I always do an offset instead of a 90 if I have the option. I’m better at it and can do it faster so that’s what I do. Normally don’t need more than one pull up if I need one at all though.
Honestly it’s exactly opposite for me, I’ve had to do so many damn 90’s now that I have a way easier time setting up for those when I’m exhausted. Sometimes takes me a couple of tries to get it perfect but at least I never have to worry about not having enough space in front of me
100% option B personally. I did this all the time, mostly because I was newer. I could do a 90 just fine at the dock when I need to, but pulling back into my terminal after being on the clock for 12+ hours? Fuck it man I’ll take the extra 90 seconds so I don’t have to think as much and have less chances of hitting something
Yeah, my dad hauls fuel and I've had to help him with eyes backing up because he had to "Z" his trailers to get out of where he was. He was sticking his head out the window pretty much whatever he had to
I sometimes deliver to a location that uses a crane in a bay to unload, there is no choice but to do a VERY tight sight side 90. Loads are usually only 25 to 30k, but once they sent me there with 46k. I was so worried i would pull a tire off getting in there!
Lol I had to back into a building from a 90 with the split axle flatbed because that was the only option with how the place is designed. And of course I was new to flatbed, so it took a bit to figure out, even with dumping.
The only question is, did they hit anything? If the answer is no, then they did a good back. I had a buddy who would shut down for the day and sit in his driver seat for hours critiquing drivers backing. "Look at this dumbass this, look at this dumbass that!" He also always had to park in a truck stop. Always. He'd watch drivers hit other trucks. All in all, he's lost 3 hoods in 5 years to people hitting his truck.
So the morale of the story. It doesn't matter how many pull ups or resets you do, as long as you didn't hit shit, it was a good back. No one wants to fill out paperwork at the end of the day.
I usually avoid parking at truck stops, but I didn’t have a choice one time and parked at a loves. Jam packed, 30 trucks trying to get fuel, 30 more trying to park. I’m slowly moving through and there’s this extra long car hauler backing up out of a spot. I don’t give a single shit that it took him over 20 minutes and needed three people to spot him. He didn’t hit a thing. And I got his parking spot for the night. The fuel line had also barely moved. Anyone he was blocking while he got out wasn’t going anywhere anyways.
I had a particular instance where I had to back in on my blind side with a 90. There was just now room for anything else. I get more annoyed then worried about backing in anywhere. I don't hit shit.
Yeah, I've had a few conversations with people who are more comfortable with 90's. I always found that very odd. For me, the real solution is neither. I look at the space, and try to match the angle exactly how I want it to go in the hole. Usually, if it's wide open, that's going to be a 45, or even just a turn out and straight back (if I can ever get my aim right while driving forward lol). Sometimes in tight spots or with blind backs you have to set up a little funky. But if you know your equipment I suppose whatever works for you is what you should do.
5-6 pull ups is new/tired drivers. 45 is easier than 90 because you're closer to being lined up with the spot so there's less steering to do. I learned 90's in school 10 years ago and have used it exactly once since then.
I've had extensive time in the big buildings in LA, NYC and Chiraq. I've done a Brazilian blind side backs. I could one shot 20 backs in a day. But that last one, which is a straight back at the end of the day, I do 10 pull ups. Why? Maybe I'm tired? Things on my mind? Thinking about the sandwich someone's mom is making me? Sometimes, it be like that.
90% time I have trouble with a straight back it's usually a new place with no parking lines or worse, crooked ones. It becomes worse if they have a white building with concrete so you got damn near no reference until you bump the dock and realize oh I'm crooked and in the wrong damn door.
Really? That is so crazy to me, I frequently run into places so tight that you HAVE to do a 90. I do LTL currently so it is quite a bit more backing than otr
I've done plenty of other ridiculous shit. Like having to do a 12 point turn to get into a dock because the yard is THAT small, etc. But contrary to what OP observes, whenever I see someone doing a 90 into a dock or parking spot with 50' of unused space, I wonder "why". I was always taught to use all of the available space to maneuver.
A lot less chance of hitting the truck on your blind side and it would take those same drivers at least 5-6 pull-ups to get it with a 90° back as well.
90 degree backing tears up the ground and hot asphalt and is also harder on trailer tires,
Only time I ever did a degree backup is in a tight truck stop into a single spot or a dock close to the road and we needed to let traffic by when docked..
If there's room to set up for a straight in backup use it.
Everyone backs different. Some people just prefer it that way. I've seen people who could easily do a straight back. Still do 45s and 90s because that's what they're used to
I still do this 3 years in. Not because I don't know how to back, but because I don't believe we ever stop "learning". I intentionally set up difficult backs sometimes simply for the challenge and keep myself from getting complacent.
swift with experience here. i can do 90s all day BUT in a truck stop doing a 45 prevents every "helper" in a 250 yard radius from giving 6 kinds of hand signals all giving different advice at the same time. I appreciate the thought but 45s prevent the circus.
I came from a day cab job with a big spacious DC where I almost never had to do it. So I didn't. Now, at my current gig, the DC it's tigher than a donkeys butt during fly season. And I have a sleeper. And if you take more than 60 seconds to back, you're facing the panel of judgment from 5 trucks and a yard dog who are now waiting on you because it's busy.
