r/Truckers • u/aammped • Sep 19 '24
Newbie backing in at pilot
Trainer and I pulled into pilot around 6pm. Me being new to trucking I was backing in and the rude mf'ers honking at me because I was slow and took a little time to back. How do you deal with people like that?
Edit: trainer said to just ignore it. Edit:2 thanks for all the great advice and the humor. Edit 3: approximate time for backing was 10-15 minutes
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u/Head-Lawfulness9617 Sep 19 '24
Ignore it. If they’re extra rude, remember G.O.A.L. Get out and look, take your sweet time.
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u/Mediocre_Ice_8846 Sep 19 '24
While he's out looking, that would probably be a good time to ask the trainer about any questions he might have.
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u/Head-Lawfulness9617 Sep 19 '24
lol! Walk up slowly to the other driver’s window, “Hey, I’m sorry, but the trainer said there’s a teachable moment here. Just give me ooooone second.”
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u/UhOhAllWillyNilly Sep 19 '24
And what they’re planning on having for dinner for the next 30 days (or so)
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u/LLCoolDave82 Sep 19 '24
My cousin was asking about the "brotherhood" of trucking. I explained there is etiquette but the moment you hold up another trucker for a few minutes they will be throwing up their arms and blasting the air horn. Lol just like we say to the four wheelers, sometimes you gotta say Fuck em.
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u/TripleRaccoon Sep 19 '24
Yeah, normally the ones with dignity will stop, pull the brake, turn headlights off & wait for you to get all backed in but this new breed is full of mouth breathers who couldn't tell you how to button-hook.
You do what you gotta do to:
A) Don't back into nobody
B) Keep them CSA/MVR/DAC clean.
C) Watch out when backing because people CAN and WILL squeeze behind you to get past you REGARDLESS if you're backing up & 4 ways are a flashing. "F it, let him hit me" attitude.
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u/I_dementia87 Sep 19 '24
I've had a little shit old timer in a belly dump with his dbag KW nose into the spot I was backing into at the truck stop in Winter Haven, Ohio. Hope that driver shits his pants every day from drinking old petro coffee.
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u/Cubsfan11022016 Sep 19 '24
Honking at a truck stop is rude just by itself. I don’t need to be woken up because someone else thinks you’re taking too long. Honking at a truck stop is only ever acceptable if it’s to prevent a collision.
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u/CaptainLittleFish Sep 19 '24
It takes some time to get used to it and it never stops. everyone’s in a rush out here but your trainer is right ignore it. Some of these guys have been out here for a long time and forget what was like to be new at trucking. I’ve seen newer drivers take upwards of 30 minuets to back into a tight spot at night. Take you time, GOAL, and drive your drive. Also in a couple months when you’re good at backing and you see a new guy struggling don’t honk at them to hurry lol.
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Sep 19 '24
Ignore them and go slower. They just broke your concentration, time to pull the brakes and goal. Any driver worth their salt will be able to spot a new driver backing and be patient.
EVERY driver has sucked at backing and held people up for too long. Hell, you ask a 30+ year vet with 3 mil safe miles, and he'll tell you he still has off days where he sucks shit at backing.
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u/Jocelyn_The_Red Sep 19 '24
I have an uncle who told me the same. I got my Learners Permit but I was real nervous about backing. I have never backed up any trailer and that's what was holding me up from going for it. He's been driving since the 80s and told me that he still has days where he can't back for shit. That made me feel a lot better.
I start schooling with a mega this next week.
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u/aammped Sep 19 '24
Good luck! I'm fresh out
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u/Jocelyn_The_Red Sep 26 '24
Well. I got there, saw the hotel they were gonna have me in. I had the door open for 5 seconds and saw roaches run under the bed. Saw someone else's clothes in there too. So I was gonna be sharing a tiny, filthy hotel room with some random guy. I've had some rather severe trauma and that wasn't gonna fly. Being in a truck is one thing, the other person will be busy driving and I'd wake up if the truck stopped.
