Well, That Didn't Work Out Too Well...
Topic 17406 | Page 2
Farmerbob1 offered:
Grats! Now do it on your next test, so we can give you dancing bananas!
That is the challenge!
Rainy encourages Tastebuds:
Which means you KNOW you can do it. And....I have faith in you. I know you can do it.
Just try to relax the nerves a bit. And get in the ..."this is what gotta be done" mindset.
I can do a 90 but started my truck to head out and my truck won't move. Thank hod I'm at the terminal lol
Thanks Rainy, I appreciate it!
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.
G-Town asked:
Tastebuds wrote:
The examiner, after I failed, explained that we should be sliding the tandems all the way to the rear for maneuvering on the pad and then all the way forward again for the driving portion.
So...stupid question; is it a requirement of the Louisiana State exam to do that, slide the tandems? I am going to render a guess, "no, it's not."
I have never heard of an examiner making a suggestion like that. Not trying to discredit your examiner. Unless it's required as part of the exam, I wouldn't mess with the tandems. Not necessary.
No, it's not a requirement. As Rainy pointed out, it was simply a suggestion for steering purposes.
Tastebuds I understand the thought behind his suggestion. Again, I just don't think it's necessary or even practical, especially if you haven't practiced with tandems set in the last hole.
If the tandems are set in the 10 hole for instance, the best of both worlds is achieved. The other point that crossed my mind is many schools do not teach how to unlock and move the tandems.
Don't want to turn this into a religious discussion, I just believe it adds another set of elements the student must remember and execute correctly. If you weren't taught these techniques I would set aside his suggestion for something to practice during your road training.
Sounds like you had a good day of practice yesterday. Try to relax...you know how to do this.
Good luck!
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
G-Town asked:
Tastebuds wrote:
So...stupid question; is it a requirement of the Louisiana State exam to do that, slide the tandems? I am going to render a guess, "no, it's not."
I have never heard of an examiner making a suggestion like that. Not trying to discredit your examiner. Unless it's required as part of the exam, I wouldn't mess with the tandems. Not necessary.
No, it's not a requirement. As Rainy pointed out, it was simply a suggestion for steering purposes.
Tastebuds I understand the thought behind his suggestion. Again, I just don't think it's necessary or even practical, especially if you haven't practiced with tandems set in the last hole.
If the tandems are set in the 10 hole for instance, the best of both worlds is achieved. The other point that crossed my mind is many schools do not teach how to unlock and move the tandems.
Don't want to turn this into a religious discussion, I just believe it adds another set of elements the student must remember and execute correctly. If you weren't taught these techniques I would set aside his suggestion for something to practice during your road training.
Sounds like you had a good day of practice yesterday. Try to relax...you know how to do this.
Good luck!
I brought the idea up to my instructor and he pretty much said exactly what you did. I backed it in last night with the tandems forward and many times before the test also, so I'll just practice more with it like this and get it right. I figure if I learn it this way, I will really LEARN it, but if I'd move the tandems then I would be using a crutch more than learning it.
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Remember when you make a turn it's 12 feet later the back of that trailer is responding. So not only do you need to pull up to correct a bad back but more than 12ft.
Also they should give you the exact coordinates for that back to pass test. Follow to exact T and do not deviate from instructions and you'll nail it
Mr M wrote:
Remember when you make a turn it's 12 feet later the back of that trailer is responding. So not only do you need to pull up to correct a bad back but more than 12ft.
Also they should give you the exact coordinates for that back to pass test. Follow to exact T and do not deviate from instructions and you'll nail it
To an extent this depends on where the tandems are set on a 53' wagon; in the "one hole" it will respond far quicker than if in the last hole (slid all the way to the rear of the trailer). Emphasis on the 12',..."the trailer won't respond significantly for about 10-12 feet", that I can definitely agree with. However to say that it won't respond until reaching the 12' mark is false. If this were true, minor steering adjustments while performing a straight-line alley back wouldn't affect the line of travel until it was too late. When I set-up for a tight, full tilt 90' alley back, with the steering wheel in the opposite-lock position the trailer is responding within a couple, to three feet. By 12' and moving, the trailer is arced at about a 45' angle already. Good thing, otherwise I'd run out of space very quickly during a maneuver like that. Part science and part art.
Exact coordinates? Mr. M, what exactly do you mean by this somewhat cryptic suggestion? 90' alley, 45' alley, what?
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
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Which means you KNOW you can do it. And....I have faith in you. I know you can do it.
Just try to relax the nerves a bit. And get in the ..."this is what gotta be done" mindset.
I can do a 90 but started my truck to head out and my truck won't move. Thank hod I'm at the terminal lol
Terminal:
A facility where trucking companies operate out of, or their "home base" if you will. A lot of major companies have multiple terminals around the country which usually consist of the main office building, a drop lot for trailers, and sometimes a repair shop and wash facilities.