Tyres cheap are they where some of you lot come from, no wonder theres no profit in transport with all these unecessary U turns.
Used to have to do it often here. This is Spicers, Sawston, Cambridgeshire.
The parking area bottom right is new, that wasn’t there. Often there would be a trl parked at 90 degrees to those in the bays, (like the pink & white ones) but in the bottom right corner.There would be 1 tight slot available bottom left.
Always weekends, no one around. I’ve been up & down the cab steps just a few times 
Juddian:
Tyres cheap are they where some of you lot come from, no wonder theres no profit in transport with all these unecessary U turns.
And causing damage to buildings/pedestrians/other vehicles is going to be any cheaper is it?
On our risk assesments we have a few stores where we have to blindside it in…
Thanks Chaps,some good tips there.A bit of a mixed veiw,I know exactly what You mean about been able to watch what the peaks doing Juddain.
So to sum it all up,only do it when theys no alternative,and then shunt to straighten the unit asap,so I can see down both sides,and maybe get out the cab and have a good look around,so I don’t clout anything.
But most important,don’t take any silly chances.
DAF95XF:
Juddian:
Tyres cheap are they where some of you lot come from, no wonder theres no profit in transport with all these unecessary U turns.And causing damage to buildings/pedestrians/other vehicles is going to be any cheaper is it?
On our risk assesments we have a few stores where we have to blindside it in…
I suppose learning to drive competently isn’t an option any more, or did taking a pride in ones standard of work go out of fashion.
The more you do it the easier it gets. I don’t care which way I reverse in nowadays, good side, blind side it really makes no difference, both are as easy but I’ve spent many years as a yard shunter so am not afraid of having a go.
Juddian:
DAF95XF:
Juddian:
Tyres cheap are they where some of you lot come from, no wonder theres no profit in transport with all these unecessary U turns.And causing damage to buildings/pedestrians/other vehicles is going to be any cheaper is it?
On our risk assesments we have a few stores where we have to blindside it in…I suppose learning to drive competently isn’t an option any more, or did taking a pride in ones standard of work go out of fashion.
Try a river mate.
bubsy06:
Juddian:
DAF95XF:
Juddian:
Tyres cheap are they where some of you lot come from, no wonder theres no profit in transport with all these unecessary U turns.And causing damage to buildings/pedestrians/other vehicles is going to be any cheaper is it?
On our risk assesments we have a few stores where we have to blindside it in…I suppose learning to drive competently isn’t an option any more, or did taking a pride in ones standard of work go out of fashion.
Try a river mate.
Nah leave that for the steering wheel attendants to reverse into.
Own Account Driver:
FarnboroughBoy11:
I think you should stop driving in, reversing out and then reversing in on your good side. Try to minimise the amount of manoeuvres you are doing.
No one will care how many shunts you have to make on your blind side.I don’t really agree. I really think a blindside is an absolute last resort (provided getting it on the good side can be done safely), this isn’t because of any issue with reversing skill or wanting to make my life easy. My reason is that absolutely no-one but other artic drivers understands the issues with blindsiding and the extremely limited visibility.
Once you’re got a n/s mirror of trailer curtain you’re sort of out of control of the operation. If a pedestrian or cyclist has fallen under the trailer you’ve got the least possibility of any time driving an artic to notice, even on the notorious traffic light left turn you will, if your mirrors are adjusted correctly, have a chance of spotting them in the kerb mirror.
When I have to, and often when I’m using the good side, I will shunt forward, not because I need to but because it gives me a much better picture of what’s going on behind particularly anywhere there’s likely to be pedestrians.
Although I do agree with what you’re saying, I just feel that doubling the amount of reversing manoeuvres has its own risk as well.
And for arguments sake, say you back out onto the road on your good side to then pull forward and once again back in on your good side, if there happens to be traffic waiting then you are pretty much bolloxed as soon as you pull forward the traffic that has stopped will be right up your arse, not to mention the traffic that has stopped on the opposite side of the carriage way that you will inevitably have use to get your trailer angled ready for the reverse.
Limit the amount of manoeuvres is my view 
Juddian:
DAF95XF:
Juddian:
Tyres cheap are they where some of you lot come from, no wonder theres no profit in transport with all these unecessary U turns.And causing damage to buildings/pedestrians/other vehicles is going to be any cheaper is it?
On our risk assesments we have a few stores where we have to blindside it in…I suppose learning to drive competently isn’t an option any more, or did taking a pride in ones standard of work go out of fashion.
Yes, by avoiding blindsiding unless its absolutely necessary…
Yes I take pride in what I do…
try a few easy ones at first…then with time you`ll become a dab hand at it.
toptip
as the trailer gets somewhere near, whip the unit over to the other side to get a quick peek down the sides…
ive also been known,to adjust the mirror out,as Im turning…to get a view of the rear for longer
when I worked at my last company we used to deliver to a small builders merchants in Hoyland town centre in Barnsley. The yard was just big enough to get an artic in and it was a challenge! 
There was two lads one would stand at the front and one at the back watching you in and they were a great help with the one at the back shouting to him at the front if you had put too much lock on and was going to hit the building.
I learned that you would reverse back at an angle and watch for the rear wheel to go just past the entrance then put the full lock on until the trailer was basicly facing straight across the road then put the opposite lock on to chase the trailer then do one shunt forward and reverse into the yard. Some days I could do it a ■■■■ of ■■■■,others I needed about 4 shunts! 
It was a hell of a lot easier when I had a unit with the rear window in but over time I got used to it and could do it fine in a unit without a rear window.
It amazed me though how impatient other people and drivers could be even with two lads in high viz vests shouting out orders and a 44 tonne truck with reverse sensors going about doing my job. People would walk behind the truck and sometimes cars would drive onto the footpath and around me just so they could save about 2 mins of their day! 
The lads told me one day a German driver was delivering there and he got the trailer wedged up against the building and completely blocked the road off for a few hour.
Almost fifty years on artics and I still hated the blindside reverse. Mostly a confidence thing, I suspect. I could do it quite proficiently but I would always look for an excuse to reverse in on the “correct” side.
By the way, Steve, your Hoyland drop wouldn’t have been much fun in one of those old Atkis with the air assisted steering- two shunts and you would have been stuck across the road trying to build up the air!
Blind siding is a piece of ■■■■, as long as nobody is watching, as soon as there’s a crowd… Forget it
Having LHD experience is a bonus though, you kind of know where you are by looking at the front right hand corner of the trailer.
If you usually reverse by only using the mirrors then it’s got to be easier for you than it is for those that hang out the window.
I’m quite lucky now, my cab is so narrow that I can sit on the passenger seat and still reach the pedals and steering wheel, so there’s no such thing as a blind side for me
Strange that nobody has mentioned the obvious yet : If your not sure, get out and have a look !
The last time i did one i opened my passengers window and every couple of feet i would stop and walk across the cab and look out 