Could I have your advice or tips on making life easier please just passed test last week and found myself a couple of weeks min on nights.
This is where it’s a whole lot different I’m used to doing reverse manoeuvres in the day light in open spaces now gotta do moves in the dark and when you cannot see much any help would be gratefully received as would like to sort this problem out and hopefully get full time work cheers Ed.
Stick hazards on for a bit of extra light, take your time and get out and have a look as many times as you need to, and ask for help too, I doubt 99% of drivers would let you struggle 
congratulations on first getting through your test and more so on getting some work so quickly. Its a huge learning curve ahead of you not just the reversing. I started doing odd shifts back in March and then pretty much full time wityh the same company for the last 5 weeks so lots of reversing onto diffferent bays 
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Main thing for me is line yourself up as best you can when you first go in, don’t stress and give yourself a break you’re new its a strange wagon/trailer to you so you’re going to take more shunts than an experienced or ‘regular driver’ so live with it. If you’re really struggling speak to another driver, anyone else is probably going to be a liability
Pretty soon you’ll be nailing really tight bays in a oner 
(next run you’ll make a complete cont of it though 
)
Don’t take any notice of [zb] from the one trick ponies (same company, same route, same kit day in day out for yrs), if you’re doing agency or casual you’ll just get used to one route then be switched to another even if you were sposed to be on it for a week . The first shift on a new run is always a learning curve but learn to love the changes and pretty soon you’ll be a better all round driver than the OTPs though you’ll never be as good or quick on ‘their run’
Different trailers are different to reverse, a twin is different to a tri, bigger trailers are easier to reverse than piddly little 20’ things, they just ■■■■ off too quick and you’re left shunting.
There’s no easy answer, and even with experience, you’ll still ■■■■ it up now and then, so don’t worry about it. If anyone ever takes the ■■■■, try and get a chance to watch them reverse, and let them know you’re watching 
chicane:
though you’ll never be as good or quick on ‘their run’
if you are better watch your back lol
russell2587:
chicane:
though you’ll never be as good or quick on ‘their run’if you are better watch your back lol
Oh yeah forgot about that 
, only done it once first time on a new route. Always try and speak to the regular driver and find out how long the run takes 
I was in the same boat about 4 weeks ago. Its hard to explain but I hang out the window watching the trailer and try to get it turned asap so its nearly lined up and parrellel, quick on the steering to get the unit matched up then watch my mirrors to get in between the ‘bananas’
First week I was taking 3 or 4 shunts, 2nd week I was nailing it and thought I had it in the bag, 3rd week I was worse than the 1st week and last week I was good again.
My first 3 weeks were in massive depots where I had all the room in the world which helped, however last week I was reversing off roads and tight to walls and other lorries with drivers watching and I did better because there is less room for error so you can only pick the correct line if that makes sense.
Just take your time, the trailer may look straight in your mirrors but when you get out and look still could be off line, it will come soon enough.
Best advice I was given was to watch the wheels not the trailer.
Best one to start, try not to reverse in blind if you can, always get in so you can follow trailer in from your drivers window i.e back in to the right err left, does that make sense ?
Thanks all as above the blind side the problem is that the depot I’m delivering to you have to blind side reverse onto a diagonal waiting bay with not much room and as a newbee it isn’t what you need.
As has been said, both windows open hazzards on, get your set up postion right, reserve back on tick over try not to touch gas pedal, get out and have a look if not sure how close you are, take as many shunts as you like, ask another driver if need be to watch you back, most will if you ask.
Yup, both windows open AND VERY CLEAN mirrors. Makes all the difference if there are depot arc lights blinding you
In my earlie days i got so annoyed trying a reversing that i was to embarrassed to continue that i got another driver to do it for me.
As above, watch the wheels and not the trailer, but don’t forget about the trailer completely.
If you back into a bay and you’ve made a complete balls of it, sometimes its better to pull out completely and try again from scratch rather than trying to shunt around again and again to try to move the trailer a foot to the left or right.
Take you’re time, and above all if you’re not sure, get out and have a look. Offside reversing can be difficult enough at the best of times in the daylight nevermind the night time.
If your trailer has the little stalk marker lights that stick out to the sides showing white to the front and red to the rear, they can be bright enough to stop you being able to see past them, so turning off your main lights and using just the hazards to reverse can help.
Also never hesitate to ask for someone to watch you, “Sorry mate I’m new to this, could you watch me back?” Has probably saved many many thousands of pounds and hundreds of jobs.
Switch off your reverse bleeper it is like a magnet for retards
goal…get out and look…as many times as you need to, dont be afraid to ask people watching to watch you back…never let anyone do it for you because you will never learn yourself. the only difference beetween experience and no experience is when your experienced and you ■■■■ it up you dont care…when you re a newbie it gets you down but dont let it…weve all been there…im still learnin and class myself as a newbie after 3 years
merc0447:
Switch off your reverse bleeper it is like a magnet for retards
Lol so true.
If you feel you are getting flustered and hot under the collar just stop and get out and walk round to check all around your wagon and then start again also remember everybody as been in this position when they started out.
merc0447:
Switch off your reverse bleeper it is like a magnet for retards
Can’t on a Merc 
Clean mirrors, open windows (secure paperwork - there’s nothing more distracting than trying to reverse while your notes are blowing across the yard!), watch the wheels and never forget GOAL (get out and look) if you are in any doubt. Ask for someone to watch if you have to, and it doesn’t matter how many people you are holding up, it’s better to delay them a minute or so than have them wait all night for someone to fix their damaged truck after you rushed and hit them! Take as much time as you need - everyone has to reverse on their bay and everyone had to learn.
Sun visors can sometimes help with lights blinding you.