question about tandem positioning and backing.

[Raycubed]

hey all. Currently in my first week of solo driving and i have been getting really really lucky finding easy spots to park in at night. The other night though i had to drop a trailer at our yard and i had a HELL of a time because the trailers are so close together.i was always told if you have to make tight backing maneuvers to put tandem s all the way forward.. so i did make my back and goal'd.... i was an 1/8 inch from hitting the trailer on my blind side! . Messed with it for what seemed like forever and moved my tankers back to where they had been or maybe even further.... got it in no problem.. with them alllll the way forward i had waaay too much overhang, by the time my tankers were at the pivot point the trailer was allready almost touching the other one... lets just say if it had mirrors they'd be gone....i still get extremely nervous alley docking at the crowded stops.... am i better off moving my tandems back before i park at night so i have a better idea of where my blind side is?.... confused and a bit nervous....i know my luck finding pull throughs can't last.. your thoughts are greatly appreciated ... PS. Sorry for lack of paragraphs and spacing, this was posted from a "dumb" phone.

 

[Raycubed]

Sigh....damned auto correct... not tankers.... tandems. Sorry y'all

 

[Rigjockey]

I would not bother moving the tandems for the sake of backing up. Just follow the back of the trailer. I was up until yesterday running deliveries for the highway guys. The heavy loads came in with the tandems choked all the way to the front, For weight reasons.

Most trailers are at the 41" mark. Way more effort to get out and slide them on a off the street back in to an enclosed dock. The ones that are slid to California regs are tougher.
The difference is not that much in tracking,

Just point the back of the trailer where you want it to go.

 

[Tazz]

^^^^^^^^^^
What he said.

 

[DubbleD]

I would not bother moving the tandems for the sake of backing up. Just follow the back of the trailer. I was up until yesterday running deliveries for the highway guys. The heavy loads came in with the tandems choked all the way to the front, For weight reasons.

Most trailers are at the 41" mark. Way more effort to get out and slide them on a off the street back in to an enclosed dock. The ones that are slid to California regs are tougher.
The difference is not that much in tracking,

Just point the back of the trailer where you want it to go.

From inside or outside?

 

[Raycubed]

Yeah, i see what you're saying. It just seems to me with that much overhang by the time the drivers side of the tandems are off the bumper of the truck on your sight side the blind side dot bumper is really close to the blind side truck... i spose when my tandems are that far forward again i just need to jack it earlier and more.... tempted to buy a remote wireless camera to slap on the blind side near the back lol. Just kidding............kinda lol

 

[DubbleD]

One thing I do when it's tight...try to come at it from farther out instead of up close. Like the center of the isle instead of a few feet off your side. Gets the rear in more square to the hole but requires a few more pullups.

 

[Rigjockey]

Yeah, i see what you're saying. It just seems to me with that much overhang by the time the drivers side of the tandems are off the bumper of the truck on your sight side the blind side dot bumper is really close to the blind side truck... i spose when my tandems are that far forward again i just need to jack it earlier and more.... tempted to buy a remote wireless camera to slap on the blind side near the back lol. Just kidding............kinda lol

I do what I call a fly by. I pass and look at the spot. Line it up in my head and then we go. it does not always work ou the way I thought i would. Ok, Pull up and try again.

 

[theloneeagle]

The best thing you're doing is being cautious. When you see hotheaded or rushy drivers trying to back up, well let's just say, they leave a wake of damaged trailers, trucks, and other things behind.

 

[Injun]

The closer your tandems are to your drives, the more squirrelly your trailer will be. I usually set my tandems at about 42 or 43. This is partly for weight, partly for a smoother ride and partly to make backing easier.

 

[Tim]

I do what I call a fly by. I pass and look at the spot. Line it up in my head and then we go. it does not always work ou the way I thought i would. Ok, Pull up and try again.

I do fly by's too. And if looks tight I'll wait for someone to pull out so I can drive thru!

 

[Injun]

I do fly by's too. And if looks tight I'll wait for someone to pull out so I can drive thru!

Perpetuating the belief that flatbedders can't back...

 

[Rigjockey]

*******, They sent me west hell, A place we call crackdale. Having never been there I approached in a way that left me no choice but to blind side.In off the street into an indoor dock.
So next week I was there and Polish dude comes up to me and says he is going to take the door I am going into. Really? No is for the best you truck is too big to go there. M.F.R please. He said have you been here before? Yes I have the last time I blind sided it. Oh I cannot do blind side. Sorry to you COMRADE. Eat shit and die Canada carnage. Sorry was that too harsh? lol

 

[Hammer166]

The trick to backing in with long overhang is to get the trailer squared before it goes between the other trucks by moving your target forward.

Running around with 14' of overhang on a daily basis helps ya get good at it.

 

[Tim]

Perpetuating the belief that flatbedders can't back...

Glad I dont have a flatbed!

 

[DubbleD]

Glad I dont have a flatbed!

I've seen it...it's half-pipe not flat.

 

[Tim]

I've seen it...it's half-pipe not flat.

And there even harder to back up!

 

[Hammer166]

And there even harder to back up!

Just set a full beer at either front corner of the parking spot. Bet you slide it right in then!

 

[Tim]

Just set a full beer at either front corner of the parking spot. Bet you slide it right in then!

You know you just may have a point there!!!