Any tips on best way to reverse an artic onto a loading bay, 90 degrees turn between two trailers? I made a bad job of it at a recent assessment and it wasn’t even a blind side reverse! Is there any special trick to help me next time?
Don’t steer to much, I believe it’s very easy to over steer without realising. Iv not driven a artic yet but just thinks iv heard. I might be wrong.
Practice, practice, practice, (easy to say when you drive one all day)
Use as much room as possible, get the arse end somewhere near (maybe 10-15 foot away)to the gap you’re heading for, have a good look, select reverse/crawl (if auto) then kick the tractor the wrong way to start the reverse, bring the steering wheel round the other way & let the tractor follow the trailer, if it starts to over steer just pull forward a few feet straightening up, then slowly reverse again. It’s not an ‘I can do it in One’ competition.
Don’t be a ‘C’-take a Shunt !
Raise your lift axle (if it’s down) give you more positive steering.
When you get the chance, have a play at reversing somewhere quiet, practice straight reversing for a couple of hundred yards, one hand on the steering wheel & small correcting movements, once you get the hang if that, you’ll get a feel for where the trailer is going.
Be truthful with assessor’s, they can see if you are trying to Wing it ! Tell them that you are new to this, they might be looking for Newbies, so they can train them up their way.
On my day I have to reverse in various places. Tight gates, construction sites, sheds, good and blind side.
If there’s enough space I am going past “bay” say 30ft and I can give my trailer little kicks to see what it does and dont have to do hard locks straight away. Within some time you’ll start to see where’s your right place to start reversing. It’s easy on good side as you can get your head out of window far easier to overcook your blind side.
Conclusion and best tip:
Use all available space!
Thanks for the good advice, very useful
iT GOES BETTER IF NOBODYS WATCHING 
harry:
iT GOES BETTER IF NOBODYS WATCHING
+++
We all truck one up now and again, don’t let it haunt you, learn what you can from it and forget it.
Take your time and use as much of the space in front as possible, you don’t want to be in a position where you turn the trailer wheels around the outside of the vehicles on the bay, you want to slot it in between so you want the majority of the trailer turn to be done before getting in between any others. I don’t think I explained this very well but I drew a diagram. Iceland Enflied springs to mind where you don’t have much space to play with and just have to be very careful how you back it in.
Try to make the turn as smooth as possible, the tighter the trailer is the longer it will take to bring it out again.
Thanks, that makes sense. I think that’s where I went wrong. Came in too shallow and then tried to turn sharply into bay, went from bad to worse from there!
StratoCruiser:
Thanks, that makes sense. I think that’s where I went wrong. Came in too shallow and then tried to turn sharply into bay, went from bad to worse from there!
In that case abort start again yep I have
Slow slow & even slower
Once you get out in an artic on your own, pop into a service area or large lorry park, find some marked bays away from everyone else and spend 20 mins practicing getting into that bay from all angles, and especially practice blind siding when no danger of hitting anything, thats why marked out bays are so good, you can watch the trailer wheels lining up with the markings or not as the case may be.
Reversing isn’t some magic spell and no two people do it the same way, some do it entirely on mirrors, some do it looking out the drivers window, i have always opened the door and leaned slightly out (might be worth keeping your seat belt on if you try this)…there are several reasons for my method i won’t bore you with and some people think it dangerous…try all ways and find what works for you.
Where lots of drivers, yes old hands too some of who are cringingly bad, make the mistake is by always going for the easy option, they go into the services and select one of the drive in drive out bays every time, thats fine but each time you reverse into a bay you’re learning and perfecting, the trouble with the easy option all the time is that you never perfect reversing and when you’re forced into a bad one at a customers premises you’re lost.
If in doubt - get out.
Never just assume all is well. The slightest uncertainty, get out and have a look, If you back into a unit or another trailer, you’ll cause a lot of damage, and your reputation/confidence will take a hit. Getting out and looking can save an awful lot of damage. 
Not often I reverse into our parking bays without getting out and looking. It’s part of the job and will never go away - unless you get careless.
Easier if you’ve got a trustworthy banksman of course.
There’s a lot less embarrassment in getting out and checking than there is in clouting something!
Pete
DJC:
Try to make the turn as smooth as possible, the tighter the trailer is the longer it will take to bring it out again.
^This. I draw an imaginary line on the floor I want the trailer wheels to follow then try and keep to it.
Try to get the 1st part right ie position the front it is much easier