I’m still terrible. Any advise? Should the cab always be straight with the trailer before reversing onto a dock with limited space infront or on a near side reverse have the cab and trailer at a banana angle. Should I always be close to the docks as possible or further away, omg so many questions
rubbish:
I’m still terrible. Any advise? Should the cab always be straight with the trailer before reversing onto a dock with limited space infront or on a near side reverse have the cab and trailer at a banana angle. Should I always be close to the docks as possible or further away, omg so many questions
Before reversing always use the forward motion to position the set up so it make reversing easier - much of the hard work can be done before selecting reverse
ROG…lots of newbies seem to be struggling with reversing…don’t the instructors do any reversing practises these days with their pupils,apart from the manoeuvre they need to pass the test? 
carryfast-yeti:
ROG…lots of newbies seem to be struggling with reversing…don’t the instructors do any reversing practises these days with their pupils,apart from the manoeuvre they need to pass the test?
Nope, they train you to pass the test and that’s it.
When I started I didn’t know how to use a tacho (got a few printouts to show Vosa now because of that) no idea how the cruise control operated or the speed limiter. I still don’t know how Vosa views stone chips on your windscreen that I seem to pick up almost daily, or other things that might be up with the truck that I plain don’t know to look for.
Happily for me I find reversing easy in the rigids though. Not sure how I’d get on in the class 1 trucks 
carryfast-yeti:
ROG…lots of newbies seem to be struggling with reversing…don’t the instructors do any reversing practises these days with their pupils,apart from the manoeuvre they need to pass the test?
Many get the newbies to reverse park in the yards at the end of a training session
carryfast-yeti:
ROG…lots of newbies seem to be struggling with reversing…don’t the instructors do any reversing practises these days with their pupils,apart from the manoeuvre they need to pass the test?
No problem if the candidate wants to pay for more time doing extra reversing practice.
Paul 
I think in honesty, the only way to improve is to practice. That’s the way I’m looking at it, I’m improving slowly and the biggest thing I’ve found that helps is reversing as slow as possible.
To add my 2 cents to the instruction query above, I do personally believe that the reverse exercise is inadequate to assess some bodies ability to reverse safely in a variety of situations. But on the flipside training drivers to reverse in a variety of environments would be utterly impractical
Having the same problems myself with reversing, I think some additional reversing training especially if based on ‘real world’ scenarios using actual loading docks would be a very good idea, I would of been happy to pay a few extra quid for it, if only to save myself the embarrassment that comes with learning on the job.
Like Paul, we’re happy to carry out more reversing practice. The hard fact is that the majority of folks are happy enough to pass the test and are reluctant to continue with training. eg IMO everyone should attend a tacho/drivers’ hours course which would also contribute to the cpc periodic training.
It’s totally up to the individual to decide whether they would benefit from training over and above that which is required to pass the test.
Pete 
MickyB666:
Having the same problems myself with reversing, I think some additional reversing training especially if based on ‘real world’ scenarios using actual loading docks would be a very good idea, I would of been happy to pay a few extra quid for it, if only to save myself the embarrassment that comes with learning on the job.
I went over 2 years after passing my class 1 to actually putting it in practice. All for fear of reversing. Got loads of agency work offered, turned it all down, as I had a full time class 2 job. In the end I went for an interview with a local company, and was 100% honest about my fears. Was set on, did a days induction, then spent 2 days with the driver trainer with him setting up some real world scenarios for me. Could have had him for 2 more days if I’d wanted, but we were both happy enough, and I got my own unit and off I went.
Best thing I ever did, old job would have put me in an early grave.
I’ve said this on quite a fair few posts now, but it’s not a race, you don’t get a bonus for taking fewer shunts, or staying in your cab and chancing it.
Get out for a nosey about, take your time. If you’re about to hit 4.30 driving if it doesn’t go in, that’s your own fault for not having a break on the way. For a couple of weeks after starting I’d even try and figure the reverse out using my hands flat on the steering wheel to figure out what to do.
When you’re stressed is when you make a balls of it. Give it a month or 2, and you’ll get a bit better, don’t expect to be the finished article, but I assure you one day, you’ll be sat in your unit being tipped, or in a waiting room somewhere, and you’ll see a seasoned driver having a “bad one”
That’s a big relief, you’ll be sat there thinking “even I could have done that better” or “he’s just had to take 3 shunts more than me, and. I thought I’d made a balls of it”
I’ve heard of drivers being sacked for their accident rates, never heard of one getting the chop for not being the fastest backwards.
Have a look at your odometer at the end of your shift, and think about how many of those kms were done in reverse.
I can’t blindside to save my life, but in the rare event that I can’t ■■■■ about with the manouevre enough to get it on my good side, nothing gets hit, always goes in eventually.
Everyone is ■■■■ at the beginning, no matter how long they’ve been driving or tell you otherwise.
