How to Backup a Tractor Trailer

How to Offset Back to the Right

Reversing a passenger vehicle is complicated however, reversing a tractor and trailer are infinitely more so. In practicing this maneuver you should pull straight up the 140′ cone. Turn the steering wheel all the way to the left. This is sometimes referred to as a hard left. Go ahead and look in the left-flat mirror. Begin backing until the drive axles split the line to the left side, then STOP. Turn the steering wheel all the way towards the tandems or to the right. Continue to back up until the tractor and trailer are straight, then STOP.

Ideally you will be able to look in the driver’s side flat mirror and be able to see the center of the space. Begin straightening the steer tires by making two full turns of the steering wheel from the hard right lockout. Straight-line back up until the rear tandems are on the first yellow line of the box then STOP. Turn off engine, place the key in your breast pocket, get out of the tractor but first with three points of contact and look at your position. If correct, get back in the tractor, turn on the engine and turn the steering wheel all the way to the right. Continue to back while looking mainly in the left-flat mirror. Stop just before the rear, drive tire touches the first yellow line.

Turn the steering wheel all the way towards the tandems or to the left. Continue to back until the tractor and trailer are straight. Straight-line back to place the entire vehicle into the space. Please note that sometimes the tractor and trailer are not perfectly straight but the trailer is square in the space and you can tell that a straight-line back would still have the desired effect. Additionally, if the vehicle is NOT straight and square then pull forward with a forward serpentine motion to align the tractor and trailer so they are straight and square with the space. Be careful not to cross the 140′ line. Once straight and square,, straight-line back until the front bumper comes inside the cones that mark the front of the space.

How to Conventional Parallel Park a Tractor and Trailer

First line up the back bumper of the trailer with the cones that mark the front of the space you will be parking in. STOP. Begin turning the steering wheel all the way to the left. This is sometimes referred to as a hard left or to the steering wheel lockout. Look int he left-flat mirror. Start backing until the drive axles split the line on the left side, then STOP. Turn the steering wheel all the way towards the tandems you can see on your right. Back up until he tractor and the trailer are in a straight line with each other. STOP. Ideally, you will be able to look in the driver’s side, flat mirror and just barely be able to see the center cone of the three cones that go across the back of the course. If not see “How to Forward Serpentine” below. If yes, straighten the steer tires with two full turns of the steering wheel form the hard right lockout. Straight-line back until the rear set of tandems touch the first yellow line. Stop now and get out of the tractor and look at your position.

If everything looks good, get back into the tractor and turn the steering wheel all the way to the right. Continue to back while looking mainly in the left-flat mirror. Stop just before the rear drive tire touches the first yellow line. Turn the steering wheel all the way towards the tandems or to the left. Back up until the tractor until it is in the box or until you see your are about to encroach out of the box.

If the tractor and trailer are not straight and square with the box, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right and pull forward into the box. Get out and look to make sure your position is correct.

How to Forward Serpentine

On the conventional parallel or the offset maneuver, when you line up straight, ready to back into the space, here are some ways to correct if misaligned…

The short version: If you can’t see the center cone (Parallel) or the center of the space (Offset) do a forward serpentine to correct the set-up. From a stopped position, turn the steering wheel all the way to the left and pull forward until the center cone, or the center of the space, becomes totally visible in your driver’s side convex mirror. STOP. Turn the steering wheel all the way to the right and continue to pull forward until the tractor and trailer are in a straight line. STOP. You may need to repeat these steps if the cone, or the center of the space is still not visible while the tractor and trailer are in a straight line.

The long version: If you can see the entire back of the space then from your stopped position, turn the steering wheel all the way to the right and pull forward just until the center cone, or the center of the space, disappears from sight in your driver’s side, convex mirror. STOP. Keeping the steering wheel turned all the way to the right, pull forward about 3 feet more and STOP again. Begin turning the steering wheel all the way to the left and continue to pull forward until the tractor and trailer are in a straight line. You may need to repeat these steps if the cone is still not visible while the tractor and trailer are in a straight line.

Please note that these maneuvers are very complicated but doable, while practice they will become second nature.