I’m going to a pick up a load from a place in Wolverhampton later and I know it’s very tight there. The bays are close together if they put you on on next to another truck and there’s also very little room to pull forwards and shunt due to there being a small brick wall probably 15ft or 20ft infront. I came here a few weeks ago after just passing my test and I had an absolute nightmare, it was really embarrassing and the people that worked inside were losing their patience with how long it was taking.
Because there’s so little room to pull forwards and shunt I think you have to have it pretty much lined up perfectly because you can’t really drastically change the positioning of the trailer within the limited space available. Through lack or skill or experience (or probably both ) I just couldn’t get it and I know I’m going to struggle when I get there later on. Does anybody have any tips or advice?
Sod them inside the place, you’re new and drops like this improve your driving an incredible amount. Take your time, get out and look if unsure and just don’t bump anything, that’s the main thing no matter how long it takes.
I reckon you’ll find that this time around with a few weeks under your belt you’ll get there and suddenly there’ll be more room than you think because you’ve got used to it more.
Basically I’m trying to compare it to a place I go to which sounds similar but you’ve basically got to complete the turn before you slip between trucks on either bay which will still give room for slight adjustment. If you can get the tail between the trucks then you’ve got room to pull forward and straighten up.
Failing that ask another driver to watch your blindside. If there’s nobody around get out and look yourself - you can disguise that by cleaning mirror etc. Also hang your head out the window.
I prefer tight bays over a row of empty ones. I can pop it straight in no problems but give me a row of empty bays and I might get within one or two of the one I need
Ignore the warehouse people. Block them out. You’ll always have am audience on a reverse that isn’t going to plan. It’s the perfect blindside in a tight area where you’ll notice there’s never anybody around
Remember, it’s your licence, remember your in charge of the vehicle … if you rush and damage it, they would say he should of gone slower etc …
Just take your time, get out and check. Picture what you want to do in your head… remember slow and often when doing so … less correcting needed… it will be on the bay safely and damage free that’s what you want.
Right first just weigh up the situation and relax, don’t get flustered you WILL get it in.
Just line it up as best you can first to give yourself a chance, and don’t attempt to back in until you are sure it is lined up, if not pull out and take another stab at it.
If there are trucks either side of you (and they are proper drivers ) they will watch you in if you explain you are new…keep checking that blind side, keep getting out of cab if need be.
Just totally disregard the warehouse monkeys moaning at you and take as long as it takes to back in safely.
Don’t worry mate, it will come…trust me on that.
I was once the world’s worst reverser and it’s only experience that taught me.
Good Luck bud.
Oh yeh…don’t get backed in perfectly, feel all smug, …then discover you have not opened your doors.
I’ve done that before.
I agree that sometimes when you go back somewhere that you struggled at in your first couple of weeks you will look and think, why didn’t I do that? There a load of space there I could have used.
Best tip I learned for the tight ones is to make sure your trailer is straight as it passes the trucks to the left or right of it. That doesn’t necessarily mean your unit and trailer will be straight at that point, but you need to try and have the trailer straight. If you go in at an angle that’s when you start a whole world of issues for yourself. And if your aren’t 100% sure how close your near side is assuming your not going in blind side than for gods sake get out and check however many times you need to.
Take your time, have as many goes as you need to, and learn from it.
Redrum:
I’m going to a pick up a load from a place in Wolverhampton later and I know it’s very tight there. The bays are close together if they put you on on next to another truck and there’s also very little room to pull forwards and shunt due to there being a small brick wall probably 15ft or 20ft infront. I came here a few weeks ago after just passing my test and I had an absolute nightmare, it was really embarrassing and the people that worked inside were losing their patience with how long it was taking.
Because there’s so little room to pull forwards and shunt I think you have to have it pretty much lined up perfectly because you can’t really drastically change the positioning of the trailer within the limited space available. Through lack or skill or experience (or probably both ) I just couldn’t get it and I know I’m going to struggle when I get there later on. Does anybody have any tips or advice?
robroy:
Right first just weigh up the situation and relax, don’t get flustered you WILL get it in.
Just line it up as best you can first to give yourself a chance, and don’t attempt to back in until you are sure it is lined up, if not pull out and take another stab at it.
If there are trucks either side of you (and they are proper drivers ) they will watch you in if you explain you are new…keep checking that blind side, keep getting out of cab if need be.
Just totally disregard the warehouse monkeys moaning at you and take as long as it takes to back in safely.
Don’t worry mate, it will come…trust me on that.
I was once the world’s worst reverser and it’s only experience that taught me.
Good Luck bud.
Oh yeh…don’t get backed in perfectly, feel all smug, …then discover you have not opened your doors. I’ve done that before.
