Hi all, i’ve been reading a few threads on here about reversing and come across some people talking about ‘swan necking’ and how it can help. However, i haven’t maneged to find out exactly what it is, so if someone could it explain it to me that would be great as i think it may help me get the hang of reversing on to bays a bit more easily. I’m still new to this so any help would be greatly recieved 
Beef:
Hi all, i’ve been reading a few threads on here about reversing and come across some people talking about ‘swan necking’ and how it can help. However, i haven’t maneged to find out exactly what it is, so if someone could it explain it to me that would be great as i think it may help me get the hang of reversing on to bays a bit more easily. I’m still new to this so any help would be greatly recieved
Haven’t a clue! but then I am still willing to learn something new 
I thought a swan neck was another name for a step frame lowloader
The only time I have heard it used in regard to reversing (and it was a poor choice of expression, IMO) was when someone was trying to explain how to use a tighter turn (swan neck) at the start of a manoeuvre onto a bay, thereby leaving longer to manoeuvre in a straight line to get better lined up to the dock. IIRC the advice was for a newbie who was coming back to the bay at an angle and was only getting straight, or not as the case was, once he was in the guide lines to the dock.
I’m the same as Malc - my default understanding for a swan neck is to do with trailers.
*Not easy to accurately explain! Hopefully you get the gist of what I’m trying to say.
I think “swan-necking” is to do with reversing up a ramp without raising your suspension - then your straight-frame trailer becomes a swan-/ goose-neck one. Not many drivers can do this, though… 
(Sorry for not being helpful)
Another one in the I thought a swan neck was to do with trailers camp. Never heard of it in regards to reversing.
Beef:
‘…people talking about ‘swan necking’ and how it can help. However, I haven’t managed to find out exactly what it is…’
I originally heard the term when hashing a manouevre and it was suggested to me that I did a ‘swan neck’ upon approach to reversing into a bay. I’ve since seen it in The Truckers Handbook by Lisa Marie Melbourne, first published by Haynes in 2006, Amazon ref: amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_no … &x=14&y=19
However, I originally accepted the term as a gash phrase to mean the wiggling lark when setting oneself up for a reverse, but under the heading ‘Parking: against a kerb’ (p.77) the author advises:
‘…When parking tight against the side of a road, a manouevre called a ‘swan neck’ is used. This involves driving your cab towards, then away from, then towards and level with the side of the road. This should enable you to pull your trailer in level…’
I appreciate that only explains the swan neck as being a forwards manouevre, but decent parking and/or positioning of a C+E vehicle under the majority of slow conditions often takes extreme manipulation of the combo, usually compared to anything rigid, to effect an efficient result. Witness the poor sap with a faint heart clipping corners, nudging kerbstones and fighting a reverse, etc.
This invariably means that a manoevre involving sometimes tight, combined with sweeping turns in succession - i.e., mimicking the shape of a swan’s neck, has often to be carried out and is useful to be consciously aware of when aligning for a decent reverse - for it to ultimately become second nature, of course.
Maybe it’s all about stroking in some curves & treating the steering wheel like a friendly, succulent, peach-like ■■■ rather than bear-wrestling it?
I’ll have ago at explaining what I think this swan neck reverse might be…
Think of swans neck and how it is shaped… now take the unit towards an empty bay on the right.
When the unit is across the empty bay swing it gently left in an arc and then change to hard right in an arc… the unit has now made a swan neck shape on the ground and the rear of the trailer should be somewhere near the empty bay with the unit at an angle to the right (O/S) of the front of the trailer
That’s my attempt…
ROG:
I’ll have ago at explaining what I think this swan neck reverse might be…Think of swans neck and how it is shaped… now take the unit towards an empty bay on the right.
When the unit is across the empty bay swing it gently left in an arc and then change to hard right in an arc… the unit has now made a swan neck shape on the ground and the rear of the trailer should be somewhere near the empty bay with the unit at an angle to the right (O/S) of the front of the trailerThat’s my attempt…
So swan necking is just a fancy term for reversing then?
I did think about Googling it but then thought of the web sites it might throw up links to and decided against it.
Coffeeholic:
So swan necking is just a fancy term for reversing then?
