No... The kids don't back down the ramp... Yet....
They only do it under my supervision and instructions.

As for Lake Sommerville.. I used to work there at both marinas as a kid and I saw a bunch of people launch their vehicle under their boat. What makes that worse is if the ramp is steep and they still have the line attached to the boat I have seen the front of boats go under also!

 

No pride lost in taking a couple of looks when backing into a tight spot. You lose alot of cool points when you hit something backing up. I guess not everyone is as good as a "professional" that does it for a living, yet I don't think that makes people more dangerous on the road. Matter of fact, the overconfident professional would scare me more...

 

Very true everyone becomes over confident when they do something everyday. Completly aggre that its alot cooler to get out and look vs runnig stuff over. Here's a REAL funny story bout my boss at the tractor show. Decieded he was gonna drive the lowboy home with 4 IH's on it was after dark. Started backing up & "thought" the trailer had dropped into a water break. When actually it was against a brand new F350 King Ranch. So instead of getting out to see he proceded to pull & get a run at it to get the trailer over the water break. When all was done he had sucessfully toataled a brand new truck.

 

Yeah, it is kinda scary, ain't it.


The same could be said about a lot of the people darting around in these silly little cars; it makes one wonder if they actually ever read a driving manual or even passed a license test.





Since I have probably backed big trailers farther than most have pulled one forward, I will add my two-cents worth :



First advice is take a good look at the mirrors on the truck.

If they are anything other than either the "sticks way out there" stainless tripod/quad mounted ones common in the seventies, or good old genuine big-truck style "West Coast" mirrors, take a club and knock them off before you start down the road.


If the mirror says anything on the order of "things ain't exactly where they look like they are", for sure take the club to them.


Once these make-believe mirrors are in the garbage, mount some real ones on there.

Mount them as FAR FORWARD on the trucks door as possible; I have never understood why vehicle manufacturers insist on mounting good mirrors way back in the middle of the door, where one has to lean back to see.


Now, with a real set of mirrors, complete with a couple good big "spot-mirrors" (the seperate kind, NOT the stick-ons), most of the "can't see where I am going" problem is gone.



NOW, and this is real IMPORTANT, whenever at all possible, back in from the LEFT where you can see the whole side and rear corner of the trailer.


Never back in from the RIGHT=BLIND side, unless it just isn't possible to get re-oriented such that you can back in from the left, even if it means going down the road and turning around.


Once you know where the LEFT side of the truck/trailer is, then you know that the RIGHT side is no more than 102" away from the LEFT; so, if you had twenty-feet of space, and the left side is nice and close, then the right side ain't about to hit anything.




NEXT, cover the back glass of the truck, make it impossible to see through there; that way, you won't be trying to screw your head around and be looking out the back glass; USE THE MIRRORs.



When in doubt, GET OUT OF THE TRUCK and walk back there, look things over, move that bicycle out of the way, run off those kids.


Use every opportunity to "get under the trailer"; in other words, instead of staying in a kink, pull the truck forward, such that the truck/trailer unit stays as straight as the territory allows.



Don't forget where the truck is going to go when watching the trailer; this is probably what causes more bent fenders than any other part of backing.




Keep the wife and kids out of the way and use your own judgement; unless someone whistles shrilly or screams, then maybe you better STOP.




It is plumb hilarious watching some of these husband/wife teams try to back a trailer; better than funniest home videos.

 

The stock-yards is where I learned to drive, BEFORE I ever drove a car.


Lots of nights, I would load/unload a couple dozen big trailers while the drivers were either in the bunk or sleeping in the "bullpen" where we kept all the clip-boards with load-out orders.


I would head the truck/trailer around to whichever chute was empty and slide it between the trucks already backed in.

If you were off a couple inches, either a cow could break a leg, or worse = a bunch might squeeze through the gap and most likely have to be shot before they got to the highway.




I really liked to load the triple-deckers with feeder-calves, where once everything but the back-top and back-bottom was loaded, I had to move the whole rig over to the higher triple-deck chute and load the top-back, then move back over to where I started and finish by loading the back-bottom.