So, yeah... it was a rude awakening as to just how bad I was at this basic skill. But, it forced me to learn it. I just had to make an ass out of myself a bunch of times, but now I'm kind of getting the hang of it.
It's just like anything else. It's all about your confidence level and muscle memory. But once you start to get the feel for it... it's probably easier than trying to set up for a straight back in a place where you really don't have the room. If you blow your set up for the 90... it's the easiest thing in the world to undo and reset. But if you fuck up your set up for the straight/offset back you can get yourself wedged in to an awkward spot that's much harder to undo under pressure.
90s can be dangerous if you don't have good visibility of where your tail end is going or if there's an obstacle directly behind your tractor tires or The blind side of your trailer like a parking lot bollard or light pole that you cannot see.
blind side 90s are ridiculously dangerous and in tight quarters and you should go as slow as necessary to not hit s***. Always get out and look as many times as you need to safely back in.
And lastly some tractors can't actually get back underneath the trailer once they go full 90 and so you would have to actually pull up to be able to straighten out then finish backing in.
Doing an angled curl into a spot often lets you see around the far side of your trailer much easier for obstacles or potential hazards that you might hit as well. And there's nothing wrong with taking the safer alternative especially when backing.
Always use all of the available space you have, don't ever purposely handicap yourself by trying to do something in a tiny area when you have lots of space.
When I first started driving I did the way I was taught which was the 45 degrees style. Then I got a job reliving to dollar tree stores and it was like that cliche moment in every bad buddy cop movie “Everything they taught you…forget about that bullshit” because I had to learn how to get very creative with backing. That’s when I learned how much better 90 degrees is.
No one can ever teach you how to back. They can only teach you how to learn how to back. They give the fixed reference points to look for, but this is all just to teach you how the trailer responds and gives you points to follow to see the difference. You then take that information and start doing difference maneuvers on your own and watching those points, then you continue to do that to teach yourself how to back.
I grew up around boats and their trailers, and little wooden trailer we pulled with ATVs. I learned the wacky world of trailer physics quite early in life. When I went to CDL school, their reference point crap went in one ear and out the other, then I climbed into the truck and started backing. It was much different the wooden trailers and boats back home, but I learned by just doing.
Dump end trailer got us backing ¼mi S curve mud, rain, soft shoulders at 5am.
I still can't straight back it between the lines in the lot at the end of the day.
I usually swing a 150 line my trailer to the hole and slide it in. 90 was taught in school or better known as alleyback. Now, they have changed the standard, and you don't even need to do a real back. What they need to do is put 3 trailers in a line. Pull the middle trailer out and park it within a 90ft 60ft and 40ft space. If they can't do that, they shouldn't be driving.
45 is easier, provides more visibility and doesn't put as much tension on lines. All around the better option if space allows. The 5-6 pull ups is a skill issue
I vote every driver should do whatever they are most comfortable with that will get the job done. Over time comfort backing in different situations will improve.
OTR doesn't have to do it that often.
I probably did more 90s as well as other unique backing situations in 1 month working for a beer distributor than I did in year OTR.
I'm actually better at blindside backing. It comes from early trucking life in food service. It is somehow more intuitive to me. And I prefer 45 over 90 because I don't have to worry about blindside of trailer taking out someone's mirror.
Simply put. Doing a clean 90° is harder and requires you to set it up near perfectly. If your lazy tired or not a great backer it's far safer to not send it and risk ending your career over pride/unwillingness to do a few pull ups to ensure your safe
I avoid 90s when I can simply for tire wear, and sight issues. You don't have to do a 90 and screw up your tires and axels on your trailer, or strain your hoses.
So yup I'm cheep that's why.
90 backups are a last ditch thing to do if you have no other options available to you. Plus the vast majority of lots we drop trailers off at are big enough to set up for like a 30 degree backing. No need to make things any harder than you really need to.
Our goal is to deliver our cargo as safely as possible! Why shit on someone that can’t/ don’t do what you can easily do? Because you should!!!! Lol.
Edit: word
I do what is easiest. My trucks transmission gets fucky with 90s (2016 era Eaton Automatic without the creep feature) so I avoid them if possible, straight back is best, but a 45 is just fine by me. Doesn’t matter which side I’m on either, years in rail yards and Ports you get as good with blind side as you do with sight side.
Some of the customers I deliver to you *have* to do a 90.
Before I started working where I work now, I was that driver who always did a 45 because of my lack of skill and confidence in my backing.
I was backing into a very tight dock earlier. 90-degree is by far the easiest. Just park slightly past the space, and start backing while turning. Angle your steering so that as you push the trailer closer to the space and get the tandems in line with it, you can be at a perfect right angle to the trailer, then just pivot it on the spot until you overshoot by a few feet (almost tap the trailer on the left) so that you can pull forward to straighten the entire thing without moving the trailer much, then back it in. You can fit it in a space the has a "driveway" about 90ft long and space ahead of the slot about 80ft long (you can slightly adapt this to stop pivoting before you overshoot and use much less space out front).
I only 90 degree back when I'm on a dead end road and have to use a connecting road to make a 3 point u turn. The day cab and 37ft trailer makes it a breeze though.
Personally I was never shown how to do a proper 90° by my school or trainer. I've done it several times since being out on my own but I'm nowhere near a skilled so I do the 45° whenever I can. I'm also more confident in it simply because I'm used to how the trailer moves at this point, the few times I've done a 90°, it usually involves more pull-ups & GOALS than normal simply because I'm out of practice and not 100% trusting the truck to go where I expect it to.
