whats wrong with that. ill only do it on the road when im taking up all the road. or planning to
albion1971:
chainmailguy:
ive been driving artics about 5 months now. mainly doing multidrop pallets. the gig itself is horseshot but it doesnt half teach you how to reverse quickly. i still get it wrong every now and then and im no expert. but i reverse better that a few of the trunkers we have.
biggest thing ive learned is starting position is key. without that is gonna go to pot. but also go slow ad sod everyone else. whack your “look at me im a truck driver lights on” (hazards) and take all the time you need. slower is faster. ive also noticed hanging my head out the window makes it easier.
try and chill out and itll come to you. ask your gaffer to send you to the tighter places more often for the practice.
whats wrong with that. ill only do it on the road when im taking up all the road. or planning to
Sorry but hazard warning lights are not meant to be used for reversing or illegal parking or when towing.
They tend to cause confusion to dumb car drivers a lot of the time.
I am sure most will still see you in the middle of the road without the use of HWL.
Daytrunker:
It will come just keep at it,set it up first and your half way there.
Put a 45ft in here yesterday Alpine Way Beckton
Nice. I could only dream of that at moment. Mirrors and windows are spotless. I did just blindside into a space in Michaelwood Services. Took a bit of shunting, but it seems to get easier each time. So definately getting the hang of it. Slowly mind.
Problem is, I cheated for my test. Did it in a wagon & drag Been out once with 1 of our other drivers, so picking it up myself.
Wag and drag isn’t necessarily any easier, but it is very different.
All you can do is as you have been, take every opportunity you can to do a quick reverse, preferably where you can’t do any damage if you get it wrong, it will come.
Make sure your mirrors arn’t set too high, you don’t need to see the top of the trailer, you need to see the wheels and the ground beside and all around.
Daytrunker:
It will come just keep at it,set it up first and your half way there.
Put a 45ft in here yesterday Alpine Way Beckton
Nice. I could only dream of that at moment. Mirrors and windows are spotless. I did just blindside into a space in Michaelwood Services. Took a bit of shunting, but it seems to get easier each time. So definately getting the hang of it. Slowly mind.
Problem is, I cheated for my test. Did it in a wagon & drag Been out once with 1 of our other drivers, so picking it up myself.
I understand your problem. I take it you took your test with a fixed axle trailer and not an A frame.(highly unlikely as then you would find an artic a piece of cake.) And of course there will probably be more cut in on the artic than the W&D when going forwards.
Juddian is correct it is different but definitely easier because the trailer is way back and you get a clear view of what is happening and it’s easier to correct if it goes wrong.
It will not take you long to adapt. Just take your time and it will soon come.
It is a practical skill so with practice you will improve and eventually it becomes instinctive. Just take your time and remember that we have all been there and we all have bad days as well as good days
Juddian:
Wag and drag isn’t necessarily any easier, but it is very different.
All you can do is as you have been, take every opportunity you can to do a quick reverse, preferably where you can’t do any damage if you get it wrong, it will come.
Make sure your mirrors arn’t set too high, you don’t need to see the top of the trailer, you need to see the wheels and the ground beside and all around.
Rear wheels of trailer are in my eye line in mirror, so about half way.
And thats the reason I opt for parking spaces with plenty of room. Lol. I try not to use easy spaces, if I can help it.
You should see the shadow from your trailer on the floor even on a cloudy day and you can use that to work out roughly where the arse end is. At night you can see a line in your mirrors in front of your trailer lights where their glow on the ground is broken by the rear bumper and thats where the back end is roughly.
Thank you all for the advice. Think it’s starting to sink in. Slow and steady, small, slow steering inputs. First time I got into a parking space using only 1 shunt, and only 1 space. Well happy with myself. Until tomorrow night at least…
It doesn’t matter if it takes you a hundred shunts so long as you don’t hit anything, I was raised reversing artics long before I took the test, I was shunting for Swifts in Duston, Northampton for 2 years before they put me through my class 1 so it comes natural to me, I see guys who have had licences for many years who still find it hard, those who mock drivers who find it hard are usually just as bad and do so to draw attention away from themselves, I have always been good at reversing, I have reversed blind side in the dark at truck stops and listened to the guys talking about it on the CB, they soon shut up when I go in first time. I know one guy on our company who has been with us for 14 years and is downright terrible but he tries hard and doesn’t do damage, that’s what counts.
