In a nutshell ‘It’s harder in a 3 axle unit!’.
Other factors affect the properties of the unit such as change of ‘pivot-point’, drag and wheel scrub. Again, this can vary from unit to unit dependant on wether the ‘extra’ axle is a lift-axle or a ‘steer’, wether it is behind or in front of the drive axle etc etc.
Andyroo:
There’s nothing worse than somebody giving it large circular motions in your mirror when you just wanna know how much room you got.“Yeah thanks mate! I worked out which way the truck goes when you turn the wheel one way or another a long time ago”
The ‘policy’ in our place is that you do the reversing, the other guy just watches and shouts ‘stop’ just before you hit something. If he don’t shout, you must be doing it right!! Good way of learning also.
if i’m driving a tri-axle, and it has the mid lift, then i’ll put it up, makes the job easier. No doubt alot of people do. In saying that though this was covered on the newbies forum a couple of weeks ago. I prefer 6 leggers, just me i guess
thanks alot every 1 the tips have been great i will have to give em a try when i find a job thank again 
I’ve been driving artics for nearly 15 years.
I think I’ve nearly got reversing cracked now. 
The only way to get better is practice, then practice some more. After that, yet more practice.
watch what happens when other drivers reverse…this will show you how the vechile reacts in different situations
i can remember my first job, they had 7 bays, number one being the awkwardest one of the 7. On my first day in their, i watched a guy, (it it later transpired that he had been doing the job for over 25 years), took bout an hour for him to get in in their, lost count of how many shunts he took. From that point on, i made the biggest mistake of fearing that bloody bay, anyway had been there a couple of weeks, was only doing weekends, comes in the gate, pulls up to the shunters office, what bay you want me on… you know whats coming, yep 1…
imagine a rectangle, in the left hand corner at the top is the office, then there’s a brick wall and bay number 1. Infront of the office is a gap enough for three cars, one of which was occupied. and a brick wall coming out at the start of these spaces.
So anyway, gives ya sum idea, i sat and looked at the shunter, knowing that he wasn’t gunna let me get away wid it, he could most probably see the fear in my eyes (giggles) anyway, he gets in the cab, his way of trying to reassure me that i could do it i guess. I drove for the first space, car there, which made it even worse and then turned the cab to the right into the third space… it looked to be going in the right direction, i missed the car that was parked, i missed both walls, and was about an inch away from the wall infront of the transport office, managed to pull forward a couple of times and on the bay i was. From then on, i promised myself that i would always attempt the hard to get in places with an open mind, and hey if i mess it up i mess it up.
Would also like to add, that that particular shunter, if he could, always put me on bay 1. the git!!! love shunters really!.. hehe One time bay one wasn’t free, he actually made me wait until the wagon had pulled off… hehe. He said he wanted me to get the experience of going into awkward spaces…
Oh the memories…
when i was fitting my workshop was at a slight angle to the run in and just to make it a little more fun 
the pit ran at a different angle to the workshop door/entry 
the pit was 4’ wide and you had to reverse 60’ trombones over it
WHAT FUN
people used to stop work and stand watching when i did it 
just to take the pee 
the best advice I was given was - take as much room as possible, that gives you more room to use than if you only use what you think you may need.
Little and often is good too, big movement may = quickly ‘breaking away’ ie you realise its going Pete Tong and you end up making a melon of yourself
If it is going wrong then dont be afraid to pull out completely and start again, often it is better to do that than get sweaty and flustered trying to make numerous small adjustments in a small space.
And then! when you just about have it cracked, you will end up having to reverse onto a badly lit ferry with no mirrors and a foreigner screaming things at you
They will also be telling you with hand signals which way to turn the wheel. You will then be stuck between 2 trailers with 3 or 4 inches of space to get out of your cab with an overnight bag 
and when you think you`ve just about mastered reversing,
try getting onto bay 25 at safeway / morrisons at stockton on tees
the best of em make a mess of it, because THAT bay is on the end/corner and has armco cutting the oposite corner stopping you getting a half decent line up.
but the best way is to turn the corner and literally U-turn it in
