School Or Pick A Company? And How Do I Choose Between Company Driver Or Owner Operator?

I just want to learn how to back trailer up like I was told I would learn here.

And what we've been trying to tell you is that you're out there learning how to do it right now. Keep practicing until you figure it out. That's how it works. That's what you need to do at this point. You don't need hand holding. You need to learn by trial and error.

I mean, what the h*ll do you expect anyone to do for you to teach you how to back up after five months out there? Do you think there's some sort of magic formula for backing up a truck that everyone is keeping a secret from you? Do you want people walking along beside you tell you, "A little left, a little right, a little left......".......I mean, what is that going to do for you? Nothing.

You learn by doing not by being told what to do. You don't need anyone to hold your hand at this point. You just need to get in the truck and get out there and do it. Most people are running solo within two or three months of stepping into a classroom for the first time. I went to school for 7 weeks and out with a trainer for 2 before going solo. Nine weeks from my first day in the classroom and I was on my own running solo and I figured it all out just fine. Everyone else has a very similar story and they all figured it out too.

98% of everything a savvy veteran knows was learned after going solo. Only about 2% of what you need to know to be a top tier driver is taught in school or in training. The time for instruction is over. The rest you learn by doing. When backing you turn the wheel left the trailer goes right. You turn the wheel right the trailer goes left. There's nothing more to know about it. You'll get better with practice. Just keep working at it.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. When I completed company training and passed my upgrade testing-- my backing skills were horrible! I knew it, my company knew it, my trainer knew it, although he sure tried his best to pound the "how-to's" into my thick head and oversteering arms lol.

I was not alone and that phenomenon is COMMON amongst brand new drivers.

What my company was most concerned with is: that I GOAL as many times as necessary to back my truck without harming anyone or causing any damage. They also only looked "for improvement" from my original pre-training backing "test". A monkey could have shown improvement lol.

I learned how to back by practicing, asking others for help, trial by fire, and the sheer determination to master backing. I didn't feel competent at backing for a good 6 months. THIS IS NORMAL!

During company training, I was given so much information it was difficult to impossible to retain it all, however, during orientation, I was handed this nifty blue folder that contains everything I could possibly need to know regarding policies, procedures, macros needed, etc. I used that folder daily in training and still pull it out on occasion, if I'm in doubt about anything.

You say we aren't listening, but I promise that we've heard you loud and clear. Your expectations of your training simply aren't in alignment with the reality that is company training. We were also told that it was up to us to gain knowledge we needed during our company training and that we would be held accountable and must take responsibility for how much (or how little ) we took from that training.

Take it upon yourself to practice backing when you are at one of the MEGA DC's. Go to a far back corner and hone your skills. I have been Solo for 6 months now. I have the confidence and skills to back in practically any situation. However, the other day, backing up to a dock with NO LINES, and not another Trailer within 3 spaces on EITHER SIDE, I looked like Sue's Monkey trying to hit that dock door. You would have sworn I had never backed a Trailer in my life. I was laughing at myself, ( I'm sure others were too) I felt like a complete idiot! Some days are just like that.

My training was even shorter than Brett's. I had 3 weeks in class. 4 days a week. Out of 12 days, 4.5 was classroom. I tested for my CDL 1 day before my school was done. I had 2 days of practice at orientation followed by a day "testing" to get a job offer. I spent 2 weeks with my trainer. Of those 14 days, I was off for 4. I spent 1 day driving in final processing. After that I was in my own truck on my own. All of us feel unprepared. It comes down to having the confidence in yourself and your judgement. Having the guts to put yourself out there and get the job done. Principle for backing a trailer is simple. In a single swivel point you turn the steering wheel the opposite direction you want the trailer to go. The desired effect is not immediate so you must plan ahead. After that the ONLY way to improve is to "just do it". Take it slow and GOAL as much as you need. Here is a free tip. The greater the wheel base the less reactive the trailer. So with tandems all the way back the trailer turns slower than all the way forward. Idk what other info you need. No one can teach much more than what I have told you. There is no great secret. It is a simple principle that takes time and practice to master.

I will tell you what I will share with you my company's method for executing a "tight 90 degree" backing maneuver. First you need 2 rags. Make sure you are straight in a large open lot. Place a rag next to the mid point of the tandems. Turn your steering wheel all the way to the right. Backup until your truck is at a 90 degree angle to your trailer. Walk back and place the second rag at the midpoint of the tandems. Pace off the distance between the rags. That is your lead distance. When setting up you drive about 6 feet away from the front of the obstacles you are backing in between. As you pass your "spot" you continue forward until your mid marker/turn signal is in the middle of the "hole". Turn the nose of your truck about 15 to 20 degrees to the right the back left to straighten back out. After the rear of your trailer passes the "hole" you come to a stop. Go to the corner of the obstacle closest to your cab next to the hole. Walk straight out until you meet the path of your tires. Turn to face down the side of your tractor/trailer. Pace off your lead distance. Mark the ground. Pace off the difference between where the middle of your tandems are to your mark. Start at the front edge of your step fairing and pace off that distance in the correct needed direction. Mark the ground. Drive fed/back until the front edge of your step fairing aligns with the mark. Get out and make sure the mark for your tandems is aligned mid tandems. Turn your steering wheel all the way to the right. Back up until your Cabo's 90 degrees from your trailer. Turn your steering wheel all the way to the left. Begin backing until your tractor is perpendicular to your "hole". Get out and pace 8 to 10 paces from the front step fairing moving forward. Mark the ground. Drive forward until the front edge of your step fairing is aligned with the mark. Turn your steering wheel all the way to the left again. Begin backing again. Once your trailer is halfway into the hole. Look to see if you need to do a pull-up to straighten out or if you are good to continue backing. Use pull-ups to straighten out as needed. I hope this helps. The method does work.