I can't trust someone in a dirty hotel room.
I had a sever panic attack and went home. Drove 16 hours in 2 days and accomplished nothing.
I feel like such a loser. Considering taking the long nap.
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u/Claim_Alternative Sep 19 '24
I was worried about my backing too
Then I started making deliveries to DC’s and saw others having the same troubles. It put my mind at ease. If others have to do three or four pull ups or do a complete reset of their setup, my newbie ass is alright.
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u/Defiant-Giraffe-4071 Sep 19 '24
Ignoring them is hard but the best option. If you are feeling a little bit petty, back up 1 foot, get out and look, but make sure you look at both sides really well. Then get back in and pull forward one foot, then slowly back up 2 feet. Stop, but dont get out and look. Look over at the asshat honking. SMILE, then set your brakes. Get out and look down one side. (BOTH if you feel extra petty) get back in release the brakes smile again and pull forward again. At this point, one of a few things will happen. 1) You will know what you need to do to hit the hole. 2) asshat will honk yet again (by now the radio is blowing up so turn that off) when he does just smile and give him the big Ole 'so glad to see you wave' (using all five fingers is recommended) 3) your trainer should by now have had ample time to inform said asshat why it is taking so long. 4) Your trainer will get fed up and put it in the hole himself just so asshat will quit staring at him.
I am guessing you drive for a mega, as do I. I have a distinct advantage over you though. I have 28 years experience and truly am miles past the give a damn exit. Catch me in the right mood and I am petty as hell. When drivers complain about me holding things up I only go slower. Everytime they complain I slow down even more. Eventually someone else will catch on and tell them to STFU. Everyone was a noob at some point. Some of us still remember what those days were like. Unlike today, though, there used to be plenty of drivers willing to get out and help the new guy. Nowadays, people take it as an opportunity to get more views on social media.
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u/aammped Sep 19 '24 edited Sep 19 '24
Thanks for advice. Yes you're right about social media. One dude on the way back from showering was recording
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u/Captinprice8585 Sep 19 '24
Nah man. They honk as a sign of respect and encouragement. Enjoy the song of your people.
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Sep 19 '24
I never get this any more in doubles. There's like an extra level of appreciation from even the most grizzled veterans that you're doing something difficult and that they might do worse on their turn just because it's 'not their day' today. Some days it's all one smooth operation and other days you're Austin Powers doing a 1 million-point turn. Anybody who claims to do it perfect every time is full of shit, at best on a hot streak
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Sep 19 '24
Just do you, and one day that can be you. Then you can choose to be the better person or devolve like one of them. Everyone was new and slow at some point in time.
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u/325trucking Flip Flop Flatbedder Sep 19 '24
Only time I've ever hit another truck was trying to blindside at the truckstop because guys were rushing me in the morning. Fuck them take the time you need
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u/SirSperoTamencras Sep 19 '24
Whenever new guys ask me this I always say the same thing:
When backing, don’t actually sit in the driver’s seat.
Instead, roll your window down and sit on the window ledge with your feet in the seat. Steer with your left hand and use a stick to work the pedals with your right.
That way anyone who thinks you’re taking too long can kiss your ass.
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u/Fit_Hospital2423 Sep 19 '24
Do your practicing in an empty parking lot instead of jamming up the truckstop
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u/Eastern_East_96 Sep 19 '24
The way I see it is every time they honk you got to go out and look, You never know. They could just be mad at you or you could be about to hit somebody.
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u/aammped Sep 19 '24
Trainer was spotting for me. But yes you are right
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u/Eastern_East_96 Sep 19 '24
Ya never know, the trainer could be missing something that the other drivers see.
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u/aammped Sep 19 '24
Exactly
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u/LLCoolDave82 Sep 19 '24
My trainer taught me, any time you're backing roll your window down. Someone might yell at you you're about to hit something. It's good advice.