For the setting up for one type of reverse situation - I would say yes - as that is the only swan neck I could think of…
Happy Keith:
Beef:
‘…people talking about ‘swan necking’ and how it can help. However, I haven’t managed to find out exactly what it is…’I originally heard the term when hashing a manouevre and it was suggested to me that I did a ‘swan neck’ upon approach to reversing into a bay. I’ve since seen it in The Truckers Handbook by Lisa Marie Melbourne, first published by Haynes in 2006, Amazon ref: amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_no … &x=14&y=19
However, I originally accepted the term as a gash phrase to mean the wiggling lark when setting oneself up for a reverse, but under the heading ‘Parking: against a kerb’ (p.77) the author advises:
‘…When parking tight against the side of a road, a manouevre called a ‘swan neck’ is used. This involves driving your cab towards, then away from, then towards and level with the side of the road. This should enable you to pull your trailer in level…’
I appreciate that only explains the swan neck as being a forwards manouevre, but decent parking and/or positioning of a C+E vehicle under the majority of slow conditions often takes extreme manipulation of the combo, usually compared to anything rigid, to effect an efficient result. Witness the poor sap with a faint heart clipping corners, nudging kerbstones and fighting a reverse, etc.
This invariably means that a manoevre involving sometimes tight, combined with sweeping turns in succession - i.e., mimicking the shape of a swan’s neck, has often to be carried out and is useful to be consciously aware of when aligning for a decent reverse - for it to ultimately become second nature, of course.
Maybe it’s all about stroking in some curves & treating the steering wheel like a friendly, succulent, peach-like ■■■ rather than bear-wrestling it?
well waht do you know? I’ve been swan necking for years and never realised it! 
Coffeeholic:
‘…So swan necking is just a fancy term for reversing then?..’
Aah, but isn’t reversing that random, time-consuming and catastrophic series of graunches, shunts, screetches, hisses, lurches, bleeps, back-to-front, sweating, squared-off corners, sometimes going backwards & ending in a crash lark ?
To try to put it as simply as possible (I think I may have failed here 
), it’s a manoeuvre in the shape of an ‘S’ where you enter from the bottom of the ‘S’ and drive the unit round the curves to get the arse end of the trailer in position. The only time you’d ever need to use it is when the area you need to reverse in is small or there are a ton of obstacles in the way preventing you from doing a ‘normal’ reverse. That extra ‘flick’ back to the right at the top of the ‘S’ saves you from having to dial in a whole bunch of opposite lock in order to get the trailer going in the direction you want had you begun with the unit pointing straight or slightly to the left. If you start with the unit pointing to the right and the bay is visible in your o/s mirror or by sticking your neck of the window then your steering axles wheels are already pointing in the correct direction for where you want to go and your unit is positioned correctly for a ‘good side’ reverse.
I reckon it is just another term invented by the logistical managers like using terms like KPI and facilitating new equipment. The media using terms like driving a lorry cab, a tipper van or huge juggernauts, what pray is a small juggernaut?
We spent years changing the paperwork and licensing system so we could call a big lorry an LGV, I still think of them as an HGV and so do many of the government jobsites and agency adverts.
Of course I could be wrong and Rob K is right, just that I call it a wide swing
Rob K’s explanation is about spot on.
It can definately help set the trailer up for an easier reverse into a tight bay IF done corectly.
I’m suprised you guys haven’t noticed drivers doing it. Or maybe you have, but didn’t realise what they were doing?
I do something similar to what Rob K has described on a regular basis but never know it had a name
One bay I go on I drive past with the bay on my left, swing sharp right until the trailer is nearly lined up with the bay, but with vehicles parked directly forward of the bay I have to swing left slightly so the path of the unit would form the “S”.
When I do it I just call it reversing onto the bay, but now I know I’m “Swan Necking” so thanks for that Rob
Some of the crucial components of swan necking have been left out.
-
When starting at the bottom of the S you should be in the highest gear possible so that when you start the manoveur, you leave as much rubber on the floor as a F1 car.
-
It is also vital to be wearing shades and have one arm out of the window.
-
Upon arrival at the top of the S, reverse gear must be engaged before forward motion has ceased (ignore any grinding sounds) if a small bit of wheelspin and axle tramp can be achieved then your really an artist.
-
It is important to note that during steps 1 and 3 the cab should be pitching from side to side as if two rugby players are hanging of the mirrors and trying to shake you out of bed.
