Good Grief My Backing Sucks!!

I had no idea backing would kick my butt sooo bad. Heck, I'm 58yrs old and this has humbled me big time. I've backed trailers utility,boats etc. all my life. This has humbled me beyond belief. Straight line is fine but get me offset or 90 deg and I crumble. Actually got yelled at and then I really fell apart after that I couldn't think for shat. So needless to say backing is all iv'e dreamed about. It's my first day off so I can go through these maneuvers in my head. I think I've made some headway and can't wait to apply my brain on the range tomorrow.

I'm just whining

I had no idea backing would kick my butt sooo bad. Heck, I'm 58yrs old and this has humbled me big time. I've backed trailers utility,boats etc. all my life. This has humbled me beyond belief. Straight line is fine but get me offset or 90 deg and I crumble. Actually got yelled at and then I really fell apart after that I couldn't think for shat. So needless to say backing is all iv'e dreamed about. It's my first day off so I can go through these maneuvers in my head. I think I've made some headway and can't wait to apply my brain on the range tomorrow.

I'm just whining

Keep at it Jim F., can’t wait to read your “AHA” or “light bulb over your head” moment when it hits you & it all falls into place. If it were easy then everyone would be a truck driver. Best of luck to you sir! God bless & stay safe.

Jim, I read this yesterday, meant to respond but the day got away from me (more on that in a bit).

So yes, backing. You are not alone. Everyone, I mean everyone has a problem learning the basics, and developing backing skills.

Try not let the frustration get the best of you. Although there is no shortcut, you will begin to realize the more you practice, the easier it becomes.

A couple of thoughts that might help...

Allow the trailer time to respond to your steering input. Unlike a straight vehicle, a combination vehicle trailer requires a couple feet of travel before you'll see a response from input. Avoid the temptation to over compensate for the slow response.

Second don't worry about perfection. It's okay to pull-up once or twice in order to get it positioned in the hole.

Try not to fret, you'll get it.

The reason my day was turned upside-down yesterday? Backing. I deliver groceries to Walmart working on a Dedicated Account for Swift. Because of the recent storms and record cold in the North East, the docks at the stores are very congested. Yesterday in order to make my deliveries I had to move multiple trailers at multiple stores in order to free a dock door. In addition I repositioned each moved trailer back to its original dock door spot. By the time I finished my 13 hour day, I executed a total of 4 deliveries, 1 backhaul, 6 trailer moves, all told 11 backing moves. Two of them were blind side and one was a compound move requiring me to retrace the forward move made to the initial spot, through the side parking lot back to the dock. Each store was left exactly the same way I found it. Tough day, but rather lucrative because I am paid for every trailer move required by the stores.

Consider that I started in the exact place you are over 5 years ago. I estimate my total backs are averaging about 1500 per year. Backing and setting up correctly has become second nature to me. Repetition is the absolute best teacher. Again...remember I started the same exact place you are.

Trust me, you'll get "it". Just stay focused and grab every opportunity to practice.

Good luck!