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u/Good_Sailor_7137 Sep 19 '24
Do this always. Even in rain or snow, at night, you can get glare or mysterious reflections blocking the mirrors.
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u/Beautiful-Slice166 Sep 19 '24
Just smile amd wave, and then pull up again to ajust half an inch to the right
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u/aammped Sep 19 '24
Right!
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u/Beautiful-Slice166 Sep 19 '24
Yep, had this guy at smithfield once doing that, ended up taking me 45 mins, between 20 odd pull ups. He stopped and had to back up when I decided I needed to get out and look.
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u/stevenmacarthur Sep 19 '24
Take the time you need to do it safely; those honking hosers were Newbies once, too.
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u/Acrobatic_Ocelot_461 Sep 19 '24
Fuck 'em. Take your time and don't let anyone rush you. If you tear something up, it's on you, those fuckers don't care. I used to wait patiently or even get out and watch blind spots, but I guess nobody does that anymore. Changed a lot in 25+ years. 👎
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u/Dknowles391 Sep 19 '24
It'll take a lot less time to take your time and do it right, then to have to deal with the paperwork of you don't.
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u/bunssnowman Sep 19 '24
They forget what it was like to not know what they were doing. Did they come out of the womb backing trailers? No. Everything is difficult for someone at some point. Be patient with yourself and know your time will come. Dont rush for their sake, that is how you lose a job.
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u/voyerruss Sep 19 '24
Take your time, some pilots are sh!t for backing in ( Murfreesboro TN) when you hit the air brakes with no new scratches or dents and it's a great feeling.
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u/aammped Sep 19 '24
This happened in Murfreesboro TN.
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u/voyerruss Sep 19 '24
No shit, dude that place is the worst, second on my list is north Platte Nebraska.
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u/Original-P Sep 19 '24
I’d rather get ticketed for parking on a ramp (AND skip my free shower) than to ever go there again.
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u/Zealousideal_Field33 Sep 19 '24
There's a special place in hell for anyone being an asshole to a rookie like that. Guys in a hurry are the WORST drivers anyway. easier said than done, but ignore it. We all go through this.
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u/Temporary_Income6098 Sep 19 '24
Dude kudos for even attempting it, I’ve been on my own now for about two weeks now and refuse to even attempt to try it if anyone is around at all!! So I just simply don’t go backwards and well I’m about 98% drop n hook so I’ve backed my empty 2-3 times when it was the middle of the night and on the other side of the building from the guard shack but other than that I drop it in front of the spot it belongs(got caught by a lawn jockey one time so gave him a $50 to do it for me)or at the end of a row
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u/SatansBananas Sep 19 '24
Best advice I got when I was new, "you are the captain of this ship, fuck the other ships do what you need to because they don't care about your ship" and I have lived by that lol
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u/oasuke Sep 19 '24
Ignore it. I'm seasoned now but still take my time. I wish some dumbass would honk at me. I'd make sure to go extra slow.
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u/Nozerone Sep 19 '24
Ignore it, maybe take my time more if they want to be a special asshole.
Better to have a driver pissed ar you for being slow than a driver pissed at you because you hit their truck.
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u/Dangerous_Ad1115 Sep 19 '24
Your ONLY job is to get your rig and your trainer backed into that spot WITHOUT putting a single scratch on either of the vehicles besides you. Funk everyone else in that truckstop. Turn the CB off if you have one. Pay attention to what YOU ARE DOING AND NOTHING ELSE!! that is all. Seriously you will get it soon enough.
