I did my first artic shift yesterday. Going forward is fine. Backwards is another matter entirely. Reversed into a very wide side road, and was totally on the pavement. I have watched youtube videos and am having another go tonight. Got a few hours dossing in the yard at start of shift. So I’m gonna find an unused trailer and have a practise.
I’m used to using full lock with rigids. But I think that this is too much for an artic. I know it depends on the reverse. But generally how many turns?
My problem is that the trailer gets away from me than it’s a real mess. I’m a bit dangerous at the moment - but want to get better.
(I was meant to get training from company - but then another driver got ill and then it’s ‘sam here is keys to double deckers crack on’. And I really don’t wanna kill anyone or damage anything. I don’t need to be like a shunter reversing god - but currently I can’t get it through the biggest gap and it’s worrying.
sammym:
I did my first artic shift yesterday. Going forward is fine. Backwards is another matter entirely. Reversed into a very wide side road, and was totally on the pavement. I have watched youtube videos and am having another go tonight. Got a few hours dossing in the yard at start of shift. So I’m gonna find an unused trailer and have a practise.
I’m used to using full lock with rigids. But I think that this is too much for an artic. I know it depends on the reverse. But generally how many turns?
My problem is that the trailer gets away from me than it’s a real mess. I’m a bit dangerous at the moment - but want to get better.
(I was meant to get training from company - but then another driver got ill and then it’s ‘sam here is keys to double deckers crack on’. And I really don’t wanna kill anyone or damage anything. I don’t need to be like a shunter reversing god - but currently I can’t get it through the biggest gap and it’s worrying.
There is no answer to “how many turns” as there are a million different variables. No-one can tell you what to do, it will only come together with practice, but suffice to say using full lock when reversing a trailer is the best way to check that you’ve closed your back doors without leaving your seat.
The general rule of thumb for reversing an artic is little and often, try turning the steering wheel very gradually and watch where the trailer wheels are going, until you’ve got some experience forget about jack-knifing trailers round corners which is what will happen if you hold it on full lock for too long.
At the end of the day it’s all down to practice, after a while it becomes second nature.
Tiny amounts. Quarter/half of a turn should be more than enough to begin with if you have plenty of space. Add/remove lock (small amounts) as necessary. Take as many shunts as required. The key really is to try to set it up to make it as easy as possible for yourself. Swing over going the opposite way you want to go, while going forward to get the trailer pointing (roughly) in the right direction you want it to go, will make it a hell of a lot easier.
Chris1207:
Tiny amounts. Quarter/half of a turn should be more than enough to begin with if you have plenty of space. Add/remove lock (small amounts) as necessary. Take as many shunts as required. The key really is to try to set it up to make it as easy as possible for yourself. Swing over going the opposite way you want to go, while going forward to get the trailer pointing (roughly) in the right direction you want it to go, will make it a hell of a lot easier.
My problem is I get the trailer and unit in a 7 shape. I think I’m using too much lock. I’ll try not using so much. I want to practise in the yard first tonight rather than on a road feeling like a fool like yesterday.
Rule of thumb; whatever you put in you have to take out. Small increments is the way. Oh, don’t be afraid to shunt, you’re there to do a job, not to win a competition.
Never mind the turns how you set yourself up as you approach is as big, if not bigger factor for a successful reverse. A sight side reverse is always preferable to a blindside option though sometimes it just isn’t possible.
As you approach pass the intended bay/door and look to find some reference points you can use to guide yourself in, then once the front couple of metres of the trailer has passed turn left to put the unit out across the road then right to give you a starting bend to work with. At this point wind both windows down and turn the radio off, use your ears as well as your eyes & brain. If you hear a horn or shout stop and look. If you have a 3 fixed axle trailer the middle axle is the pivot point around which the trailer will turn. A 2 axle trailer will pivot between the axles. GET YOUR HEAD OUT THE DRIVERS WINDOW - mirrors for the final approach when you’ve straightened up.
Start your reverse slowly and if you have to make a correction small is best. If you are unsure about the nearside back corner Get Out And Look (GOAL) as often as you need to avoid hitting anything. If someone offers to watch your back take advantage of the offer. If people get impatient ignore them and focus on the task in hand, particularly if reversing off a road. If you need to shunt forward take as much as you need, I’ve seen drivers take small shunts, several times when a decent amount of space would have made things easier and quicker. That said it is not a race.
