I had a standard transmission and backing up a hill I produced a whole bunch of smoke - use an automatic. When in a lane about to merge with another, remember you have a trailer following you in case you're trying to pass everyone.
Learning how to drive with a trailer..
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aircommuter
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Do you have a lake nearby? Just go to a launch ramp and you can watch and learn how NOT to back a trailer so what’s remaining? How to do it.
sandman2234
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I started driving a semi truck in May...After you get a hitch and a trailer, you will want to practice in an open space where you can lay out some cones or other items to act as the "edges" of your imaginary roadway.
Steering is "reversed" when dealing with backing a trailer. The easiest way I found to deal with it is that when backing the trailer, keep your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and don't make large movements. If you want the trailer to move LEFT, move your hand to the LEFT. If you want the trailer to move to the RIGHT, move your hand to the RIGHT. And watch out that your front end doesn't hit something and rip your bumper off. I was shown how to back up like this by a long haul truck driver. It made a Night/Day difference in my ability to back a trailer.
I hate to tell you, you WILL need those mirrors folded OUT to do this!
It is nice that a "long haul trucker" taught you that, but in reality, long haul truckers don't back up very much. We only back up a couple times a day. The guys that do a lot of backing up are the guys moving trailers around at distribution centers and manufacturing facilities. They back up hundreds of times a day! (btw, I have done both)The place that I learned the most about backing up was at a CDL entry level truck driving school thathired me to teach. I had to be able to stand next to the drivers fender and watch the tire and what the trailer was doing. I got to where I could walk a student into a 90 degree parking space without any issues. To this day, I still get out of my truck and back newbies into parking spots when they start getting frustrated.
The comment about starting with straight line backing first, and then proceeding to an arc to back along is a good one.
It doesn't matter where you put your hands on the wheel "IF" you are comfortable with it and understand which way the steering wheel needs to go in order to make the trailer do what you want. You control the trailer, and if you turn it the wrong way, it will let you know you messed up VERY QUICKLY! Hence the other suggestions about going slow and maybe using low range if you have a 4x4 tranny.
Oh, and the May that I started driving a semi truck in, was in 1980.
David from jax
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I use several different size trailers and I've done a lot of backing up with all of them. I've read a lot of the posts, but not all, so someone may have already mentioned this. Others have mentioned going slow, using your mirrors, stop and pull forward a little, restart, don't try to correct your way out of a jam, all good solid advice etc.
When I taught my sons how to back a trailer the one thing they both said later that was most helpful was the advice that when changing direction while backing, as soon as the trailer starts to go the direction you want, start straightening it out and following it...don't hesitate or it will over correct. Lots of good information in this thread, stay calm, don't be in a hurry and do it as much as you can and it will become second nature.
Mark
When I taught my sons how to back a trailer the one thing they both said later that was most helpful was the advice that when changing direction while backing, as soon as the trailer starts to go the direction you want, start straightening it out and following it...don't hesitate or it will over correct. Lots of good information in this thread, stay calm, don't be in a hurry and do it as much as you can and it will become second nature.
Mark
1Mech
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Try doing it the way I taught the kids to drive. Find a large empty parking lot, maybe a mega church during the week or a high school or office building on the weekend
and go there to practice, while singing that old truck driving tune, "Give Me Forty Acres", hope no one runs you off.
and go there to practice, while singing that old truck driving tune, "Give Me Forty Acres", hope no one runs you off.
Get yourself an open or boat trailer, drive around going forward first get comfortable, find a friend (soon to be a non-friend) as a spotter practice in a parking lot or field backing into a large spot make it smaller the more comfortable you get. Do a little S move to line up with the hole get out and look behind, Bob's your uncle.. Have fun slow and easy.
jnh92
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I'm going to say it...all of us started where you are. Sure, you will get laughed at and pointed at, so what?? practice, practice, practice....I still do the rookie mistakes but it's all good. practice at home as silly as it may seem in your field or yard or street, but trust me, it's better to practice in a "controlled environment" then out in the wild. Have fun and enjoy it.
lman
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Backing a trailer is easy compared to backing a hay wagon or gravity grain wagon. you then move the steering wheel the opposite of a trailer. I remember the old Farmalls that had a hitch on the front of the tractor as it was easier to back up a wagon hitched to the front of the tractor.
kenhar
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A single axle trailer is much more difficult to back, it responds to turning much quicker than multi-axle trailers. Four simple rules to learning to pull a trailer. 1st keep it behind you, 2nd, 3rd, 4th practice, practice, practice.
Then you haven’t backed anything but a flat bed or small boat trailer. Slap a camper on behind you or back a semi trailer without the ability to turn around and look out the back. You won’t use that method again. I guess what we are all missing is are you backing on roads you can’t see the traffic behind you. In that case, don’t get into that position to start with. The next I will add to my last post is, don’t even attempt a curve until you can back straight. Curves can definitely be done with mirrors but try to make the road as straight as you can. In other words, put the tire on your drivers side on the inside of the first curve and as soon as you start around it, start catching up to the trailer. This is where you would use the other mirror. Put the right side trailer tire right on the edge of the road. You can see that in your mirror. There is Mitch more to curves than this but you don’t need to worry about that until you know what happens to correct a trailer backing in a straight line. Once that becomes second nature you are ready for a curve. It’s easier than you think. Try to always start backing using your side, side (drivers) mirror if possible.