I have recently done a bit of driving however I can not reverse to save the life of me. I panic once I lose view in mirrors and have nearly jack knifed it a couple of times. Going forward, left, right, roundabouts am fine. I just cant reverse. Can anyone give me any tips please?. I can reverse in a straight line its once I start to turn It goes wrong. Parking next to another lorry as long as I have a large enough area infront of me so can get it straight and in line is fine. However I need a very large area to get the wagon straight in the first place. Lets get it right the reverse on your test is no good at all and is no help in the real world. Does anyone have any links to wagons doing various reverses etc ?. Youtube is all just the reversing exercises. I have heard the term right to bend left to mend. Are we talking turning the wheel right to send the trailer left or vice versa.
The biggest problem is over correcting. Make smaller movements and allow time for the unit/trailer to react.
Don’t be afraid to get out and look.
Don’t be afraid to get out and ask for help.
If you have electric mirrors you can turn them to give you a better view of what’s going on.
It’s one of those things that will suddenly make sense one day - like the first time you ride without stabilisers. Once you’ve cracked you’ll wonder why you even worried in the first place. Doesn’t mean to say you wont still have days where you can’t reverse, we ALL still have those no matter how experienced we are.
I’m in exactly the same situation as you, so don’t imagine you’re in any way weird or strange not being able to reverse.
I am told that it just comes with practice and experience. I’ve been driving for eight shifts now and I still can’t do it. Like you, I can manage a straight line reverse (albeit a bit wobbly lefty righty). I am also starting to get the hang of a gentle or modest bend that, if positioned right to start with, I just need to follow the bend back with gentle tweaks of the wheel. I’ll probably take a shunt or two near the end to straighten myself up but I’ll get it in.
My nightmare is the tight yard and having to do a sharp bend at an acute angle, doubly bad if it is in between two lorries already on their bays. I’m just hoping that it is a case of mastering the gentle bends and the more acute ones just beginning to make similar sense over time.
The most valuable advice I’ve had so far:
take it as slow as you need to, don’t feel pressured
use all the space available to you to make it as easy and straight as you can…space is free (remember, if the adjacent bays are clear you can drive through them forwards as you swing round to get a straighter line up on your bay)
there are no prizes for getting in first time, use as many shunts as you need and don’t be ashamed
get out and look if you’re unsure - don’t reverse if you can’t see where you’re going
if it isn’t working out, pull out and start again
use gentle tweaks on the wheel, gauge their effect before making more
when snaking forward on a shunt to line up then quick steering and slow movement is better
As already said dont rush getting the angle to start with is the most important thing if you dont start off right you will be fighting it on the bay.
As M1cks said dont over correct small wheel movements turn the wheel watch the trailer back look where you want it to go and feed it back to the bay.dont look at the steering wheel just turn it watching where your going if in doubt pull forward line yourself up and try again slowly it will it taking less shunts.
I always try to imagine a line painted on the floor from my middle axle on the offside to the left hand edge of the bay and then follow that pretend arc all the way in a nice steady sweep.
Take it slowly and don’t panic. if it starts to go wrong stop and correct it. Don’t be afraid to get out and take a look. Reversing can be a hard skill to master, only time and practice will make you better.
Thank you to everyone for there advice. I feel my problem is I do not know the best starting position to take especially in a tight area. Will keep at it and see what happens.
Take you time & it will get there I was in you position not that long ago ( less than 2 years ) have learnt a lot made some mistakes overcorrected at times but it is slowly getting there sometimes do it in 1 others take a shunt or 3 dont matter
I still get out & look still take it slow but do make the lorry work for me & remember what you turn 1 way you have to take it off the other
Left to bend Right to mend
Dont panic that it the last thing you want to do dont worry if you cant see for a bit just think where everybody else is & if someone about ask for help I still do say Im just new we all have to learn some how somewhere
Stick with it you will get there, I can’t anything really that hasn’t been said already. Are you driving the same configuration, ie full length tri axle? the bigger they are the more forgiving it is, I drive a short two axled tipper, I regularly have to take a shunt because I have gone past the point of no return only been driving for best part of 20 years now, stick me in a rigid and it is laughs all round it doesn’t matter how much I think about it I start wrong everytime.
It just needs practice, my nemesis was when I did a spell on bulk milk tankers, one of the depots you had to do a tight blind side reverse with pipes and equipment either side of you and the banks man preferred to just stand having his ■■■ while he waited good luck
Yep, same here Darren - you’re not alone mate! I’ve had the same good advice on here, but remember everyone started somewhere so the rest of us will get our heads round it, and I regularly watch other drivers at my yard - often the best & most experienced of them take a shunt or three to park up (makes me feel better, lol!).