This maneuver was also requirred whenever the "jailhouse" floor had to be let down for more room.


That was one job where you either got good or got fired quick, as there were always more hanging around with their eye on your job, just waiting on you to make a mistake.

 

Scary dont begin to cover it Yeah the kids in the wannabe fast & furious cars scare me allmost as bad as soccer moms in their suv's.

I started driving a log truck & hauled equip at 14 so been at it awhile, probly not as long as others. Remember I had a guy that went to school toget his CDL & had only driven OTR before that, with me one time & I had to back our tri-axle drop deck with a 330 cat hoe on it close to a mile up a side road, was mostly straight so I was in high range retreat when he spoke up "my instructor said you should never back in high range, dont have as much control" I told him to hush as I have backed more miles than you have driven.

 

Hey Jeff - - you are a gluton for punishment, my friend. I did too much 46' front trailer with 28' buddy in my teens. I think I will quit where I am - - in fact, maybe a little shorter next time. Good lookin rig. Went thru one at the RV show - - has some novel ideas. Congratulations. You are towing that with your 1/2 ton short bed with the 4.6 liter gasser, right????
Bob

 

[QUOTE=BearKiller;2304636]The stock-yards is where I learned to drive, BEFORE I ever drove a car.




If you were off a couple inches, either a cow could break a leg, or worse

the only chutes that i got to back more then twice was the one at the ranch and the other at a feedlot where the owner kept the bulls sometimes. as far as the broken legs it was real important to get it right considering the bulls i was taxing around ranged from 10k animals to the millions. aka pbr, prca bulls of the year. best feature of the whole truck was the train horns, swear to god i made a man wet his pants when he pulled up next to me on the right hand side when i was fixin to make arighthand turn with my signal on was the funniest thing i ever saw.

 

Hi Bob. This thing isn't as bad around town as I figured, but I might need to find one of those "this vehicle makes wide right turn" signs. I knew I wanted to step up to one of these (had been looking for exactly this model), which is why I got the truck with training wheels (what a difference in stability, even with the 30' one).

Weight wise, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Completely empty and dry I got 4750 front, 6440 rear, 9000 trailer. The GVWR and GAWR sticker is unreadable, so I'll have to figure that out...

I wonder if this dude can back a trailer...

http://video.kenblockracing.com/flas...FFF&autoplay=0

If he goes through 4 sets of tires whenever he practices driving, I don't think I want him towing mine.

 

Hey Jeff too bad I did not think about renting your old trailer at the time I picked up a 36ft auto mate this morning just about moved in it getting ready too lay the hammer down and head too Pendleton in the morning. Ill be working up there during the weeks and coming home and working on the ranch trying too keep the wheels from falling off at both places. Nice trailer you might as well start parking that beast in the park behind your place or move your fence hahaha

 

Hey DodgeCowboy.

Yeah, I've got to get that 30' one emptied out and washed so hopefully I can find it a new home, so I don't smash one trailer into the other trying to back through that gate.

I didn't get as far today as I'd hoped. I started doing the repack bearings/clean and adjust brakes thing on the one I just got. The Dalles Auto Parts only had 4 seals, and I managed to ruin one of those not watching what I was doing...

I never really thought about it until I actually got one and had to do it, but jacking up that middle axle and adjusting it's brake on a 3 axle rig is a real pain since you have to squeeze under one of the other axles, or reach over it.


Did you get that B&W Companion you were talking about?

 

Nice looking trailer Jeff!!!


You are going to have fun with that!
..

 

That would be called rock hauler tactics here in Texas. With the exception of only 3 blinks if you give more of a signal than that somebody will speed up and block the hole.
Most drivers do not realize that there is only one rule of the road, “he whom is the biggest rules the road”.

 

A risk management speaker named Gordon Graham used to say something to the effect of it doesn't matter who has right of way, the driver with the most lugnuts wins the accident.

I keep a bag of lugnuts with me...

 

I like that. Being as I drive class 8 part of the year, I find it difficult to believe there are not a whole lot more wrecks between cars and big rigs considering what some drivers do in front of you. He's right. Generally more lug nuts win.