Practice will improve your skills but even when you become competent you will have off days and look like a novice.
A trick I use is: quarter turn, then straighten wheel. Another quarter turn if needed then straighten wheel again. It saves you losing track of where your wheels are pointing plus it slows you down. Worst thing you can do is rush a reverse.
I was taught to think of the rear axle of the unit as the front/steering axle of the trailer and to steer to make it move in the right direction. As some have said above, it really helps if you can angle the trailer, however slightly, in the right direction.
Also, if you are near something - another trailer, a wall, a skip, whatever, on the blind side, get out and have a look.
Another tip - I used to back halfway into the slot and then get out to open the back. This gave me a good opportunity to see how well (or not) I wsa lined up.
The number of times I reversed onto a bay only to see I hadn’t remembered to open the doors or removed the number plate if I were doing a trailer drop …
Best answers already given but it comes with practice, just take your time and practice whenever possible.
Wait till your doing blindsides all the time watching the front of the trailer and using the force.
Always remember the old adage ‘Dont be a front bottom have a shunt’.
[It’s not really front bottom more the same body part that rhymes with ‘shunt’ can’t be any more descriptive without being rude but try picturing a badly packed kebab and youl know what I mean].
Not sure if its the problem or not but one thing to remember is that when you are reversing onto a bay and the unit is “kinked” then when you are straightning the whole lot up again, its still turning till you are straight, if that makes sense. In short, you need to straighten out before its straight. (Im not making a lot of sense here I know!)
My reversing used to be shocking. Many shunts and red faces but I figured out this was my problem and more often than not now I can put a trailer on a bay with one, or maybe no, shunts. Course sometimes it still needs a few but those are rarer than they used to be!
I feel what you are saying there pal, I only passed about 3 months ago, I was the same first time out I was put down to a tesco RDC with a doubler and made a massive idiot of myself trying to get onto the bay, and there after for a couple of weeks, it got to the point where I genuinely thought “f*** this I’m gonna find a different job” , but just keep plugging away, whats been helping me the most is literally just practice, if you are in a yard take a trailer out hitch up drive around and park it back in a space, you will get the funny looks and people taking the mick but your trying to learn and one day it just clicked and I’ve been progressing since, just try to start your manoeuvre with the unit and trailer straight and it’s half the battle, small runs on the steering and not like your driving a forklift also be afraid to ask someone for a guide or to get out and look where your going, you might feel like a tool for asking, but you’ll look like a tool of you crash into something if you don’t and ALWAYS take the shunt if you need to! I do alot of agency work in and out of different yards for different operators and we get alot of flack for being useless monkeys but honestly just keep practicing.
sammym:
I did my first artic shift yesterday. Going forward is fine. Backwards is another matter entirely. Reversed into a very wide side road, and was totally on the pavement. I have watched youtube videos and am having another go tonight. Got a few hours dossing in the yard at start of shift. So I’m gonna find an unused trailer and have a practise.
I’m used to using full lock with rigids. But I think that this is too much for an artic. I know it depends on the reverse. But generally how many turns?
My problem is that the trailer gets away from me than it’s a real mess. I’m a bit dangerous at the moment - but want to get better.
(I was meant to get training from company - but then another driver got ill and then it’s ‘sam here is keys to double deckers crack on’. And I really don’t wanna kill anyone or damage anything. I don’t need to be like a shunter reversing god - but currently I can’t get it through the biggest gap and it’s worrying.
There is no answer to “how many turns” as there are a million different variables. No-one can tell you what to do, it will only come together with practice, but suffice to say using full lock when reversing a trailer is the best way to check that you’ve closed your back doors without leaving your seat.
Rob K?! I had to look at the date then as I thought it was a years old post but NO! He doth returneth
A good way to start is hold the bottom of the wheel,that way you only move the wheel a little bit at a time,it will all full in to place,practice don’t make perfect it makes you better,we all get it wrong some times
No matter how experienced you are,every driver has a bad day doing a simple reverse at some point,some wont admit it. How many attempts depends on how bad the day has been,I remember a few times parking a trailer between two others in the yard you would have thought I was a "newbie" The worst bit is when you work m8s are out in the yard working and somebody notices how many attempts you have had to get in.
