need some advice of you pros
First time out saturday, need advice for doing full 360 turn , tips please judging distance etc to yank it round cheers Billy
Really?
Must try harder!
Avoid doing them…
If at all possible. Sometimes it’s less stressful to take a shunt or two rather than get involved in a 360 tug of war. I’ve worked for two firms where if you 360’d in front of the office you’d first get a warning and then sacked.
If you have to and there’s plenty of places that (particularly supermarket deliveries) where you have no option, this is what I do.
Sounds obvious but make sure it’ll fit. Once you get really tight on yourself and you find you can’t continue, reversing back out straight again will be a nightmare.
Take as wide a turn as possible.
Do it on your ‘good’ side if you can.
Slow and steady.
If you have a mid-lift, lift it or dump it.
Check your suzies after, they have a habit of ending up caught on curtain pole ratchets and other bits on the front of your trailer.
Grumpy_old_trucker:
Really?
Must try harder!
Seems like a…
Perfectly good rookie Q to me.
Why would you want to turn a truck through 360 degrees just to end up facing the same way you started?
Darkside:
Why would you want to turn a truck through 360 degrees just to end up facing the same way you started?
Because the nasty man,wants him to blindside on that bay, and all them others will laugh at me.
Darkside:
Why would you want to turn a truck through 360 degrees just to end up facing the same way you started?
I’m guessing OP is referring to screwing the trailer around? done it in my early days and was warned to not do it if I can help it as it causes unnecessary wear on the tires and I think it can damage the wheel hub too or at least possibly pull a tire off of the rim if too much weight is on the axle.
As said, not advised so best to shunt if able to avoid screwing
Darkside:
Why would you want to turn a truck through 360 degrees just to end up facing the same way you started?
Yeh…
Technically it’s a 180.
Nope…
Changed my mind, it’s a 360.
All that’s been said above (by the more helpful) and…
Ok if empty, not so good if fully loaded especially if it’s a particular tight place.
Also if it is very tight watch for trailer starting to ‘reverse’ as you screw it around,.especially if near parked cars or buildings.
Try and do it as a right turn rather than a left turn…(unless of course you’re driving a left ■■■■■■)
Keep an eye on the front corners of the trailer as well as the back - deepset pins will give you quite an overhang.
Seen many a trailer screwed round on ferry decks - watching the tyres be dragged sideways up over the chain down nobbles welded to the deck floor 
Scraggy88:
Darkside:
Why would you want to turn a truck through 360 degrees just to end up facing the same way you started?I’m guessing OP is referring to screwing the trailer around? done it in my early days and was warned to not do it if I can help it as it causes unnecessary wear on the tires and I think it can damage the wheel hub too or at least possibly pull a tire off of the rim if too much weight is on the axle.
As said, not advised so best to shunt if able to avoid screwing
We do it all the time, does not harm the trailer tyres at all. Single axle trailers 
I am pretty sure he means 180 too 
Double Post
manski:
I am pretty sure he means 180 too
Quite literally…
Doing a full circle has to be considered as 360 though right?
yourhavingalarf:
manski:
I am pretty sure he means 180 tooQuite literally…
Doing a full circle has to be considered as 360 though right?
Doing a 360 means you end up where you started. (More or less) Pretty pointless?
A 180 means you end facing the opposite way to your original heading.
Sorry lads yeh I meant a 180 drrrrrr lol
If you are heavy, don’t forget as you turn near 90 degrees the turntable will have it axis down the centre of the trailer making it unstable (especially on modern trailers with little strength in them).
If you have to do it do it slowly and in one go rather than stopping halfway into it.
It has to be viewed as a last resort manoeuvre though, very unforgiving on the kit, much better to have a shunt.
Mirrors mirrors and more mirrors. Get out and look if you are unsure if there are and obstacles which may be an issue. Start in a low gear and keep it there.
Here’s a clue you can’t turn a trailer round within its own length or even close.
Also don’t try any turn that means going past an L shape at any point between trailer and unit.Any tighter than that is a liability.
One other thing- it can chew up road surfaces too. Heavy axles dragged sideways will plough loose surfaces, and in hot weather rip chippings off of soft tar.