Pat Hasler:
It doesn’t matter if it takes you a hundred shunts so long as you don’t hit anything, I was raised reversing artics long before I took the test, I was shunting for Swifts in Duston, Northampton for 2 years before they put me through my class 1 so it comes natural to me, I see guys who have had licences for many years who still find it hard, those who mock drivers who find it hard are usually just as bad and do so to draw attention away from themselves, I have always been good at reversing, I have reversed blind side in the dark at truck stops and listened to the guys talking about it on the CB, they soon shut up when I go in first time. I know one guy on our company who has been with us for 14 years and is downright terrible but he tries hard and doesn’t do damage, that’s what counts.
Very true. Thats why for the time being, I’m selecting spaces With room. Was just a nice feeling. Not messing about shunting and ending up back where I started.
theantbox:
No chance of anywhere different for time being. We only have a handful of artic runs. More rigid runs. But its all good. I’ll keep practicing in services and looking like a ■■■ for now. So if anybody sees me Micheal Wood or Gloucester Services, I won’t be offended if you come over and laugh.
Do I take it that you are driving a mixture of artic and rigid at the moment, if so, this is probably not helping
But as others have said, take it steady, no medals for a quick reverse if you leave a trail of carnage. Allways look out the window to get your marker points, mirrors can be deceptive, though your eye should get used to the deception over time, hence why some can blindside reverse and others cant.
To be honest it matters not that you are struggling at the moment, fact, you know you need to get better, and are improving by virtue of taking on board what experienced drivers are telling you . There are plenty of drivers, who with years of driving, haven’t improved, because they don’t want to ask or be told, or don’t care
theantbox:
No chance of anywhere different for time being. We only have a handful of artic runs. More rigid runs. But its all good. I’ll keep practicing in services and looking like a ■■■ for now. So if anybody sees me Micheal Wood or Gloucester Services, I won’t be offended if you come over and laugh.
Do I take it that you are driving a mixture of artic and rigid at the moment, if so, this is probably not helping
But as others have said, take it steady, no medals for a quick reverse if you leave a trail of carnage. Allways look out the window to get your marker points, mirrors can be deceptive, though your eye should get used to the deception over time, hence why some can blindside reverse and others cant.
To be honest it matters not that you are struggling at the moment, fact, you know you need to get better, and are improving by virtue of taking on board what experienced drivers are telling you . There are plenty of drivers, who with years of driving, haven’t improved, because they don’t want to ask or be told, or don’t care
Maybe driving both. Maybe just Artics. Only been on them just over a week now. So still learning. But the advise is really helping.
Just lately if I have choice of a good side reverse & a blind side reverse, I do the blind as previously said practise, practise & practise some more & as long as I haven’t hit anything I take as many shunts as I want
TheNewBoy:
Just lately if I have choice of a good side reverse & a blind side reverse, I do the blind as previously said practise, practise & practise some more & as long as I haven’t hit anything I take as many shunts as I want
I tend to take blindside if theres space in services. Like you say, practice
TheNewBoy:
Just lately if I have choice of a good side reverse & a blind side reverse, I do the blind as previously said practise, practise & practise some more & as long as I haven’t hit anything I take as many shunts as I want
I tend to take blindside if theres space in services. Like you say, practice
I take the blindside, because I’m the Best
Then screw it up, because I’m full of my own importance
TheNewBoy:
Just lately if I have choice of a good side reverse & a blind side reverse, I do the blind as previously said practise, practise & practise some more & as long as I haven’t hit anything I take as many shunts as I want
I tend to take blindside if theres space in services. Like you say, practice
I take the blindside, because I’m the Best
Then screw it up, because I’m full of my own importance
Had somebody watching me last blindside last night. Had the objective been to get the line spot on in the middle of the truck, I’d have taken first prize
TheNewBoy:
Just lately if I have choice of a good side reverse & a blind side reverse, I do the blind as previously said practise, practise & practise some more & as long as I haven’t hit anything I take as many shunts as I want
I tend to take blindside if theres space in services. Like you say, practice
I take the blindside, because I’m the Best
Then screw it up, because I’m full of my own importance
Had somebody watching me last blindside last night. Had the objective been to get the line spot on in the middle of the truck, I’d have taken first prize
The art is, never admit, that it was not what you had intended
The art is, never admit, that it was not what you had intended
[/quote]
As soon as I started going back I realised, but thought ■■■■ it. Keep going and I can sort it out in a bit. Thats my excuse. And I’m sticking to it
Been out once with 1 of our other drivers, so picking it up myself.
. There are plenty of drivers, who with years of driving, haven’t improved, because they don’t want to ask or be told, or don’t care 