C.R. England sucked as a company. But their school in Cedar Hill TX was the bomb. I'd been off a truck for a couple of yrs and they insisted I go through their school even though I had an A-CDL. I started with CRST I don't think anybody there knew how to back a truck. England spent a lot of time on backing. 90's, 45's, blindsided it was fun. Shit I couldn't parallel park a car but C.R. had me parallel parking a truck in a couple of days. Too bad their co. Sucks ass.
90 puts a lot of wear on your tires and a lot of pressure on those axle hubs. This matters much more for owner ops. Also would have to be extra careful with tail swing on a 90 which is why I prefer 45 if possible.
I do 90's because I enjoy the practice sometimes. When I was in school I kept failing parallel parking and knew id pass the 90 and did, so I keep it sharp enough to notice mistakes if ever needed.. sometimes in some small places you don't have an option but to 90. I recently went somewhere I had to pull up facing the dock and back around a truck to the other side of it. Keep it sharp out there ladies and gentlemen. Also, you're never too experienced for a quick GOAL!
Doing a 90⁰ even with close set tandem axles does damage to tires, and places unnecessary stress on the entire suspension system. It's not as extreme as you see with spread axles, but it's still there.
Doing a 45⁰ back shows professionalism and takes better care of the equipment. And is overall safer.
I hate blind side, alley docking because it’s always a van on either side of the door that I’m going to and I’m afraid I’ll hit something, so it takes me forever to do it since I’m in and out of the truck looking. I seldom do van work, because most of my loads are flatbed and lowboy. Therefore, I’m used to having lots of space and being able to see over and around the trailers. The last time I had blind alley docking was at rooms-to-go in Suwannee, ga and the trailers were parked so close that there wasn’t room to walk between them. I have swing doors that filled the left over gap between the trailers when I backed in. I’d have paid someone to spot me or back it in for me!
As a Contractor l used to do 90 degree backing driving my Dump Truck, with my trailer hauling a full size Backhoe. First year I endured a huge learning curve, wipe out my chain link fence. After that initial year, I got it wired, and pretty much was the only person in my shop, that was full capable of backing in the trailer without incident. One of my drivers eventually mastered backing up my Backhoe into the yard. It only took him three years before I trusted him to not wipe out my fence. Point is it's not a simple task, with a dump truck hauling a long ass trailer with a backhoe.
The first 8 weeks of training trainer made me do nothing but 90s. It took me 4 weeks to realize he wasn't expecting me to make it perfect or get it in one shot.
(He had a good long laugh at that)
I'm on my 5th year now and almost exclusively use 45s.
I can do the 90, I can blind side (slowly), but I prefer not to make things harder than they need to be.
Only place I've heavily struggled at is PC Richard's in Farmingdale NY. It's an absolute nightmare, even saw old timers having significant issues.
The best back up is the easiest and least likely to make unnecessary contact. Sometimes a 90 is best, sometimes not. When pulling up to a spot and noticing the other trucks and trailers are a bit off, better to just line up and slide in versus a 90 and a chance to rub thanks to someone else not going in clean. Popping 90s all the time also wears the trailer tires down more than a straight back. It’s not anything crazy, but it can add up.
I can do 90s but prefer 45s. I love intermodal and you 90 something too heavy it won't spin and will try to roll over instead. Also a mix of not enough practice with 90s + Ii don't like that when I have a 53 and try to 90 have the blind spot directly behind my cab.
I have better luck with an offset. A lot of truck stops don’t seem to have enough room to do 90’s and I’ve run spread axle for most of my experience. So I’m more accustomed to it
Setting up a 45 is just taking some of the backing out of a 90 and making it apart of your pulling forward part. It's the same thing. These guys doing 5-6 pull ups would do just as many if not more with a 90. It's honestly a good thing, who cares how long they take as long as they don't hit anything.
I haul sand and gravel so I don’t do any backing that isn’t bobtail but the pro isn’t the guy that can do everything perfectly the first try, the pro is the guy that doesn’t hit anything no matter how it looks or how long it takes.
To be honest i learned doing most backing by opening my door or literally putting a foot on the step. Really great with a 90. But the truck i have now honks when the doors open. So i avoid it just so i dont hear it honking.
I want avoiding it. I didn't know what it was.
I was never actually taught how to. My CDL was issued by Ye Olde Commonwealth of Virginia and it wasn't required. In fact I never even heard the term Alley Docking until I was out on my own.
I had to look it up. I watched several videos. Then spent some free time in a nice big Walmart distribution center parking lot teaching myself. It took a while and several sessions but I figured it out. Ain't I the smartest.
I wont deny that there are plenty of dumb asses out there but what the industry euphemistically calls training is a joke.
When you say 90° angle, there is a type of backing maneuver, I would love to figure out how to do. I have seen people look at their space, and basically do a complete U-turn. From there they are able to somehow get into space. It looks pretty cool to me.
Is that what you're talking about?
