/ air and electrical lines. Wind up your landing gear and your good to go.
Please note: These are just general guidelines and recommendations. Your truck and trailer may be different and so the angles will be different. You are the driver - or will be, so you make the decision. Just be careful.
What if I hit something?
It is not uncommon that a driver will hit something while backing up. It is a very easy thing to do - especially in a parking lot.
At a shipper/receiver: First, call your dispatcher and follow his/her directions. Then go and apologize to the shipper/receiver and see what their procedures for the situation are. If there are more problems contact your dispatcher again and then if there are more problems after that call in the authorities.
At a truck stop: Stay calm, because in all likely hood the driver or truck stop manager will not be calm. Call your dispatcher and bring in the authorities to at least make sure the exchange of insurance information is correct and goes smoothly. DO NOT go around and start raising a mob. The police really really do not like that. If your vehicle is damaged you may need to call a wrecker at most to get you moved, or even just a mechanics shop if your tires are damaged. They do have the ability to put on new tires in weird locations. |