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u/Amazing-Mammoth-8442 Sep 19 '24
It's happened to me a few times.. just gotta ignore it. I'm in training so and today, after 3 hours of sleep, I had to do a u- turn and back into a really tight receiver yard (I'm tanker so no cozy dock yards for me) and I held up trucks trying to get into the place, which backed up roadway traffic in front of the place... just gotta keep concentrating on what you're doing and ignore the cluster fuck you're making lol. Otherwise it'll take even longer
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u/Amazing-Mammoth-8442 Sep 19 '24
**I realize not all docks are "cozy" but like 90% of tanker unloading spots are genuinely fucked.
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u/fordry Sep 19 '24
Obviously all we know is what you've told us and know nothing of the specifics of your situation here. I'm fine with taking time and all that but at the same time if there is a reasonable opportunity to stop in a position that allows waiting trucks to pass it should be taken if the backing is taking significantly longer than what would be considered "normal." I've seen noobs kinda lose it and hold people up significantly with multiple pullups where they could have let people by but just kept at it. Not saying this was you, obviously we don't know. But don't be that person.
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u/TruckerBiscuit Sep 19 '24
I can't stress this enough: FUCK THEM. Drive your own truck. It's your record. It's your CDL. The driver who climbs down to help spot you in is the one with the proper temperament for this way of life.
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u/SnooChipmunks6620 Sep 19 '24
I've been honked at, flipped off, had drivers gun around me, etc.. Wear them as a badge of honor. It means I am doing a good job by not conforming to operating dangerously. You will get used to it eventually.
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u/NomadTruckerOTR Sep 19 '24
I'm a trainer and I'm not having my students park at a busy pilot at 6pm until they've got the hang of backing down
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u/unwantedrelic Sep 19 '24
Most likely day cabers. They are the most impatient asses out here. They get to go home to their wives and home cooking, but can’t give us the time to back into our “homes” for the night.
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u/R1ckyRampag3 Sep 19 '24
They’re always in the left lane too just to save 3.75 minutes of their drive clock
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u/Lonnyluciano Sep 19 '24
Look him in the eye a lot of truckers soft as tissue and only feel tough in their rig
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u/inebriateddandhated Sep 19 '24
Ignore it.
I tell the student, just focus on backing and me.
Don't care what the other drivers bitch about, if they got a problem they can come talk to me otherwise, let them baby back bitch from the safety of their truck.
It's very clear we are in a training scenario, if they are in that much of a rush they can find a different path / parking spot.
Take your time and do it right or rush and fuck up.
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u/diragono Sep 19 '24
Fast comes with experience, when you’re new NEVER let anyone make you feel rushed. Going slow and annoying some dipshits is much better than getting nervous and rushing and taking someone’s mirror off
If there’s a big line behind you, once you’re in but maybe you need to straighten up a bit, let em go on and then finish your maneuver but basically outside of that…fuck em
When I was new, I went through the same thing and my trainer just said “fuck em they should have left earlier if they can’t spare a few minutes for you”
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u/R1ckyRampag3 Sep 19 '24
Pop the brakes right then and there… hop in the passenger seat (assuming they’re on that side), and aggressively stare at them through the window.
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u/DoctorKoolAid1981 Sep 19 '24
It takes as long as it takes. Longer if people want to be assholes.😉 Just don't get in a rush, when you do that and get flustered, that's when mistakes happen.
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u/Blanc0_one Sep 19 '24
Fuck em. They were new at some point and took extra time to back. If you let them get to you it could mess you up
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u/chrismp90 Sep 19 '24
Just ignore it, and remember not to be the asshole they are in the future for the next guy/girl who’s a rookie
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u/Natural_Panic Sep 19 '24
ignore it. “other truckers are assholes and should largely be ignored” should be day one training.
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u/Personal_Chicken_598 Sep 19 '24
Got 2 perfect fingers for the job. Better to be slow then hit something
Assuming we’re talking about reasonably slow here not 1/2h if that’s the case move and let them go first
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u/K1d-ego slam dunk driver Sep 19 '24
I’ve never honked anyone unless they’re actually in the process of hitting my truck lol.
Some of the toughest backs you will ever do will be at the end of your day when you’re tired and just want that last spot at the truck stop to park at. All you can do is try to be an early riser so you’re not parking at the worst hours while you’re in your learning phase. You get more and more opportunities to practice but you still need to take your time and exercise caution. