Kirk Ella 71:
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 others have said, take your time, get your mirrors clean, get out as many times as you need to check and make sure its ok. Get help if you can. Don;t feel embarassed about taking ages to get it right, its far worse if you do hit something and all the guys come out in shirt and ties with cameras!!!
I always tell our new guys that you should do as much reversing as possible in a forward gear, once I laugh at their confusion I explain. Set your self up going forwards to make the reverse as easy as possible, I see so many drivers who don’t think about the reversing manover until they put tthe truck in reverse gear.
As other have said you will look less daft getting out to check whats around you than you will hitting it.
Kirk Ella, well done on the test pass.
One thing I have found useful when reversing in the dark is to carry a couple of those little LED bike lights in my kit bag. The ones I mean are the ones that can be put on flash or constant. They are small but have helped me a few times when it’s dark, raining and those orange floodlights are blinding you. Just stick them on a wall you want to avoid or to give you somewhere to aim for on a loading bay etc. I have found them a god send when they come into view on a reverse, and I have a red flashing marker that is pointing out the edge of an obstacle.
Good luck mate it’ll come with practice.
And if you ever have to reverse a rear steer trailer watch the front wheels not the rear ones. As has been said GOAL,. it will save you no end of hassle in the long run. Getting the right position before you start reversing if at all possible will make your life so easy.
30 odd years down the line and if I;m not sure , I still get out and look or ask the more intelegent looking bystanders preferably another driver ( warning, looks can be decieving ! ) to see you back , and in the dark as much light as you can muster.
Always go as far forward as possible then you will have enough time to make corrections as you go back with small movements of the steering wheel instead of lock to lock chasing over steer. I have seen loads of chaps pull by the space they are going into then lock on hard to try to follow through it makes hard work of it so if you are lucky enough to have space use it and if it’s not going well pull out and start again there are no prizes for being the fastest.