Anyone who said they was awesome in first week, with no previous practice on other types of trailer combinations (tractor, caravan, livestock etc) is a chronic ■■■■■■■■■■■/liar* (*delete as applicable)…I know one of the internal industy’s main problem when asking questions in the “battlefield” out there on the frontline for real off some peers in the street. 
Getting back to getting better at reversing, it only comes with time unfortunately 
My very first permanent Class 1 job was on semi-low loaders on plant…baptism of fire in that job even though past history was all in beavertails.
I wish so ■■■■ for 1st week boss screaming and shouting at me whenever in the yard and also some clients/foreman would.
Having dealt with the latter in a previous career/life they didn’t scare me and bluntly got told to ■■■■ off. If you can do better there’s the keys…no takers! Took my time and get it on as quickly and safely as I could.
Boss still had a go at me as I got better, so couldn’t win there…but didn’t stand up for myself and just put up with it.
Disappointed in self as felt a failure for allowing boss to walk over me.
But Dad snapped me out of it and said everyone ■■■■■ up reversing once a day sometimes or a maybe few times in a day if off key, regardless of how many years they’ve been doing it!
Key to it is: (More experienced drivers may say I’ve missed some useful points, listen to them and follow their advice too, they’ll know better than me!! 
)
- Never or be put off to give up. See the one’s recording/taking the ■■■■…get that unit really uncomfortably close to them personally…watch as billy big ■■■■■■■■ soon ■■■■■ off. As they’re unsure whether they are gonna end up under the wheels.
NB to be fair I’ve never suffered with this personally but have had others tell me its happened to them. If it really does happen more experienced drivers want to be ashamed of themselves.
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Practice every opportunity you can, different reverses. I know every reverse is different but there will be similar themes to certain types of reverses.
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Practice getting the unit in the right place, this means planning your route into the space before you’ve engaged the clutch. Can you turn around up ahead to “avoid” a blindside (further up the yard or go round a roundabout) if you can to make the task easier.
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Warning - Contradictory note NOW Practice your blindside don’t avoid them you will have to do them with no choice in some places! BUT do not be afraid to get out as many times as you need to get in there safely that’s all that matters it’s not a race to ram it in. YOU can do them, as everyone else does them, be confident!
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If possible get the back end pointing in the direction you want to be going in! So much easier.
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Get the unit as far forward as possible as you can too to give you as much scope to make adjustments as necessary manoeuvre into the gap. Don’t oversteer though, took my ages to get out of that habit.
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Take your time to reverse in, if its a very tight space…no point racing into it, you’ll ■■■■ it up guaranteed!
Have a look at the those who do and the trailer’s condition, even at 44t in an artic most things damage trailers easily and cost a bit to repair…let you guess how I know this fact.
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Never forget to be courteous and thank those that help you in any reversing situations. Also help watch others back too if you see someone struggling with a manoeuvre…that includes foreigners they’re only like us too, drivers trying to earn money doing a job. They’re humans too, a long way from home sometimes, usually trying to do a million blindsides a day
…and remember also a few UK drivers drive left hookers too.
Controversial I know to say help everyone make their day easier as well as your own. Some won’t like that on here.
Just keep going gents it’ll come in the end, the rest of us have made it this far. You will too. Just never stop practising.
Ps If you see me in a MSA trying to park an artic…just steer clear I’m ■■■■ at it and scare myself and don’t wanna hurt anyone 
I pray to be always carrying a wide load when I have to use a MSA (last choice to park) so I can park in the special bay…which everyone else ■■■■■■■ uses who ain’t wide by the way…or I can take two spaces if wide bay full as that gives me plenty of space to get in safely or even on the perimeter out of the way of everyone else.
After being made redundant from last job. I’m doing semi-low cover before moving back to a rigid beavertail permanently…so I’ve got easier job of backing in tight lanes for ■■■■ building sites in London now. Yay
Keep going gents you’ll make it!!
C
Peter Smythe:
Like Paul, we’re happy to carry out more reversing practice. The hard fact is that the majority of folks are happy enough to pass the test and are reluctant to continue with training. eg IMO everyone should attend a tacho/drivers’ hours course which would also contribute to the cpc periodic training.It’s totally up to the individual to decide whether they would benefit from training over and above that which is required to pass the test.
Pete
I did like Pete and Paul said above which is kinda good advice.
After passing my C+E, a couple of months after but before starting first job I booked additional 4 hours on a Sunday to practice real world reversing techniques and specified this clearly, week before the appointment!
I booked this through a DSA Registered Instructors close to me too…
What a pile of ■■■■ honestly…just more interested running me around on the road which I hadn’t asked for…Unfortunately this ate into my time for reversing and only got 30 minutes in the end!