Also stick your head out the window, those convex mirrors make your trailer look like it’s not straight when it is!
If you get the chance, on a quiet road or industrial estate (maybe on a weekend) practice reversing into a side road, keeping the trailer 1 to 2 feet from the kerb all the way round, get it right on the drivers side then have a play blindside.
10 times each side should put you right then you’ll get a feel of where the trailer is, once it’s out of sight.
Always on tickover, forget about the ‘Flat to the Mat’ Hero’s, that’ll bite 'em in the Arse one day.
I’ll throw another thing in here which isn’t helping, and thats the poxy automatic (which arn’t) gearboxes, the bloody clutch control on anything except a Volvo (possibly Reno) is hopeless, that doesn’t help the inexperienced who wants to move really gently and have fine control.
Practice is all, thing to do is when you are out and about take advantage of every occasion to practice.
Pull into every service area for a ‘‘pee’’, select a marked bay out of the way where you can’t possibly hit anything and have ten mins getting the lorry into that space, do that every day for a week and you’ve had a couple of hours, take no notice of any brain donors taking the mickey, most of them can’t blind side to save their miserable lives…and they prove it every time by screwing the treads off the tyres in order to back in on their own side.
The standard head out the window is not for everyone, meself i open the door and lean out, better visibility plus other benefits.
One important thing, windows and mirrors spotlessly clean inside and out, if you can’t see where you’re going you’re on a loser before you start.
If you have a car with a tow bar, borrow rent or buy a trailer and practice with that, it’ll turn at different rates but the principles are still the same.
P.S. I had a night’s work last night where I couldn’t reverse to save my life! I ended up back at the yard, failing miserably after the 6th attempt, to the point of shouting “F*** ^&^^^%$£”“!$%^^*)” out the window I’m pretty sure this was that ‘blip’ before I’m bloody brilliant suddenly…
the poxy automatic (which arn’t) gearboxes, the bloody clutch control on anything except a Volvo (possibly Reno) is hopeless, that doesn’t help the inexperienced who wants to move really gently and have fine control.
Have to disagree with that statement. We have two brand new Ivecos and also a MAN TGS. Used in “snail” mode they are all absolutely controllable. It’s an indisputable fact that some of the older autos are horrible though.
Practice makes perfect. Older guys will have reversed thousands of times. Truck driving simulators which can be downloaded for £10 are a good way to practice reversing cheaply and easily at home. The Scania simulator is very good for reversing.
the poxy automatic (which arn’t) gearboxes, the bloody clutch control on anything except a Volvo (possibly Reno) is hopeless, that doesn’t help the inexperienced who wants to move really gently and have fine control.
Have to disagree with that statement. We have two brand new Ivecos and also a MAN TGS. Used in “snail” mode they are all absolutely controllable. It’s an indisputable fact that some of the older autos are horrible though.
Pete
Alway found the MAN good fro reversing if auto box just use it in slow
the poxy automatic (which arn’t) gearboxes, the bloody clutch control on anything except a Volvo (possibly Reno) is hopeless, that doesn’t help the inexperienced who wants to move really gently and have fine control.
Have to disagree with that statement. We have two brand new Ivecos and also a MAN TGS. Used in “snail” mode they are all absolutely controllable. It’s an indisputable fact that some of the older autos are horrible though.
Pete
With all due respect Pete, you’re carrying either fresh air or grossing around the same weight as my tare, and doing you’re manoeuvers on level ground, it’s hardly comparable to actual heavy work in really tight situations.
Try the box fitted to those two when reversing uphill on a one way street, blind side, jack knife, into an even steeper entrance at 43+ tons, one of my regular drops.
The only way to stop the clutch overheating during this manoeuver is to dump the tractor mid lift air (not sure if new Iveco can do this, last Stralis i drove had no mid lift dump facility), which raises the mid lift fully after about 10 seconds, and to switch off traction control, which brings up ‘off road’’ on the dash…this allows enough traction once the on/off switch clutch has engaged…if you don’t the very second a drive wheel starts to spin it cuts the power, hence anything up to a dozen false starts.
Got to be perfect on your reversing even after all this, already had one lorry’s automated manual box clutch completely failed…not me fortunately.
Not fit for hard work.
Parcel work, tiddling about from one dead level RDC to another with average loads, fine.
only been driving for best part of 20 years 
now, stick me in a rigid and it is laughs all round 
it doesn’t matter how much I think about it I start wrong everytime.
good luck
I’m pretty sure this was that ‘blip’ before I’m bloody brilliant suddenly… 