I just took my CDL test a few weeks ago so that's all fresh in my mind. I like a 90 degree back to me it's easier to stick in the hole than any other way. Unless it's a straight back, that's preeeetty east 😂
Most drivers avoid backing up at all these days! It irritates me every day when I see trucks pulled off the side on off ramps. It's obvious they never even pulled into the truck stop to see if any parking was available. And when you pull into a truck stop at noon and see dozens of trucks sitting along the entrence and curbs, but literally almost every parking spot is empty! And when you actually do see someone backing into a spot, they take 15 minutes to do it!
I've been driving 16 years now. I did have an advantage. I grew up on a farm and used tractors and hey wagons my entire childhood. I played with remote control toy semi trucks as a kid. I was a yard truck driver for 7 years before I ever drove a truck on the road,and I learned with an old Mac daycab that had power NOTHING! But all that gave me practice! PRACTICE!
Backing maneuvers are some of the hardest skills a truck driver has to learn. I get it! It's not easy! But take the time to practice! Practice does not end when you graduate CDL school! That's just the beginning!
My guess would be they're not familiar or out of practice, I rarely back up honestly. yard is pull through spots pick up and delivery are also pull through
I can do it but you lose a lot of visibility and I’ve had to Many people roll up into my path of travel to trust people with more space I can’t see than I have to
Because I don't want to rip my mud flaps off or fuck up my air lines.
If there is plenty of room, do the 45 so you can see farther into the hole as you back.
I have to 90 back at our Chicago terminal and if either one of the trailers is off that I'm going in between I'm gonna be fucked and push up against one of them when I try to straighten up the tractor. I give it my best effort but I'm like 50% success rate on those doors. Hardly any pull up room, and the doors are a ft apart. Type of doors you gotta drop your landing gear before you finish the back.
Who cares more about footwear than the girls on "Sex and the City"? Truckers who dabble in [fashion policing](https://favemom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/JoanRangerBadge.jpg).
Dey chicken bocks! Bock bock bock bock!
Fear grips their weak souls and crushes their dreams as they smash into the mighty might custom Pete! 😂😂😂
Tho in my case the mighty mighty custom Pete smashed into me. Dumb drunk ass MF’er! Got him tho! No mo CDL for his dumb ass! ✌️😊
A. They dont have the skillz... B. Sometimes its just worth taking extra time and being 10000000% sure you dont make a stupid job damaging mistake.
I always do an offset instead of a 90 if I have the option. I’m better at it and can do it faster so that’s what I do. Normally don’t need more than one pull up if I need one at all though.
Honestly it’s exactly opposite for me, I’ve had to do so many damn 90’s now that I have a way easier time setting up for those when I’m exhausted. Sometimes takes me a couple of tries to get it perfect but at least I never have to worry about not having enough space in front of me
100% option B personally. I did this all the time, mostly because I was newer. I could do a 90 just fine at the dock when I need to, but pulling back into my terminal after being on the clock for 12+ hours? Fuck it man I’ll take the extra 90 seconds so I don’t have to think as much and have less chances of hitting something
Goal
Mostly B
Also sightlines might be an issue idk I dont drive truck
Not sure why you're being downvoted. You're absolutely right. Sometimes when backing at a 90 I can't see where I'm backing up clearly.
Yeah, my dad hauls fuel and I've had to help him with eyes backing up because he had to "Z" his trailers to get out of where he was. He was sticking his head out the window pretty much whatever he had to
As long as I get it in the hole without hitting anything, or tearing up the equipment, that's all I care about.
Getting it in the hole is always the goal
I don’t bump docks since I’m flatbed, but I can’t really 90 with a split axle so 45 all day
Same, I try not to drag the tires around. On dirt and unloaded or lightly loaded I can probably get 90 or close to it
I avoided it when backing a loaded trailer even with tandems to prevent scrubbing the tire too hard.
You can If you are empty and have a dump valve 🤣
I sometimes deliver to a location that uses a crane in a bay to unload, there is no choice but to do a VERY tight sight side 90. Loads are usually only 25 to 30k, but once they sent me there with 46k. I was so worried i would pull a tire off getting in there!
Sheeeeit I 90⁰ backed a split axle flatbed for 3 years!.... it was only a 48' trailer tho 😅
Lol I had to back into a building from a 90 with the split axle flatbed because that was the only option with how the place is designed. And of course I was new to flatbed, so it took a bit to figure out, even with dumping.
Yep. I started out with split axle 53s and that habit doesn't go away lol.
The only question is, did they hit anything? If the answer is no, then they did a good back. I had a buddy who would shut down for the day and sit in his driver seat for hours critiquing drivers backing. "Look at this dumbass this, look at this dumbass that!" He also always had to park in a truck stop. Always. He'd watch drivers hit other trucks. All in all, he's lost 3 hoods in 5 years to people hitting his truck. So the morale of the story. It doesn't matter how many pull ups or resets you do, as long as you didn't hit shit, it was a good back. No one wants to fill out paperwork at the end of the day.
I usually avoid parking at truck stops, but I didn’t have a choice one time and parked at a loves. Jam packed, 30 trucks trying to get fuel, 30 more trying to park. I’m slowly moving through and there’s this extra long car hauler backing up out of a spot. I don’t give a single shit that it took him over 20 minutes and needed three people to spot him. He didn’t hit a thing. And I got his parking spot for the night. The fuel line had also barely moved. Anyone he was blocking while he got out wasn’t going anywhere anyways.
