Always reverse in on your good side if you can as it makes you life easier.
However do practise blind side reversing so you can do it when you have to.
It makes me smile that many drivers who are so called experienced drivers at our place won’t park in the correct hard standings in our yard because it is difficult, so they go for an easy option which messes up our yard system, and then means we as shunter’s then have to move even more trailers than necessary and we have far too many to move as it is.
We have two rows of hard standings at two angles, one which you can reverse in on your good side and the other that you either have to blindside it in or go in forward and jackknife it in backwards, there is enough room to go in forward and pivot the trailer round into the harder hard standings, there is even enough room to turn a trailer round completely between both rows of trailers as long as they are parked right up to the stop bars on the floor.
Learning as a shunter is invaluable in my opinion and would highly recommend people try it for a while, oh and before anyone says you use a Tug and it’s so much easier yes it is and I have also used units to shunt as well and can do the same in a unit. It does take me a few trailer moves though in a unit for me to get back into the hang of it as I completely ■■■■ it up to start with
call me stupid but is this good side/blindside business applicable to c or is it only c+e?
i worked a bit at bus depot cleaning buses and they stopped me moving them after i damaged a couple (not that you could tell). probably a good way to practice if they handle same as hgv.
i think training school is going to have there work cut out with me.
i take it training vehicles are adapted like learner cars with dual controls?
Blind side means you are basing your reverse off your near side mirror only. You’re blind on your good side in an artic thanks to the bulkhead swing. First time I was in an artic I decided to have a go at blindsiding into a bay in a massive open area with nothing around me. Oh boy did I mess it up. Because of the way mirrors work and the fact your truck now bends messes with your head. That being said, the more you practise, the easier it will become.
LE1erRE:
call me stupid but is this good side/blindside business applicable to c or is it only c+e?
Blind side only applies to bendy’s, it’s when your N/S mirror is blocked by the trailer because your cab is angled left (right if you are in a left ■■■■■■), in a rigid however it doesn’t matter where you steer the mirrors on both sides are still showing the same view.
Dipper_Dave:
Nice videos, good calm approach and skillfully done.
I found this video one of his best, he clearly and concisely explains what his thought process is as he’s driving, it gives a nice little insight into what we actually do and prove it’s not all just looking at ■■■■ and picking our noses.
thanks radar19 and reef. hard for me to visualize may need to get an artic toy and play around with it. it looks daunting though. its confusing because to me there looks like blind areas including down the entire length of vehicle irregardless of which direction you are going. if its a nice slow gentle reverse then it looks doable without losing any or much vision but when you have to put a tight lock on you seem to lose vision on both sides at times that’s why I cant get head around why only one side is called blind.
LE1erRE:
thanks radar19 and reef. hard for me to visualize may need to get an artic toy and play around with it. it looks daunting though. its confusing because to me there looks like blind areas including down the entire length of vehicle irregardless of which direction you are going. if its a nice slow gentle reverse then it looks doable without losing any or much vision but when you have to put a tight lock on you seem to lose vision on both sides at times that’s why I cant get head around why only one side is called blind.
Yeah but when you put lots of bend on the drivers side, you can look out the drivers window and see the arse of the trailer!
So the ‘blind side’ for a left hand drive (left ■■■■■■) is the opposite side to a UK truck…
so even though you can see nothing down other side its only called a blind side reverse when you are relying on near side mirror like radar19 said? i get it if that’s right. thanks evil8beezle. is it a case that one is hard (because its blindside) and the other easy or can both be problematic depending on the scenario?
i think that whats confusing me the most whether i should understand that blindside=hard
if there are scenarios when the opposite is true then i probably shouldn’t get so hung up on the difference between them and just take each reverse as i see it.
All I ever do when confronted by a blindside is wherever space allows. Generally get it heading in the right direction, kicking out my mirror as necessary, and as soon as I can, get it on my good side.
Anyone who tips ambient at 3663 Tonbridge Wells will know what I’m on about.
LE1erRE:
so even though you can see nothing down other side its only called a blind side reverse when you are relying on near side mirror like radar19 said? i get it if that’s right. thanks evil8beezle. is it a case that one is hard (because its blindside) and the other easy or can both be problematic depending on the scenario?
i think that whats confusing me the most whether i should understand that blindside=hard
if there are scenarios when the opposite is true then i probably shouldn’t get so hung up on the difference between them and just take each reverse as i see it.
Ignore the headboard aspect as that just muddies the explanation…
When sat in a UK right hand drive truck and reversing, as you turn the arse of the trailer to the right (your side) your O/S mirror will start to fill with the side of the trailer and that’s all you can see in it. So look out of the drivers window and you can then see the arse of the trailer. THIS IS A REVERSE ON YOUR GOOD SIDE!
Then you reverse and turn the arse of the trailer to the left (passenger side) your N/S mirror will again fill with the side of the trailer, but this time you can’t look out the passenger window without climbing across the seat! As Pauls says, if you have electric mirrors you can try and set it wider, but only up to a point. THIS IS A REVERSE ON YOUR BLINDSIDE!
Had a few tight ones tonight. DHL NHS at Runcorn, about 4 inches either side, up hill into a little holding pen area then Great Bear at Deeside, about 3 inches either side in between the bananas.
thanks evil8beezle. is it a case that one is hard (because its blindside) and the other easy or can both be problematic depending on the scenario?
