I've always thought trucking sounds like an amazing job, but that kind of crap and all the trying to drive through enormous cities just sounds like a pain in the ass. What's it like when you get to your destination? I always see huge truckers working for supermarkets trying to back their trailer up in a tiny car park and it's nerve racking.
I pull tankers now and have it really easy. Most places I deliver to are 24 hours, I rarely have an actual appointment, and I only deliver to plants and warehouses.
Once you get used to backing it isn't bad at all. It can get frustrating when the four wheelers get around you and don't understand how our trailer is going to track. I always said drivers should work at least a month as a yard dog. Then you'll be able to back up as easy as you drive foward.
It can be an amazing job. Like I said before, just stay off the interstate when possible. You'll avoid most of the bullshit and the scenery is better. You come across some cool places.
I'm not a trucker but I think I'm pretty decent with a trailer. I got a crash course when I was 16. Had to back a car trailer down a 1/4 mile dirt driveway. When I was starting down it I cut it a bit too hard and put a dent in the bumper of my dad's truck. He wasn't even mad. I think he was glad I was learning life skills and knew there would be some bumps(dents) along the way.
Backing trailers still makes my nerves flair up a tad but I see it as a fun challenge.
That's awesome that your dad helped you learn. If you can back those trailers, you can back a 53 footer. Small trailers are harder to back because they tend to snake more.
I went in to trucking with zero trailer experience. It was embarrassing struggling to back into a spot with 30 other drivers watching you. But you'd get the occasional old school driver that would either get out and help spot or assist over the radio.
Now guys that can back doubles are just a whole different breed. I don't know how they do it.
A yard dog is a guy who moves trailers around a parking lot?
Yeah, it might be easier in the US. In europe a lot of the cities still have medieval street plans based on the layour layout of fields from a thousand years ago. I have no idea how the bigger trucks get around them.
Yeah. It helps them learn because they are backing up most of the day.
We have our share of that in the US. Along with a lot of warehouses that were designed when 40 ft trailers were the standard even though most pull 53 ft now.
Actually I misread that. What do you mean by layour of fields?
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