I have luckily managed to get a job night trunking. The job involves picking up loaded trailer and then making deliveries to bays at large warehouses.
My forward driving is ok (ex Bus Driver) its the reversing onto the bays. I have been a few times already with another driver and watched how it is done, I have also watched other lorries showing how it is not done and a few times nearly hitting the next lorry (which is easily done). The thing that worries me is I can’t see behind the lorry!
My question is are there any reversing cameras out there I could use to aid reversing so I know when I am on the Bay or to close to the next lorry while approaching the bay.
The thing is I will take a different trailer each night. Is there a system that uses a mobile wireless camera that has its own power source that after opening the rear doors I can put on the ledge while I reverse?
Hope this makes sense and I apologise if it is a daft question. I just like the job but don’t want to lose it because I have hit another lorry!
I think you’re backing up a blind alley with this one.
Everybody else copes without a reversing camera, you just need to learn spatial awareness.
I’m assuming all the RDC’s you visit have lines painted? Learn to make use of them. Learn the length and width of your trailer. Learn the width between bays (. Usually they are at least half the width of a trailer so that you can still open barn doors with another trailer on each side of you). That means that you can learn the approach angle so that if your axle wheels don’t leave your paint line an acute angle means your back end can’t reach the trailer that you can’t see to your blindside, but an obtuse angle means that you’ve trashed that trailer.
GOAL! Get Out And Look, until you are happy you have learnt. Good luck [emoji1696]
That is really good advice, many thanks for taking the time to reply.
Also, 3 axle trailers steer differently to 2 axle trailers it seems.
The 2 axles are easier and more predictable to steer, whereas the 3 axles want less input on the steering wheel as it’s quite easy to oversteer.
Are you starting off with spotlessly clean mirrors and windows and lights, paying particular attention to rear lights of trailer, remember you can also use rear fog lights and hazards to help top up reverse lights if they arn’t up to much. If you can’t see clearly you’ve already lost, in salty filthy winter weather its handy to have a squeezy bottle of clean water and a rubber/silicone squeegy for rapidly clearing the windows and mirrors of salt spray.
Night maneuvering in strange places is challenging no matter how long you’ve been doing the job, worse still if you get a different vehicle every shift.
Watching how others go about the job is good, but we all develop our own techniques over time, do what feels right for you even if its different to how the others operate, what they do works for them but might not be ideal for you.
If you have a 3 axle tractor unit, when loaded hit the weight transfer button to shift weight off the mid lift and onto the drive axle (some makes, Daf/MAN the mid lift will raise fully after a few sonds, some makes won’t), you’ll find not only is grip better the vehicle turns easier because you’ve lost the drag of that mid lift axle.
Can I thank you guys for the replies you have posted. It is really helpful and had eased my nerves a bit!! Thank you.