as a new driver i have recently been sent to some pretty tight places to get in and out of - so the other day i was sent to a brewery site to drop some barrels and to cut a long story short it was a tight bay to get on - after about 30 attempts - i gave up and a very nice man from stobarts came to my rescue and put it on for me!
how to make yourself look a knob in one easy lesson - morral of the story is as a new driver - stick to trunking!!! lol.
experience is everything mate… im 3 months into class 1 driving, and i still ask for help and guidence…and a good trucker will understand and help…
dont worry…watch and learn how they do it… thAats what i do
Yes don’t worry it will become easier, I have been driving since the Napoleonic war and I think I may have done the perfect shunt twice…
irizarkid:
after about 30 attempts - i gave up and a very nice man from stobarts came to my rescue and put it on for me!
morral of the story is as a new driver - stick to trunking!!! lol.
Same thing - got to put artic in blindside on a slope, bays at a 30 degree angle between metal bits that were raised about a foot. tried for about 5 mins - no way 
- 
ask next artic driver who comes in (bound to have more experience than me) - AHA 
heres one - “can you do this for me mate” 
- “YEP” - in one - no messing 
- then I looked at the name on his truck - same as where we are 
- apparently he only backs into this area and no where else 
Moral - ASK, dont struggle. you might get lucky 
great advice, i feel sometimes that experienced drivers may think us newbies are pests! sometimes, but its nice to know some will help a struggler! i wonder how i would feel if i asked for help an they told me where to go! mind you since passing my class1 i can put my caravan on its spot great it looks very impressive as everybody watches when you pull on a pitch lol
i wonder how i would feel if i asked for help an they told me where to go!
shrug your shoulders and say out loud “ok, i’ll struggle on then”
It’s amazing how quickly you get better at doing it. I’ve been on class 1 for about 5 weeks now, and initially I could get the trailer in the general location i wanted it, but would always oversteer and put myself in an awkward position to sort out.
I had guidance from other drivers and it helped a lot, especially getting used to looking out the window for the initial maneouvre rather than using the mirrors, and if you’re reversing off your right side, get the truck in the best position possible first and always bring the cab round so u can see down your right side before you start reversing. Often I still need to shunt when going onto bays just to get it straight between the lines but the actual getting the thing in the right place isn’t too much of a problem anymore.
I haven’t had to do many blindside reverses yet, but it usually takes me several shunts because i’m paranoid of hitting what’s on my offside. The other day I went to tesco rdc and the 3 bays to the offside of mine were empty, and as the bays were on my left rather than spin round I decided just to back it in as there was nothing to hit. By some fluke it ended up dead straight between the bay guide lines, and there was a shunter waiting for me to finish, was chuffed Bit peeved when I realised I had to pull fowards again anyway to get the doors open though…
Kiowan:
It’s amazing how quickly you get better at doing it. I’ve been on class 1 for about 5 weeks now, and initially I could get the trailer in the general location i wanted it, but would always oversteer and put myself in an awkward position to sort out.I had guidance from other drivers and it helped a lot, especially getting used to looking out the window for the initial maneouvre rather than using the mirrors, and if you’re reversing off your right side, get the truck in the best position possible first and always bring the cab round so u can see down your right side before you start reversing. Often I still need to shunt when going onto bays just to get it straight between the lines but the actual getting the thing in the right place isn’t too much of a problem anymore.
I haven’t had to do many blindside reverses yet, but it usually takes me several shunts because i’m paranoid of hitting what’s on my offside. The other day I
went to tesco rdc and the 3 bays to the offside of mine were empty, and as the bays were on my left rather than spin round I decided just to back it in as there was nothing to hit. By some fluke it ended up dead straight between the bay guide lines, and there was a shunter waiting for me to finish, was chuffed
Just wait 'till you drop a trailer on a bay and then realise that you’ve left the Number plate on 
Devon:
Just wait 'till you drop a trailer on a bay and then realise that you’ve left the Number plate on
I do that weekly.
It comes with age.
Creeping senility.
And it don’t half knacker the knees crawling back undernesth.
ROG:
i wonder how i would feel if i asked for help an they told me where to go!
shrug your shoulders and say out loud “ok, i’ll struggle on then”
Even better to wait for his turn and then go and stand on his front corner, right in his face and tell him you are just watching to see how it is done!
I have been driving part time now for 25yrs and still ASK - always if I am unsure I get out and look and ask questions.
Just after I passed my test started doing weekend work for a firm and every Saturday morning had to wash / fuel and park 40 fridge trailers - learned to blind side reverse into the wash bay very quickly but doing going carefully with each reverse.
irizarkid:
how to make yourself look a knob in one easy lesson - morral of the story is as a new driver - stick to trunking!!! lol.