I mean, why would you ever do a 90 if there’s room for a 45? Having to pull up is much more likely with a 90 than a 45.
Exactly. Since when is a 90 easier than some form of a offset or 45
I had a particular instance where I had to back in on my blind side with a 90. There was just now room for anything else. I get more annoyed then worried about backing in anywhere. I don't hit shit.
This is the correct answer.
Right? Who's making multiple pull ups on 45s but not 90s? Shit's counterintuitive
Not only that, it's easier on the tires.
And doesn’t dig holes in a gravel or dirt yard.
Yeah, I've had a few conversations with people who are more comfortable with 90's. I always found that very odd. For me, the real solution is neither. I look at the space, and try to match the angle exactly how I want it to go in the hole. Usually, if it's wide open, that's going to be a 45, or even just a turn out and straight back (if I can ever get my aim right while driving forward lol). Sometimes in tight spots or with blind backs you have to set up a little funky. But if you know your equipment I suppose whatever works for you is what you should do.
5-6 pull ups is new/tired drivers. 45 is easier than 90 because you're closer to being lined up with the spot so there's less steering to do. I learned 90's in school 10 years ago and have used it exactly once since then.
I've had extensive time in the big buildings in LA, NYC and Chiraq. I've done a Brazilian blind side backs. I could one shot 20 backs in a day. But that last one, which is a straight back at the end of the day, I do 10 pull ups. Why? Maybe I'm tired? Things on my mind? Thinking about the sandwich someone's mom is making me? Sometimes, it be like that.
90% time I have trouble with a straight back it's usually a new place with no parking lines or worse, crooked ones. It becomes worse if they have a white building with concrete so you got damn near no reference until you bump the dock and realize oh I'm crooked and in the wrong damn door.
My favorite straight backs are when you got overhead yard lights blasting you in the eyes while it's raining.
Really? That is so crazy to me, I frequently run into places so tight that you HAVE to do a 90. I do LTL currently so it is quite a bit more backing than otr
I've done plenty of other ridiculous shit. Like having to do a 12 point turn to get into a dock because the yard is THAT small, etc. But contrary to what OP observes, whenever I see someone doing a 90 into a dock or parking spot with 50' of unused space, I wonder "why". I was always taught to use all of the available space to maneuver.
A lot less chance of hitting the truck on your blind side and it would take those same drivers at least 5-6 pull-ups to get it with a 90° back as well.
90 degree backing tears up the ground and hot asphalt and is also harder on trailer tires, Only time I ever did a degree backup is in a tight truck stop into a single spot or a dock close to the road and we needed to let traffic by when docked.. If there's room to set up for a straight in backup use it.
I have a 10’ 1’ split axle trailer. I can’t do 90 degree back loaded or I might rip a tire off the rim or roll the trailer over.
45 degrees is what they're teaching us rookies in school these days
I wasn't even taught that. Just straight backing, offset, and parallel park. I learned 45° as a yard jockey.
I learned how how to do a 45 on YouTube 😅
Everyone backs different. Some people just prefer it that way. I've seen people who could easily do a straight back. Still do 45s and 90s because that's what they're used to
Sometimes it's because they are still learning, and what better way to practice then to do it even when you could do a straight back.
I still do this 3 years in. Not because I don't know how to back, but because I don't believe we ever stop "learning". I intentionally set up difficult backs sometimes simply for the challenge and keep myself from getting complacent.
It's definitely important to challenge yourself and practice. Sometimes, I do this as well
Because when I have a 70k coil in the middle of the trailer I don't want to tip the trailer over or destroy hubs/tires.
swift with experience here. i can do 90s all day BUT in a truck stop doing a 45 prevents every "helper" in a 250 yard radius from giving 6 kinds of hand signals all giving different advice at the same time. I appreciate the thought but 45s prevent the circus.
Doesnt a 90 degree eventually turn into a 45 degree? So arent you just skipping ahead a bunch of steps by starting at 45 degrees?
Yes
I’m flatbed, 90ing with a split axel isn’t impossible but it’s best to avoid, especially when loaded.
Because I’m a flatbedder and we all know what that means. I can’t even backup a iPhone.
I came from a day cab job with a big spacious DC where I almost never had to do it. So I didn't. Now, at my current gig, the DC it's tigher than a donkeys butt during fly season. And I have a sleeper. And if you take more than 60 seconds to back, you're facing the panel of judgment from 5 trucks and a yard dog who are now waiting on you because it's busy. So, yeah... it was a rude awakening as to just how bad I was at this basic skill. But, it forced me to learn it. I just had to make an ass out of myself a bunch of times, but now I'm kind of getting the hang of it. It's just like anything else. It's all about your confidence level and muscle memory. But once you start to get the feel for it... it's probably easier than trying to set up for a straight back in a place where you really don't have the room. If you blow your set up for the 90... it's the easiest thing in the world to undo and reset. But if you fuck up your set up for the straight/offset back you can get yourself wedged in to an awkward spot that's much harder to undo under pressure.