-
During reversing it is important to keep that arm out of the window or if you are a real expert then open the door and lean out. Other requirements are throttle blipping,excessive steering input and a high pitched whine from the drivetrain.
-
Upon hearing that all important bang from the loading dock the handbrake should be applied with a flourish, the door flung open as you leap from the cab without using the steps and slam the door shut hard enough to make the sun roof open.
-
As you stomp off to the office with your notes stuffed in your back pocket (spitting and swearing optional) you can congratulate yourself on wringing that swans bloody neck
oatcake1967:
Some of the crucial components of swan necking have been left out.
When starting at the bottom of the S you should be in the highest gear possible so that when you start the manoveur, you leave as much rubber on the floor as a F1 car.
It is also vital to be wearing shades and have one arm out of the window.
Upon arrival at the top of the S, reverse gear must be engaged before forward motion has ceased (ignore any grinding sounds) if a small bit of wheelspin and axle tramp can be achieved then your really an artist.
It is important to note that during steps 1 and 3 the cab should be pitching from side to side as if two rugby players are hanging of the mirrors and trying to shake you out of bed.
During reversing it is important to keep that arm out of the window or if you are a real expert then open the door and lean out. Other requirements are throttle blipping,excessive steering input and a high pitched whine from the drivetrain.
Upon hearing that all important bang from the loading dock the handbrake should be applied with a flourish, the door flung open as you leap from the cab without using the steps and slam the door shut hard enough to make the sun roof open.
As you stomp off to the office with your notes stuffed in your back pocket (spitting and swearing optional) you can congratulate yourself on wringing that swans bloody neck
So [zb] true that is!
oatcake1967:
Some of the crucial components of swan necking have been left out.
When starting at the bottom of the S you should be in the highest gear possible so that when you start the manoveur, you leave as much rubber on the floor as a F1 car.
It is also vital to be wearing shades and have one arm out of the window.
Upon arrival at the top of the S, reverse gear must be engaged before forward motion has ceased (ignore any grinding sounds) if a small bit of wheelspin and axle tramp can be achieved then your really an artist.
It is important to note that during steps 1 and 3 the cab should be pitching from side to side as if two rugby players are hanging of the mirrors and trying to shake you out of bed.
During reversing it is important to keep that arm out of the window or if you are a real expert then open the door and lean out. Other requirements are throttle blipping,excessive steering input and a high pitched whine from the drivetrain.
Upon hearing that all important bang from the loading dock the handbrake should be applied with a flourish, the door flung open as you leap from the cab without using the steps and slam the door shut hard enough to make the sun roof open.
As you stomp off to the office with your notes stuffed in your back pocket (spitting and swearing optional) you can congratulate yourself on wringing that swans bloody neck
I’m sure the phrase swan necking come from the words scannia and nob
oatcake1967:
Some of the crucial components of swan necking have been left out.
When starting at the bottom of the S you should be in the highest gear possible so that when you start the manoveur, you leave as much rubber on the floor as a F1 car.
It is also vital to be wearing shades and have one arm out of the window.
Upon arrival at the top of the S, reverse gear must be engaged before forward motion has ceased (ignore any grinding sounds) if a small bit of wheelspin and axle tramp can be achieved then your really an artist.
It is important to note that during steps 1 and 3 the cab should be pitching from side to side as if two rugby players are hanging of the mirrors and trying to shake you out of bed.
During reversing it is important to keep that arm out of the window or if you are a real expert then open the door and lean out. Other requirements are throttle blipping,excessive steering input and a high pitched whine from the drivetrain.
Upon hearing that all important bang from the loading dock the handbrake should be applied with a flourish, the door flung open as you leap from the cab without using the steps and slam the door shut hard enough to make the sun roof open.
As you stomp off to the office with your notes stuffed in your back pocket (spitting and swearing optional) you can congratulate yourself on wringing that swans bloody neck
that fits nicely into the thread “you are not a proper trucker till…”
Thanks for all your replys, was secretly hoping for some kind of magic trick to turn me into the king of reversing but as it is, i’ve been ‘swan necking’ all along 
Oh well i guess the only thing that brings improvement is practice, practice, practice and time. Still, i cant be doin that bad, i havent managed to hit anything yet but no doubt my time will come, and when it does i’ll tell you all and then patiently await the ■■■■ taking