Not really, the guy was helpfull to you. Next time you’ll have another go and another and eventually you’ll get it sorted.
I had to a blindside reverse last week, both mirrors tucked in and the gutter on the nearside so close it left marks on the curtain
I think I took about 10 or was it 15 shunts?!
Then at the far end I got the truck into an alley I though you’d be hard pressed to get a transit van.
Driving out was easier, but I was still amazed I got in there without breaking anything!
I bow down to artic drivers who can do this on bendys in the dark
Anyway, yeah, experience will come to you…
Like reversing skills. I’m still overworried about my own reversing skills. I think my record was about 3 steel bollards, 2 concrete bollards and a wooden sign in one short reversing manouver I think I’m going to go and hide again
I still remember my finest moment. Lynx parcel multi drop in center of Glasgow.
Reversing up some tight back lanes with one full left turn and then a right/left zigzag. Got it in a oner.
Still brings a smile when I walk past the place
Saw one in Birmingham this week where the driver had to turn up a dual carriageway the wrong way for about 50 yards then reverse into a tight gateway. Getting out was even worse. Both times snarled the traffic but the guy looked like he knew what he was doing. Scared the other mundane drivers a bit though. They paniced the wrong way mostly 
If any of you new guys get the chance, take a shunting job of your agencies!!
I was an ok reverser but then back in the early nineties, I had a regular shift on a Sunday night at Parceline round the back of Hanger Lane. A small yard and 10 trailers to move improved my reversing skills so much that now I never even think about a reverse manouvere!!
Also doing regular deliveries to the old Sainsburys depot at Hackbridge was enough to improve anyones skills lolol
Funnily enough, I was at Basingstoke Sainsburys last night with produce. Wide enough gaps to go into but not a lot of room at the front. As I was sat there waiting to be tipped, I was watching a SAINSBURYS driver reverse one of their trailers onto the bay to my right. He was making a right pigs ear of it. There was a Pulleyns the other side of him (you know how shiny they are lolol). I suddenly realised he was about to hit my trailer with his n/s rear end. I sounded my horn and he stopped. The Pulleyns driver and myself then guided him in. As he got out, I remarked to him ‘That had the hallmark of someone who hasn’t been doing this very long’, he answered he was on his first week. . I told him in future to ask if he wasn’t sure but he said he didn’t like to in case we had taken the pee out of him being a Sainsburys driver and all that. I let him know we are all drivers together and I would rather he asked me to help than have him bash my trailer.
I was the a pretty week reverser. and the first year I drove a car carrier not much help there . well for three months i have been delivering steel its like night and day. I now don’t hesitate. I suppose 10 reverses a days help. just go slow and if in doubt get out and look.
Firstly Don,t worry about it mate ! 
I have been driving artics for over 35 years and believe me if I had a penny for every one I got wrong I would be a millionaire now !!
You just have to get on with it as the only way to learn is by your mistakes and then you can pass on the tips yourself when you see someone struggling and never be afraid to ask for someone to watch you in tight spot as there is no shame in asking for help we all had to learn the hard way.
Don,t take any notice of the smart a**** who tell you that everyone gets it in in one go as they are invariably lying just to wind you up .
irizarkid:
how to make yourself look a knob in one easy lesson - morral of the story is as a new driver - stick to trunking!!! lol.
ah definitely not mate, i got my artic licence about a year ago but only started driving them about 2 months ago, and the first day i was sent to a ridiculous drop, and it was 300kms away from the depot so it wasnt as if i could say nah screw it and bring her back, it simply had to go in and that was the end of it.
and since then ive had so many crazy places to try and get into with a 45 ft trailer, most of the time i think to myself, jesus i honestly dont know how that went in there, but you feel bloody great when you get it right, even after 5 or 6 goes.
youve gotta do all the ■■■■■■ drops sometime, you might as well get them from the kick off, it will only add to your experience and make you the better driver for it, as my dad always said to me, never do anything youre not sure about without getting out to check, and if you need to get out and check 10 times do it.
meggala:
just go slow and if in doubt get out and look.
That’s a great bit of advice, it’s better to take a few more minutes reversing and looking, than think your ok and then hit something.
Also don’t stick to trunking as a newbie, try all the jobs you can or how else will you get the experience and also how will you find the type of work you want?
You also get a few expereinced drivers who would rather take the micky than help, but most have enough brian cells to remember they were new once and so will try and help you.
muckles:
meggala:
just go slow and if in doubt get out and look.That’s a great bit of advice, it’s better to take a few more minutes reversing and looking, than think your ok and then hit something.
Welcome to my world 