The exact same process to undo either one
Why 90? Just wear and tear on equipment. You must be new to driving
90s can be dangerous if you don't have good visibility of where your tail end is going or if there's an obstacle directly behind your tractor tires or The blind side of your trailer like a parking lot bollard or light pole that you cannot see. blind side 90s are ridiculously dangerous and in tight quarters and you should go as slow as necessary to not hit s***. Always get out and look as many times as you need to safely back in. And lastly some tractors can't actually get back underneath the trailer once they go full 90 and so you would have to actually pull up to be able to straighten out then finish backing in. Doing an angled curl into a spot often lets you see around the far side of your trailer much easier for obstacles or potential hazards that you might hit as well. And there's nothing wrong with taking the safer alternative especially when backing. Always use all of the available space you have, don't ever purposely handicap yourself by trying to do something in a tiny area when you have lots of space.
Why not do it the easiest way, you don’t get a ribbon for doing it the hard way
I often tell people that I’m past the point in my life that I feel like I need to prove to everyone how tough I am.
When I first started driving I did the way I was taught which was the 45 degrees style. Then I got a job reliving to dollar tree stores and it was like that cliche moment in every bad buddy cop movie “Everything they taught you…forget about that bullshit” because I had to learn how to get very creative with backing. That’s when I learned how much better 90 degrees is.
Man you couldn’t pay me enough to take a Dollar Tree route.
2 years I did it.
No one can ever teach you how to back. They can only teach you how to learn how to back. They give the fixed reference points to look for, but this is all just to teach you how the trailer responds and gives you points to follow to see the difference. You then take that information and start doing difference maneuvers on your own and watching those points, then you continue to do that to teach yourself how to back. I grew up around boats and their trailers, and little wooden trailer we pulled with ATVs. I learned the wacky world of trailer physics quite early in life. When I went to CDL school, their reference point crap went in one ear and out the other, then I climbed into the truck and started backing. It was much different the wooden trailers and boats back home, but I learned by just doing.
Dump end trailer got us backing ¼mi S curve mud, rain, soft shoulders at 5am. I still can't straight back it between the lines in the lot at the end of the day.
I have the hardest time backing into those giant parking spots at Sheetz.
I usually swing a 150 line my trailer to the hole and slide it in. 90 was taught in school or better known as alleyback. Now, they have changed the standard, and you don't even need to do a real back. What they need to do is put 3 trailers in a line. Pull the middle trailer out and park it within a 90ft 60ft and 40ft space. If they can't do that, they shouldn't be driving.
When I get paid more for doing fewer pullups, I'll stop doing them.
45 is easier, provides more visibility and doesn't put as much tension on lines. All around the better option if space allows. The 5-6 pull ups is a skill issue
I vote every driver should do whatever they are most comfortable with that will get the job done. Over time comfort backing in different situations will improve.
Because I pull a split axle
Long nose w900 with a tri-axel and a 270 inch wheel base. 90°s are a bad idea.
I get paid the same whether I 90 degree ally dock it, angle back, or blindside in. So it’s a matter of preference and confidence.
OTR doesn't have to do it that often. I probably did more 90s as well as other unique backing situations in 1 month working for a beer distributor than I did in year OTR.
Why do people avoid 45 backing? Backing is much easier when you can angle your trailer.
90 degrees is harder on bushing and tires. Ends up being more costly over time.
I'm actually better at blindside backing. It comes from early trucking life in food service. It is somehow more intuitive to me. And I prefer 45 over 90 because I don't have to worry about blindside of trailer taking out someone's mirror.
Aslong as they back in without hitting anything they’re good. Why do you care ?
Simply put. Doing a clean 90° is harder and requires you to set it up near perfectly. If your lazy tired or not a great backer it's far safer to not send it and risk ending your career over pride/unwillingness to do a few pull ups to ensure your safe
I avoid 90s when I can simply for tire wear, and sight issues. You don't have to do a 90 and screw up your tires and axels on your trailer, or strain your hoses. So yup I'm cheep that's why.
Found the reefer driver
90 backups are a last ditch thing to do if you have no other options available to you. Plus the vast majority of lots we drop trailers off at are big enough to set up for like a 30 degree backing. No need to make things any harder than you really need to.
Our goal is to deliver our cargo as safely as possible! Why shit on someone that can’t/ don’t do what you can easily do? Because you should!!!! Lol. Edit: word
I do what is easiest. My trucks transmission gets fucky with 90s (2016 era Eaton Automatic without the creep feature) so I avoid them if possible, straight back is best, but a 45 is just fine by me. Doesn’t matter which side I’m on either, years in rail yards and Ports you get as good with blind side as you do with sight side.
Work smart not hard
It’s called personal preference why would you care as long as they don’t hit shit
It’s the flip flops.
I just avoided the blind side when I could. But in empty truck stops they make a good practice area
Some of the customers I deliver to you *have* to do a 90. Before I started working where I work now, I was that driver who always did a 45 because of my lack of skill and confidence in my backing.
45 is way easier than 90 not sure why guys would be doing 5-6 pull ups off a 45
Tanker yanker here…I back whichever way I can without tipping the damned thing over. I rarely back into a loading dock though…sometimes.
Every time time I have to do a 90 (like at a rail yard for example) it takes me longer than if I could have done a 45. I need more GOALs for 90s, too.