As a new driver, it was probably the first time I’d ever backed onto a bay. After a couple (dozen) stunts I finally got it on. Jumped out and realised I’d not opened the doors just as a couple of drivers walked past. “You’ve not opened your doors” they said, “I’ve never seen a driver do that before!”
the art is the first move…so make sure your rear end ( of the trailer ) is past the bay…then reverse watching the vehicle to your right…you then only have to watch the one on the n./s…if the drivers are there, ask them to watch you as its all new to you…they should offer their help and advice…but like i said…its all down to that first positionj…good luck fella…if i was there i`d do it for ya.
Best bit of advice I could give is don’t think about it until you get there, you can get up hung up on worrying about the drop / collection before you actually get there.
Approach it slowly and take all the time you need.
Yes it would, Task consumer products next to Bookers. On a sidenote it was a nightmare getting in today, they’ve got groundwork going on outside the front (installing streetlights I think) so i actually had to turn into Bookers when I met another truck to let him past.
Turns out I was worrying over nothing, I didn’t have to back onto the bay to get loaded, it was a drop and swap jobbie with the loaded trailer already in the yard. I was kind of looking forward to giving it a go on the bay though, we take loads from there regularly so no doubt I’ll be able to try it soon.
Yes it would, Task consumer products next to Bookers.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it then, I’ve loaded there a few times and it’s challenging to say the least. The guys in the warehouse will have seen it all before. They used to load artics round the back and rigids at the front but for some reason they don’t use the rearmost bays now.
You need to make things as easy for yourself as possible, so you must avoid any excess jack-knifing of the trailer, and try to approach manoeuvre as straight as possible. May of already been said, but it is key. Always look for some extra help from cracks on the ground or seam lines in concrete that run in the same direction you want to go. Using them as a guide stops you focusing on perhaps the walls of the bay or other features, which only make it harder. The hardest bays are always narrow, off camber and oblique, so you need a reference point. I know an old driver who used to throw a glove on the floor along the same lines he wanted trailer wheels to go. Not resorted to that yet, but would if needed. Also, and it has been said before, never be afraid to get out and check your blind side. There is a type of driver who will view any struggle as ‘entertainment’, and watch you scrape a wall or trailer, so forget pride and check for yourself. Don’t guess.
Harry Monk:
I wouldn’t worry too much about it then, I’ve loaded there a few times and it’s challenging to say the least. The guys in the warehouse will have seen it all before. They used to load artics round the back and rigids at the front but for some reason they don’t use the rearmost bays now.
That’s reassuring, glad to see somebody else thinks it’s tricky too and not just me making a mountain out of a molehill
I haven’t been to a great deal of places yet but it’s the worst I have been to by far
First of all, forget those chimps in the warehouse.
If anyone moans just say “look mate, I wont tell you how to stack boxes, you dont tell me how to do the mans job ok?”
Second, one of the best pieces of advice I got was have your trailer pointing where you want ti to go before you start reversing. If you already have a bend then the trailer wil turn straight away rather than wasting space starting to turn if that makes sense.
For tight bays I use the “if its alright on the side I can see then its fine on the other” methoed. Ie, concentrate on taking it in tight on your offside and your nearside will be fine. Then when you get in the bay you have room to go forward and get lined up for the bay better
Harry Monk:
I wouldn’t worry too much about it then, I’ve loaded there a few times and it’s challenging to say the least. The guys in the warehouse will have seen it all before. They used to load artics round the back and rigids at the front but for some reason they don’t use the rearmost bays now.
That’s reassuring, glad to see somebody else thinks it’s tricky too and not just me making a mountain out of a molehill
I haven’t been to a great deal of places yet but it’s the worst I have been to by far
You’ve only got to look at how much truck paint there is scraped along that wall to see that you’re not the first person to have had problems there, the more difficult bays normally take even a trucking God like me three or four shunts to get on.
Harry Monk:
I wouldn’t worry too much about it then, I’ve loaded there a few times and it’s challenging to say the least. The guys in the warehouse will have seen it all before. They used to load artics round the back and rigids at the front but for some reason they don’t use the rearmost bays now.
That’s reassuring, glad to see somebody else thinks it’s tricky too and not just me making a mountain out of a molehill
Well, of all the hundreds of places there are to load a truck in Wolverhampton, look how I managed to name the very place just from your description and without you even saying what you loaded.
The-Snowman:
First of all, forget those chimps in the warehouse. If anyone moans just say “look mate, I wont tell you how to stack boxes, you dont tell me how to do the mans job ok?”
That had me in stitches and will be quoted in future situations
Harry Monk:
You’ve only got to look at how much truck paint there is scraped along that wall to see that you’re not the first person to have had problems there, the more difficult bays normally take even a trucking God like me three or four shunts to get on.
Well trucking god, if you ever see a handsome young man at Task taking 87 shunts and still failing to get on the bay just assume it’s me and try teaching me some of the ways of the trucking gods because I could sure use it
And thanks for all the advice guys, I’ll try and put it into practice when I get the chance and see how I get on
) I just couldn’t get it and I know I’m going to struggle when I get there later on. Does anybody have any tips or advice?
) they will watch you in if you explain you are new…keep checking that blind side, keep getting out of cab if need be.
