I’m fairly new to the trucking with only having my class 2 license since December last year. I started my first driving job in the new year but I’m still struggling with with reversing. I just can’t seem to get the truck into the right positions especially at the depot, we have three bays and a yard we park the trucks in but it’s quite tight. I’ve took the passenger wing mirror off twice already . I’m also struggling to judge the lenghth and the picking the correct point in which to start turning to back in to miss the gate posts etc… If anyone has any pointers for me that would be amazing.
What an embarrassing post to write I’ll take man points of myself lol
I know it’s a cliche but it all comes with practise. When I did my class 2 training, the truck had a bright coloured peg fixed to the o/s side under run bumpers, it was in such a position so that whatever I was reversing upto in my eyeline, it would be level with the bottom of it.
I’m not taking the ■■■■ either but how do you reverse your car or is that missing mirrors and full of dents too.
It’s the same principle just bigger,
May I suggest you take your car and practice reversing in Asda or another sort of car park at night. Cover back window and use your wing mirrors to navigate around the car park .
Bugger i didn’t read it properly no don’t play it then it’ll make things worse. I can’t reverse rigids myself.
Yes you can you plonker you reverse a rigid to a trailer which then becomes an artic . You drive a car , same thing just smaller I thought you was a driver BB
As said above, it gets easier with experience and most drivers struggle at first so don’t panic!
Main thing with reversing is to get a good starting position, try and position the vehicle so it gives you as small a turn as possible onto the bay rather than attempting a sharp dog leg turn in.
In your own yard, once you’ve got the vehicle on the bay in the right place have a look for any markers that might help you next time, a line in the concrete level with your front wheel, a drainpipe level with the wing mirror etc.
Also, watch a few of the other drivers in the yard and see their starting position, when they start to turn etc.
The most important thing however is if unsure or unsighted, stop, get out of the cab and look. I’m sure your boss would prefer that to replacing wing mirrors every week!
It’s a difficult one giving advice here, but I’m assuming you are a new driver of any vehicle as a ridgid is just a big van. You probably just need to slow down and think about what you’re doing. Just like when reversing a trailer watch your back wheels for position, not the body of the truck, and when you put your lock on keep checking your front isn’t gonna hit anything.
Thanks for the tips guys. I’ve been a car driver for years and never struggled with reversing that so god knows why it’s been such a ■■■■■ to pick up in a truck! I think part my the problem with reading some replies is the mirrors being set up wrong, I can’t see the back wheels at all through the mirrors.
Simmons84:
Thanks for the tips guys. I’ve been a car driver for years and never struggled with reversing that so god knows why it’s been such a ■■■■■ to pick up in a truck! I think part my the problem with reading some replies is the mirrors being set up wrong, I can’t see the back wheels at all through the mirrors.
I’d take a photo of my mirrors and their position for you but I’m off work ill. You should position the mirrors so you can see the rear tyres in them. Also, what sort of rigid is it? 26t, 18t? Does the body overhang alot?
Simmons84:
Thanks for the tips guys. I’ve been a car driver for years and never struggled with reversing that so god knows why it’s been such a ■■■■■ to pick up in a truck! I think part my the problem with reading some replies is the mirrors being set up wrong, I can’t see the back wheels at all through the mirrors.
Hmm, I don’t drive a ridgid so maybe you don’t see them in your mirrors, someone else will need to help on that one. But you can still poke your head out the window if you’re coming back round on that side.
Simmons84:
Thanks for the tips guys. I’ve been a car driver for years and never struggled with reversing that so god knows why it’s been such a ■■■■■ to pick up in a truck! I think part my the problem with reading some replies is the mirrors being set up wrong, I can’t see the back wheels at all through the mirrors.
I’d take a photo of my mirrors and their position for you but I’m off work ill. You should position the mirrors so you can see the rear tyres in them. Also, what sort of rigid is it? 26t, 18t? Does the body overhang alot?
There 16t’s but there actually quite long so there’s quite a large overhang.
Simmons84:
Thanks for the tips guys. I’ve been a car driver for years and never struggled with reversing that so god knows why it’s been such a ■■■■■ to pick up in a truck! I think part my the problem with reading some replies is the mirrors being set up wrong, I can’t see the back wheels at all through the mirrors.
Hmm, I don’t drive a ridgid so maybe you don’t see them in your mirrors, someone else will need to help on that one. But you can still poke your head out the window if you’re coming back round on that side.
I’ve tried the sticking my head out of the window trick but that doesn’t help, all I can see is the body of my truck, can’t see down the sides of it
Your back wheels are the key…if you can’t see them (or at least a mudguard ),then you will always struggle…it took an embarrassingly long time for this penny to drop for me
. I’m also struggling to judge the lenghth and the picking the correct point in which to start turning to back in to miss the gate posts etc… If anyone has any pointers for me that would be amazing.
I’ll take man points of myself lol
I thought you was a driver BB 
