Backing Practice - Store Deliveries

Thanks Rob! I really enjoy trying to figure out the approach and learning how its actually done. Many years of dragging a landscape trailer helps me access the approach and angles. Already having a solid understanding of pivot points and how trailers move in reverse should help me avoid some jams and problems as a rookie. Already having the muscle memory to reverse a trailer should pay some dividends as well, one less thing I need to get used to that a lot of people seem to struggle with

I've done store deliveries aplenty but one stands out in my memory from almost twenty years ago. Wish I could remember where exactly it was(somewhere in NJ) but here's a description of the back up. There's a supermarket & mini mall on this lot & it's surround by a tall steel fence & gated with one entrance/exit for the general public and you. The dock is in the front of this store & the lot is surrounded by residential narrow streets. You turn off the main st. of town & on the left is fence down to the gate. You MUST back into this gate. To set up to back into this gate you must pass it and use the intersection, which is residential to do so. This means going into opposing traffic to be able to swing out and hook back left. Now that you are ready to back up you only have about two hundred yards to go. On you drivers side is the mini mall with around ten or so shops, eateries, nail salons, what have you. On your right is the parking lot. It's the middle of the day & people are crossing back & forth on foot while others are pulling in & out in their cars. Reminder,It's also the only entrance to this gated shopping center for the public. So you straigtline slowly through all that constantly scanning your mirrors for people and cars. Now you're in the door, go into receiving, then wait ten minutes for "the guy" who speaks English. Good times.

I've done store deliveries aplenty but one stands out in my memory from almost twenty years ago. Wish I could remember where exactly it was(somewhere in NJ) but here's a description of the back up. There's a supermarket & mini mall on this lot & it's surround by a tall steel fence & gated with one entrance/exit for the general public and you. The dock is in the front of this store & the lot is surrounded by residential narrow streets. You turn off the main st. of town & on the left is fence down to the gate. You MUST back into this gate. To set up to back into this gate you must pass it and use the intersection, which is residential to do so. This means going into opposing traffic to be able to swing out and hook back left. Now that you are ready to back up you only have about two hundred yards to go. On you drivers side is the mini mall with around ten or so shops, eateries, nail salons, what have you. On your right is the parking lot. It's the middle of the day & people are crossing back & forth on foot while others are pulling in & out in their cars. Reminder,It's also the only entrance to this gated shopping center for the public. So you straigtline slowly through all that constantly scanning your mirrors for people and cars. Now you're in the door, go into receiving, then wait ten minutes for "the guy" who speaks English. Good times.

Phil M. ~ Do you still haul for Swift / WalMart ? All going well ? Good to see you stop by, btw~!

"Phil M. ~ Do you still haul for Swift / WalMart ? All going well ? Good to see you stop by, btw~!"

No, I left there a little while back but I'm considering returning. Spoke to a recruiter and they said they'd be glad to have me back and can likely get me back on that account with the same driver manager. Just need to pick up a new medical card and make the call when ready. "All going well ?" Yes, the world may have gone mad but not this little corner of it.