After having a terrible time in the real world (in the middle of a working day full of shunters and forkies and other trucks) trying to reverse I knew I needed to try and find a way to practice reversing.
If you’re on agency, you’ve got no chance. You get thrown a set of keys and told to drive it to X
If you work for a smaller company with no yard space then you’re up the creek without a paddle.
So how do you practice?
With bigger firms with yards, ask to go in a couple of hours before your start time - you’re on private ground, it’s your leisure time. No need put your card in. Grab a trailer and just have a go at reversing into bays.
I didn’t have that option. My firm is small (no yard) so I rented a car trailer and whizzed it around a gym car park. It’s the perfect time with lockdown as there’s loads of empty car parks.
Is a 19’ car trailer the same as a 40’ trailer? No…But it gets your hands and brain used to doing opposite lock. You’d be surprised how quick your arms and brain adjust.
It’s like trying to tell someone how to ride a bike. You can’t. It’s an instinct. Your brain, hands and body just sort of get it over time.
Reversing a truck is no different. Your brain, hands and eyes just sort of get it over time.
Nobody was born with this “skill” personally I wouldn’t even call it skill. It’s a knack. Just like riding a bike.
Rent a car trailer. Shove it around a car park for a few hours and you’ll be surprised how things start to drop into place in your hand eye coordination.
That was a trick I picked up from another member on here.
The car trailer cost £45 for a day. Obviously you’ll need a car or van with a tow hook.
Build5:
Rent a car trailer. Shove it around a car park for a few hours and you’ll be surprised how things start to drop into place in your hand eye coordination.
The principals are the same whether it be car + caravan for example or unit + trailer
If you do not have a towbar and have a mate with a caravan then slip them a few quid and arrange to use their set up in an empty car park perhaps on a Sunday
There are plenty of opportunities to practice reversing, even if your firm doesn’t have its own yard (or you are on agency). If you are passing a MSA or similar, just pull off the Motorway and into the lorry park, reverse into one or two of the bays (including a blindside while you’re at it) and then continue on your way. Adds five minutes to your day if you take your time. Do the same every time you stop for a p1ss, coffee or a 15/30/45 minute break.
Roymondo:
There are plenty of opportunities to practice reversing, even if your firm doesn’t have its own yard (or you are on agency). If you are passing a MSA or similar, just pull off the Motorway and into the lorry park, reverse into one or two of the bays (including a blindside while you’re at it) and then continue on your way. Adds five minutes to your day if you take your time. Do the same every time you stop for a p1ss, coffee or a 15/30/45 minute break.
A lot of agencies or should I say their customers have a strict NO STOP policy. I was told if I had to stop for a tinkle I had to phone the agency and the customer before stopping and inform them of my intended location to stop.
Sounds absolutely ridiculous until you read about the £5,000,000 worth of stuff that got hijacked (sounds like an inside job to me)
I was given a time schedule my truck sat nav said I would be 45 minutes late. When I used Google maps it said I was going to be 17 minutes late. Google maps calculate speeds at 70mph so how I was supposed to achieve my deadline I have no idea.
I literally didn’t have one minute spare time, never mind five minutes.
I’m sure a lot of you guys will know what I’m talking about if you’ve been down to a certain place in Asherton or Kingsbury.
A million shunters throwing trailers around as if it was nothing. Hundreds of trucks trying to drop trailers…
And then there’s me. Gently trying to reverse between two trailers. I lost it. I was messing up badly and knowing I was holding up a time sensitive operation involving hundreds of trucks.
A really nice guy on a shunter gave me the thumbs up. I thought he was taking the pee. He wasn’t. He jumped out and said “I can’t explain how to get in, but I’ll put it in there for you if you like”
I could have kissed him!
He threw it in in two seconds flat.
He was really cool. “It’ll come mate, I was ■■■ at reversing for a year, you did really well for your first attempt in this mad house”
Everyone keeps telling me I’m doing well. I’m not. I can’t reverse for toffee.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised how helpful and encouraging a lot of you guys have been to a complete idiot.
Good advice Build 5, on a Agency job, I was allocated a place with a Plant firm and had a Generator on the back and the guy was trying to get me to reverse onto a busy main road. As I had never reversed a trailer of any kind, it turned into a nightmare .
I must have been there for 15 minutes (without getting out the yard) and ended up Jack-knifing the generator with a cracked tail light (even though I tried telling the guy I was hopeless).
Eventually took the generator off and just done a three point turn in the yard.
Put me off C&E that morning but when I was out collecting another generator that day, I practiced reversing without the time pressure (off getting onto the road and away) and picked it up.
Hopefully it will stand me in good stead for my C&E
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but when I was out collecting another generator that day, I practiced reversing without the time pressure (off getting onto the road and away) and picked it up.