And I was ■■■■ at reversing genuinely! Trouble was next day I started that first job on semi-low loaders and that was the one I described above so took a lot of ■■■■ for not being au fait with reversing!
Biggest waste of £150 training in my life ( including in other careers too) to date to be frank!
So be very careful how you specify the training as I spoke to them on that Monday to say I weren’t impressed and raised it on the day with that part time instructor but got stonewalled and ignored.
Did think of taking through credit card but their word against mine as verbal with very limited written details! So unlikely to have won that.
As much as some on here have interests on making sure we do the best we can out there. Others even though they belong to same register really couldn’t give a toss about getting you up to speed.
Make sure you do your checks and don’t waste your money with a ■■■■ trainer.
Take care out there.
C
Brilliant stuff Constantine.
I can only add to those excellent posts by saying, practice when you don’t need to, quiet motorway service areas and lorry parks are the best places, you can call in several en route every day, find yourself some spaces out the way at the farthest end and line yourself up several times.
Reversing and how you do it is down to you, i do it my way and nearly every other driver will do it their own peculiar way, none of us are wrong.
For years for reversing in on my own side i’ve left the window closed opened the door and leaned out (you can keep your seatbelt on for safety), you can see a lot more like this and its handy for hitching up too, cos you can see the edge of the fifth wheel as it slides under.
The only place i’ve ever had a comment about this was at Comets RDC Skelmersdale, where one of the umpteen managers told me it was against company H&S policy…i did ask politely if they’d ever wondered why so many of the double deckers had flared arse ends after repeated ramming into the loading bays, that fell on stony ground as many do.
You might find looking out the open window is your way, how you do it doesn’t really matter, it’s practicing till you get competent that is.
The first thing you do though is clean your windows and mirrors thoroughly, if you can’t see you’re already losing…and set those bloody mirrors correctly, far too many lorries have the mirrors set too high and too far in, all they are seeing is the side of the lorry and the sky, you won’t do any good with them like that.
Reversing a trailer, look at it first, look where the axles are, are they fixed or steerers, if fixed as most are then remember this…
a single axle trailer pivots on that axle
a tandem axle pivots at a point between the two…but this can vary if over rough ground as one axle grips better than another
a three axle trailer pivots on the middle axle…as the tandem it can vary on rough ground.
If you’re tractor unit has a lifting non steer axle, if you are loaded dump the air from this axle before the manoeuver via the axle button with the brolly over it (some makes the axle will come off the ground fully, this is normal), this lessens the axle drag on the tractor, not only cutting down on tyre and bush wear but makes the vehicle easier to turn in the first place…you will use this button to increase grip on the drive axle for slippery conditions anyway so no harm in getting used to it before you need to…remember to push the button again to reflate the airbags when you back on the road loaded, the axle should drop again once you get up to about 25kms/hr anyway but now and again they don’t on some makes.
Just to add to the comments above, I always turn the radio off & usually open both windows, to listen out for any shouts or ‘Bumps’ [emoji57], also if you’re blindsiding, use the electric mirrors like Juddian says, as you loose vision of the arse end, adjust the wide angled one right out, you can usually see most of the ‘Target’ that you are trying to hit [emoji6]
After a few years of always being terrified of reversing on class 1 drives , comes from my own head I’m afraid made it my nemesis and always overthought it , I now look out my window normally follow the wheels and tiny movements of the wheel let the trailer adjust as doesn’t go immediately then you can see where your going , the set up first is where you can make it as easy as possible for yourself , if your coming into a bay go along until the bay is level with your passenger window then pull round and head away then that should leave your trailer ready to back up straight , think of it as a backwards S as you pull past the bay , hope that helps not good at explaining things sorry if confused you even more ,
jen x
I just think it’s down to practise, practice & more practice, as previously said does not matter how many attempts or shunts you make as long as you don’t hit nothing, everybody else can wait
What felt like 18,472 shunts, one hissy fit, quit my job and a word with myself I finally managed to get it in. First time I had reversed an artic into a shed or loading bay. It will come with time! I just don’t get to drive class 1 all that often
Its a tight squeeze - I would say that’s a job well done, regardless of how many shunts it took!!!
Personally I open the drivers window to watch the trailer move . Practice is always good as you get used to how the trailer moves depending on how much lock you have on your steering . Slow and steady also means that even when trailer isn’t going right you can adjust quickly . Have to confess though our trailer has a reverse camera and that is a massive help 
Gillberry:
Personally I open the drivers window to watch the trailer move . Practice is always good as you get used to how the trailer moves depending on how much lock you have on your steering . Slow and steady also means that even when trailer isn’t going right you can adjust quickly . Have to confess though our trailer has a reverse camera and that is a massive help
+1 Hopeless if I try and just use my mirrors. You can see how the trailer reacts, so which way you’re turning the wheel just becomes second nature.