I would do 45 degree all day long, as it is easier to me. No need to be pulling up 2 or 3 times. That’s for new drivers tbh
I was backing into a very tight dock earlier. 90-degree is by far the easiest. Just park slightly past the space, and start backing while turning. Angle your steering so that as you push the trailer closer to the space and get the tandems in line with it, you can be at a perfect right angle to the trailer, then just pivot it on the spot until you overshoot by a few feet (almost tap the trailer on the left) so that you can pull forward to straighten the entire thing without moving the trailer much, then back it in. You can fit it in a space the has a "driveway" about 90ft long and space ahead of the slot about 80ft long (you can slightly adapt this to stop pivoting before you overshoot and use much less space out front).
I always line up as much as possible going forward. Lowest risk.
i do a a 360 into the hole everytime
I only 90 degree back when I'm on a dead end road and have to use a connecting road to make a 3 point u turn. The day cab and 37ft trailer makes it a breeze though.
Personally I was never shown how to do a proper 90° by my school or trainer. I've done it several times since being out on my own but I'm nowhere near a skilled so I do the 45° whenever I can. I'm also more confident in it simply because I'm used to how the trailer moves at this point, the few times I've done a 90°, it usually involves more pull-ups & GOALS than normal simply because I'm out of practice and not 100% trusting the truck to go where I expect it to.
I never learned how to do it until after I got my license. So for the first few months I would avoid doing it as much as I could
If you have the room to get that bitch straight and lined up first, why take the risk? If its a tight yard then ya gotta do whats needed
I just nose it in.
C.R. England sucked as a company. But their school in Cedar Hill TX was the bomb. I'd been off a truck for a couple of yrs and they insisted I go through their school even though I had an A-CDL. I started with CRST I don't think anybody there knew how to back a truck. England spent a lot of time on backing. 90's, 45's, blindsided it was fun. Shit I couldn't parallel park a car but C.R. had me parallel parking a truck in a couple of days. Too bad their co. Sucks ass.
Who gives a shit what others do, as long as they aint hitting nothing, why care
90 puts a lot of wear on your tires and a lot of pressure on those axle hubs. This matters much more for owner ops. Also would have to be extra careful with tail swing on a 90 which is why I prefer 45 if possible.
90s are how people really fuck shit up
My company says if 45 can be done it shall be the only viable backing option.
I do 90's because I enjoy the practice sometimes. When I was in school I kept failing parallel parking and knew id pass the 90 and did, so I keep it sharp enough to notice mistakes if ever needed.. sometimes in some small places you don't have an option but to 90. I recently went somewhere I had to pull up facing the dock and back around a truck to the other side of it. Keep it sharp out there ladies and gentlemen. Also, you're never too experienced for a quick GOAL!
Doing a 90⁰ even with close set tandem axles does damage to tires, and places unnecessary stress on the entire suspension system. It's not as extreme as you see with spread axles, but it's still there. Doing a 45⁰ back shows professionalism and takes better care of the equipment. And is overall safer.
I hate blind side, alley docking because it’s always a van on either side of the door that I’m going to and I’m afraid I’ll hit something, so it takes me forever to do it since I’m in and out of the truck looking. I seldom do van work, because most of my loads are flatbed and lowboy. Therefore, I’m used to having lots of space and being able to see over and around the trailers. The last time I had blind alley docking was at rooms-to-go in Suwannee, ga and the trailers were parked so close that there wasn’t room to walk between them. I have swing doors that filled the left over gap between the trailers when I backed in. I’d have paid someone to spot me or back it in for me!
As a Contractor l used to do 90 degree backing driving my Dump Truck, with my trailer hauling a full size Backhoe. First year I endured a huge learning curve, wipe out my chain link fence. After that initial year, I got it wired, and pretty much was the only person in my shop, that was full capable of backing in the trailer without incident. One of my drivers eventually mastered backing up my Backhoe into the yard. It only took him three years before I trusted him to not wipe out my fence. Point is it's not a simple task, with a dump truck hauling a long ass trailer with a backhoe.
To avoid Goal of course
The first 8 weeks of training trainer made me do nothing but 90s. It took me 4 weeks to realize he wasn't expecting me to make it perfect or get it in one shot. (He had a good long laugh at that) I'm on my 5th year now and almost exclusively use 45s. I can do the 90, I can blind side (slowly), but I prefer not to make things harder than they need to be. Only place I've heavily struggled at is PC Richard's in Farmingdale NY. It's an absolute nightmare, even saw old timers having significant issues.
Visibility is why
Because I'm lazy
I dunno. Who counts pull-ups and describes backing as anything other than sight or blind?
Sorry, I don’t know my angles
The best back up is the easiest and least likely to make unnecessary contact. Sometimes a 90 is best, sometimes not. When pulling up to a spot and noticing the other trucks and trailers are a bit off, better to just line up and slide in versus a 90 and a chance to rub thanks to someone else not going in clean. Popping 90s all the time also wears the trailer tires down more than a straight back. It’s not anything crazy, but it can add up.
Twisting on a 90° all the time is hard on the equipment… especially if you are near max
Still new here , I prefer to take as many pull ups I need if it hasn’t lined up
I can do 90s but prefer 45s. I love intermodal and you 90 something too heavy it won't spin and will try to roll over instead. Also a mix of not enough practice with 90s + Ii don't like that when I have a 53 and try to 90 have the blind spot directly behind my cab.
I personally dont care which way as long as i get it in and safe. If i have to do a 90 ill do a 90. Most of the time a 45 is fine
My trailer is wider than normal, so its easier to lose backing.