Drive Safe and God Speed.

I guess I should add that the method is for a sight side back. I also should add always maintain clearance around your tractor and trailer. If at any point you think you may be in jeopardy of hitting anything. Stop and GOAL.

While I was training there were exactly 42 backs recorded over a period of six weeks. At that time it seemed like a lot...

After 3 months of solo OTR I was adequate. And then,...I took an assignment on a Dedicated Walmart account delivering groceries to their stores and Sam's clubs. This forced me to back on average 5 times per day. It wasn't until another two months that I was barely above average.

Practice and repetition is the only thing that will help you become a proficient backer. Not watching others do it, or video, just you and your truck, is the only way.

I had actually quit this forum after this thread. The company I signed on with treated me like crap from the day I showed up right up to a couple of days after my two week notice had passed when my DM was texting threats to jack with my DAC. My expectations where based on what this company advertised. I've changed those expectations based on my experience in this field I proved myself to this company and the logs back me up. They threw me away. End of story.

I should add that I had moved from OTR to a regional route that was "Home every other weekend". I only had 3 months to my 1 year anniversary, but thought that if I could get at least every other weekend off I could work on my place and still run. "Well, it's every other weekend if you put in early enough and there's an open spot. The spots go to teams and trainers first." So I went from otr with some home time to regional with even less home time. Huslted. Fell for a gimmick. I only had a few months to my 1 year anniversary and wanted to get a full year in with a single company so I sucked it up. And got treated like crap. You might even say that I got treated like a number, by a company that indeed did pay for my training, and sent me a lot of "you've been driving for too long" qualcom messages as I tried very, very hard to get their loads delivered on time. I put in my two week notice on my 1 year anniversary, was called and promised "every weekend off." Awesomeness. Except that when I didn't get "every weekend off" my dm didn't like to respond to any questions about it. Per usual. Just like family. Then on the bus back to my home the dm lit up my phone ****ed because I had the audacity to quit after being misled and outright lied to repeatedly. Fortunately my DAC is clear. But even if this company offered me $1 a mile as a company driver to return, I would still hesitate, because something is seriously wrong with them. And if you stick in the butt naysaying brow beaters can't handle the truth then gfy's.

if you stick in the butt naysaying brow beaters can't handle the truth then gfy's.

Brocephus with that parting shot, you probably just revealed the biggest reason you have struggled at trucking. You're a totally class-less fool who can't recognize honest help and advice when it's offered to you completely free with no expectation of even the smallest token of gratitude.

At least you did one thing right by resurrecting this old thread that caused you to quit our forum. You brought to the forefront a lot of great advice that you still don't comprehend.

Brocephus, I just reread this thread and instantly remembered you. Things ended for you exactly the way all of us experienced drivers knew it would end for you - miserably. How else could it end? You're a miserable dude who just doesn't get it and doesn't listen.

And if you stick in the butt naysaying brow beaters can't handle the truth then gfy's.

You know who couldn't handle the truth and went and f'd himself? You did pal.

Things never went well for you because you simply don't get trucking. Your attitude is awful, you're a know it all, you've expected everyone to do things the way you wanted them done right from the start, you expected your hand to be held all the time, and obviously you don't know how to get along with people. You've cried and cried continuously from day one that no one would train you properly, no one would treat you properly, no one would keep their promises and yet your company has a ton of drivers who are perfectly happy making a great living.

Why do you think others are happy and doing so well but you're always so miserable?

See I know the answer to that because I've been in this business for 25 years and I've watched guys like you step on their own feet more times than I can count. I've known guys who were in this industry 10 or 20 years and never figured out how to get along with people and make a great living. You should read Old School's recent article on how to be a top tier driver because even after a year out there you clearly haven't figured it out:

What It Takes To Be A Top Tier Driver

So you can cuss us and blame your company and point your finger at everyone except the guy in the mirror all you like. The only one around here that's going to believe that you did everything right and the company was 100% the problem is you. In this forum we have experienced drivers working for every major carrier out there and they're all making great money and they're extremely happy with the company and the way they're treated. At the same time every one of them has come across a ton of drivers at their own companies who are miserable and absolutely hate the company and blame them for every problem they have.

In 15 years out there I can't tell you how many times I came across miserable drivers within my own company, and in fact quite a few times they even had the same dispatcher I had! They'd cry and complain and blame our dispatcher because they couldn't get any miles, they were lied to, they were mistreated, blah blah blah. If you let them talk long enough eventually they'd reveal the real reasons that things weren't going their way. It was always things like they wouldn't drive at night or they wouldn't run the Northeast or they'd argue and complain every time they got a load they didn't want. After a while I just quit listening to those types altogether. Unless they figured out how to make it in this industry they were always going to be miserable. And you know what? Some people never do figure it out.

We have a name for these types. They're called "Terminal Rats" - here's a podcast I did about em:

Episode 10: Terminal Rats Are Derailing Trucking Careers

Move on to a new company and get back to us in six months. Let us know how it goes. Maybe with a fresh start you'll approach your new company with a better attitude and you won't make enemies of the people who feed you the way you did with your first company from day one.

• Make every single appointment on time
• Get along well with the people you work with
• Don't cry and complain all the time
• Keep lobbying for more miles

Do those four things really well and you'll be well on your way to a much better experience. Keep the same attitude and approach you've had from day one and you'll get the same results.

I have to admit I have my doubts. After a full year in this industry you should have figured this out by now. Most people who are miserable after a full year are just too hard headed to figure out they're shooting themselves in the foot and won't change their ways. The experience never gets any better for them. They just continue to F themselves the way you have.