Alley Docking...so Confused

Thanks everyone! Yes...I definitely need more practice. I understand how changing what the tractor is doing affects how the trailer moves and can fix just about any mistake I end up making with any of the other backing maneuvers, so maybe I'm not as bad off as I feel right now. I have to keep telling myself that two weeks ago I had never even been IN one of these trucks, and now I'm on the cusp of getting my license with just that one obstacle left. I don't think I've ever had to work this hard at simply understanding something. I WLL get it though...

I tell myself those last two sentences every day. Keep working.

Fixing an alley dock. This might be hard to digest but bare with me. Say you need to move your tandems closer to your sight side cones by a foot. No matter the angle of the truck and trailer, turn your wheels all the way to the right and drive forward 6 inchs and stop turn your wheels two turns left (or straight) and pull forward again straight and stop. Turn your wheels all the way left and back till your almost straight turn the wheels as needed to follow it all the way in the hole. If you judged the distance correctly you should've made it all the way in without any problems..... Cause it doesn't always go perfectly.... And that's how you turn a frown upside down😀

I don't think I've ever had to work this hard at simply understanding something. I WLL get it though...

Something my instructors told me in school -- just pass the test. You don't have to understand it, just do it well enough to pass the test. They said the ones who tried to do it perfectly didn't do well.

It was hard for me to swallow, but I followed their advice and it worked.

Fixing an alley dock. This might be hard to digest but bare with me. Say you need to move your tandems closer to your sight side cones by a foot. No matter the angle of the truck and trailer, turn your wheels all the way to the right and drive forward 6 inchs and stop turn your wheels two turns left (or straight) and pull forward again straight and stop. Turn your wheels all the way left and back till your almost straight turn the wheels as needed to follow it all the way in the hole. If you judged the distance correctly you should've made it all the way in without any problems..... Cause it doesn't always go perfectly.... And that's how you turn a frown upside down😀

Makes sense. I will make some notes and try to remember to try this if I mess it up Sunday. Thanks!

Something my instructors told me in school -- just pass the test. You don't have to understand it, just do it well enough to pass the test. They said the ones who tried to do it perfectly didn't do well.

It was hard for me to swallow, but I followed their advice and it worked.

Something in my head has to click for me to be able to think through things if I've messed up. I've gotten to that point with all the other maneuvers, but with more practice I think I'll be fine. I'm my own worst critic, and I've shed tears of anger/frustration more than once. My instructor Friday night saw and was like, "What's going on? You've done great!" LOL

Kat, you'll get it - these things just take a lot of exposure to them, or practice, as everyone has said. I usually stay out of these "how to do this backing maneuver" discussions because basically I disagree with the typical methods being taught in the schools. I read your original post and was wanting to scream because I see this so many times where the schools or training programs teach these little tricks like turn the wheel all the way, start backing until you can see the center of the landing gear then stop and turn the wheel the other way... blah, blah, blah...

Well to me as I read your frustrations I'm thinking, "she never even mentions watching here trailer to see where it is heading - all she is doing is seeing when she can see the landing gear and then turning a different direction." For those little formulas to work the truck has to be set up in exactly the correct starting position each time you attempt the maneuver - in the real world that's not gonna ever happen. I understand the principle of just passing the test and then developing yourself as a driver as you're exposed to the real world experiences, and that is pretty much the way we all go through this process. If I were teaching a truck driving class I would teach people how to pay attention to their trailer and what it was doing, and then they would develop their instincts to know what to do with the steering wheel to get the trailer to respond correctly.

It sounds to me like you are doing great. Relax, enjoy the learning experience, and don't let your nerves get the best of you. Remember it's not that big a deal if you don't pass it on the first or even the second attempt. There are many professional drivers out here doing a bang up job now, even though they failed their driving tests multiple times before they finally got it.

I totally understand, Old School! The whole "formula" thing to backing makes me want to tear my hair out because that seems to be emphasized more than anything. However, I did gain a greater understanding of turning vs trailer movement by watching two other people. I've been watching videos and have made more sense of the whole thing...and think I know what I need to do differently. We shall see this evening IF the rain holds off!