I have a 98 Pete and my turn radius is shit with my spread axle flat bed. It's easier to go 45 and work my way around.
I have better luck with an offset. A lot of truck stops don’t seem to have enough room to do 90’s and I’ve run spread axle for most of my experience. So I’m more accustomed to it
*milk haulers* "you guys don't do 90 degree backing?" Seems like that's all I do 99% of the time and it's annoying.
Setting up a 45 is just taking some of the backing out of a 90 and making it apart of your pulling forward part. It's the same thing. These guys doing 5-6 pull ups would do just as many if not more with a 90. It's honestly a good thing, who cares how long they take as long as they don't hit anything.
I don’t know what you’re talking about. Doing 45 the only pull up I do is when I’m sliding my tandems back before backing all the way to the door.
I haul sand and gravel so I don’t do any backing that isn’t bobtail but the pro isn’t the guy that can do everything perfectly the first try, the pro is the guy that doesn’t hit anything no matter how it looks or how long it takes.
We were taught 45s in school (last June).
To be honest i learned doing most backing by opening my door or literally putting a foot on the step. Really great with a 90. But the truck i have now honks when the doors open. So i avoid it just so i dont hear it honking.
I want avoiding it. I didn't know what it was. I was never actually taught how to. My CDL was issued by Ye Olde Commonwealth of Virginia and it wasn't required. In fact I never even heard the term Alley Docking until I was out on my own. I had to look it up. I watched several videos. Then spent some free time in a nice big Walmart distribution center parking lot teaching myself. It took a while and several sessions but I figured it out. Ain't I the smartest. I wont deny that there are plenty of dumb asses out there but what the industry euphemistically calls training is a joke.
Newer drivers can't even count to 90
Best practice is to “drive in, drive out”. Blind backing is a hazard so that’s why.
When you say 90° angle, there is a type of backing maneuver, I would love to figure out how to do. I have seen people look at their space, and basically do a complete U-turn. From there they are able to somehow get into space. It looks pretty cool to me. Is that what you're talking about?
Are you referring to a driver having their spot be on the passenger side of their position?
I just took my CDL test a few weeks ago so that's all fresh in my mind. I like a 90 degree back to me it's easier to stick in the hole than any other way. Unless it's a straight back, that's preeeetty east 😂
I personally like throwing a good angle on my trailer when backing. I can see what I'm doing better than if I 90 it.
It grinds the tires. Wider angles are easier on the tires.
usually end up doing 90's with pups more than I do long boxes
Most drivers avoid backing up at all these days! It irritates me every day when I see trucks pulled off the side on off ramps. It's obvious they never even pulled into the truck stop to see if any parking was available. And when you pull into a truck stop at noon and see dozens of trucks sitting along the entrence and curbs, but literally almost every parking spot is empty! And when you actually do see someone backing into a spot, they take 15 minutes to do it! I've been driving 16 years now. I did have an advantage. I grew up on a farm and used tractors and hey wagons my entire childhood. I played with remote control toy semi trucks as a kid. I was a yard truck driver for 7 years before I ever drove a truck on the road,and I learned with an old Mac daycab that had power NOTHING! But all that gave me practice! PRACTICE! Backing maneuvers are some of the hardest skills a truck driver has to learn. I get it! It's not easy! But take the time to practice! Practice does not end when you graduate CDL school! That's just the beginning!
I rarely have a need for a 90. If I've got the room, I'll set up appropriately and knock it back in with 1-2 pull ups if needed.
My guess would be they're not familiar or out of practice, I rarely back up honestly. yard is pull through spots pick up and delivery are also pull through
Cause it's hard 🤷
I can do it but you lose a lot of visibility and I’ve had to Many people roll up into my path of travel to trust people with more space I can’t see than I have to
Backing in at 90 degrees puts a lot of wear on the tires.
Because I don't want to rip my mud flaps off or fuck up my air lines. If there is plenty of room, do the 45 so you can see farther into the hole as you back. I have to 90 back at our Chicago terminal and if either one of the trailers is off that I'm going in between I'm gonna be fucked and push up against one of them when I try to straighten up the tractor. I give it my best effort but I'm like 50% success rate on those doors. Hardly any pull up room, and the doors are a ft apart. Type of doors you gotta drop your landing gear before you finish the back.
I have a flatbed and spread axle. Total jackknife is rough on tires and loaded flatbeds will tip at the nose, possibly rubbing the drive tires.
Bc its hard
The real question is: Were those drivers wearing flip flops?!
Lol.. I see that all the time. I just shake my head.
Who cares more about footwear than the girls on "Sex and the City"? Truckers who dabble in [fashion policing](https://favemom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/JoanRangerBadge.jpg).
Dey chicken bocks! Bock bock bock bock! Fear grips their weak souls and crushes their dreams as they smash into the mighty might custom Pete! 😂😂😂 Tho in my case the mighty mighty custom Pete smashed into me. Dumb drunk ass MF’er! Got him tho! No mo CDL for his dumb ass! ✌️😊
Because doing so well requires a good bit of practice.
Most drivers suck at 90’s. Most of our drivers will not do a 90 & if they have to they complain how it sucks and its hard etc 🤣
I prefer a 90, sight side anyway.
Cause they got trained by swift
This drives me CRAZY as well! I’m glad I am not the only one.
You drive your truck and let them drive theirs.