I have been driving artics for almost 50 years ,Yesterday I had to deliver a volvo with a tipper trailer to essex.
I pulled on to Northampton services for a break and started to reverse into a free gap.after about 15 shunts and catching the bumper of a parked truck I managed to get it in.
I was expecting the other drivers who where sat in their cabs to start clapping when I eventually got it in
I used to boast that I could reverse an artic where you couldn’t get water but you would not have thought so after yesterday’s performance…
Do’es anyone else have days when they wished they had stayed in bed?
Everyone has those days mate, you can reverse the same lorry into the same spot everyday and sometimes you will muck it up 
Every Monday for me.
everyone has an off day. an easy reverse takes several shunts and you are wondering what the hell you are playing at (as is everyone else within sight). get the day over and done with and tomorrow will be back to normal
I find having an audience is when it goes wrong, best shunts are when you are on your own and no one sees just how good you are.
When it goes in perfect there is never anyone around but when you ■■■■ it up there is always a crowd, I had to reverse off the ferry once and even after 20 years plus of driving artics I cocked it right up, they were glad to get rid of me that day 
Yep, I’ve been driving for almost as long as you and I still get days like that.
I deliver to Yearsley’s depot in Wisbech quite regularly, and they have a strange dock system where you have to reverse onto some small ramps to raise the back of the trailer, and the dock gets lowered into the back. They don’t make life easy by having their own trailers parked in the spaces between the docks and added to that there’s a wire fence a bit too close for reversing comfort, and often other trucks waiting to tip that are parked against that fence.
It’s tight. But I love a challenge and I take a pride in getting onto those little ramps in one. Unfortunately, there are days, when it’s back and forth about ten times before ending up anything but straight… so I feel for you.
I shouldn’t feel too bad Rocky the parking areas on both sides are awful.
It’s those fat arsed gets who didn’t help you park up who should feel bad…
W
The day i stop ■■■■■■■ up is the day i quit
On the other side of the coin Today I backed in blind side in 2 shunts on hartshed moor, so Im’e not totally passed it yet. 
Monday was one of those days. Had to get a lift to head office to get my wagon as I’d been off for 3 days and another driver used it; Got there to find it in the workshop with the drivers door in bits (lock seized and wouldn’t lock). Waited for a bit only to be asked if I’d take an old 8w for an hour or two…fine but i couldn’t find my tachos. After about 30mins searching my cab and bag I gave up told TM my tachos were missing and took 8w out, getting stuck in traffic. Took old motor back at lunchtime and put my kit back in my lorry only to find when doing checks no nearside lights were working. Started taking kit back out again when the fitters found the problem and put it back in…
…And on Monday night found my tachos at home in our understair cupboard, tangled up in a pair of overalls I took home to wash 
I’ve backed semi’s in to some "orrible places over the years, but you should have seen the ■■■■■■■ performance a few days ago while I was trying to get the CAR trailer down our drive. I normally do it in one, but this was about 900 shunts AND a lump out of the o/s/f guard… I thought I’d run out of petrol before I got it in. 
Those big wide bays are much more difficult to reverse into than a tight spot as you lose your reference points.
I consider myself quite good with an artic but have made myself look rather amateurish with a transit or Vivaro van while racing
Wheel Nut:
Those big wide bays are much more difficult to reverse into than a tight spot as you lose your reference points.I consider myself quite good with an artic but have made myself look rather amateurish with a transit or Vivaro van while racing
Glad someone else finds this. Was down at ARCO Hull last week, big bays, acres of space so of course I kept making a complete ■■■■ of things yet I don’t have much problem at Gretna where the bays are so tight you need vaseline 
Got into wagon this morning, started up, pulled off the bay, got out, shut rear doors.
Got back into cab whilst talking to my 2nd man. Seatbelt on, into 2nd, handbrake off, start pull away, dashboard goes mad and alarm starts beeping. It says “Apply parking brake.”
So I do, thinking that I haven’t got enough air. Rev engine till air tanks are on 12. Try again.
Same problem. Try again. Same problem.
2nd man says, sod it, it’s probably just a problem that’ll ort itself out as we start moving.
Drive out of yard. Get to roundabout at the end of the road and I could hear a whilstling sound.
Problem?
My door wasn’t closed properly…