Can anybody offer any advice or tips because I’m struggling to judge if I’m clear before turning.
Its a 26 tonne rigid with a 12 foot swing, last Friday I was manoeuvring out of a customers premises and my off side rear end caught the end of a car, this is the second time I’ve done this in a couple of weeks.
Been driving little G4S class 2’s for 15 years so don’t have a problem with width, juts the length.
Cheers
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This is a big issue, and more so on rigids than artics, as more rigids have gained rear steer tag axle so the vehicle is pivoting on the drive axle…this is the thing to remember with any vehicle is to look for the pivot point.
I’ve recently gained a rear camera on the lorry, company fitted obviously can be on permanently or when selecting reverse, never had one before but it’s a revelation 
Might be worth having a word in the bosses ear and see if he’d be prepared to have a rear camera fitted, mounted centre top for maximum field of vision, you’d be amazed how much easier it makes close maneuvers.
If he won’t it might be worth investigating to see if you could buy a wireless reversing camera and link it to your smart phone and glue a clip on mount in a suitable place at the back of the lorry, i have no idea if such a thing is available but having had the benefit of a rear camera i now hate being without one.
Other than that, go back to basics, set some boxes and or cones out somewhere and do some practicing where no damage can happen till you know exactly where the swing is going…it’s nothing to be ashamed of, if i had to return to a rigid or wag’n’drag i’d be doing exactly that mesen.
The only advice I can offer is that if you think it’s tight or getting close then get and and look. Even if that means holding up traffic. Don’t be afraid to ask someone to make sure you don’t hit anything pulling out. I always say ‘I haven’t had my licence for a long time and still in training’ (making light of it). That took some pressure off of me because if they expect the worst then they may be more cautious and help me more. I would say practice with some cones in a car park but it’s not a ‘real life’ situation. Hope this helps
Ooh, I’m all ears for nuggets of gold too
Meanwhile, experience now tells me not to be hopeful but to get out and have a look if in any doubt …and when it’s tight, delay putting on full-whack lock as late as possible
Biglew74:
Can anybody offer any advice or tips because I’m struggling to judge if I’m clear before turning.Its a 26 tonne rigid with a 12 foot swing, last Friday I was manoeuvring out of a customers premises and my off side rear end caught the end of a car, this is the second time I’ve done this in a couple of weeks.
Been driving little G4S class 2’s for 15 years so don’t have a problem with width, juts the length.
Firstly,unlike an artic,with a rigid you have the luxury of being able to see the rear corners in the mirrors at all times.The idea in that case is to watch the tail sweep and not just guess at it as you have to with an artic,in just the same way that you ( hopefully ) use the mirrors to keep an eye on the cut in.While whatever class 2 training you had doesn’t seem to have told you how to minimise tail sweep issues by not applying too much steering input at the start of a turn.IE start off with as little steering lock as possible then gradually increase it as you move away from obstructions at the side while checking the mirrors both sides for both cut in and sweep.
As for artics designed to mimimise cut in at the expense of tail sweep then you’d rightly have something to moan about because they really are a joke with the rear corners being totally blind during a turn.
I was told “If you can see daylight between you and the obstruction, you haven’t hit it.”
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Wouldn’t be the Co-op by chance?
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Not the co-op mate but similar truck length
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Never done tri-axle rigid HGV but spent years driving tri-axle rear steer 15m long coaches in and out of London and other UK and European cities.
Best advice I can give us own the road and block where needed to avoided other traffic sneaking past. Majority or bus, coach and lorry drivers will know why you’re doing it and the rest won’t but ■■■■ them, getting a pap of the horn is better and quicker than filling out forms.
Other advice is to not turn to sharp if possible. Saying you’re turning right out of a car park. Stay to the left and turn slightly so you end up angled over towards the right. Your forward movement should see you clear at the rear.
Finally if needs be get out and look if anything else just to give yourself certainty.
Some good advice, cheers all.
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We have 15m rear steer the starting point is the pivot point, use a straight line like a parking bay or road marking keeping the nearest fixed axle tight to the line and turn full lock this will give you an approximate measure as to the swing this is not exact but it will help you to gauge the room needed.
We have the Brigade 4 camera system on our rigids which gives a 360 degree view it is excellent perhaps you could suggest this to the gaffer.
This system really is the business
I had a little oops moment as well recently. Only advice is G.O.A.L. get out and look.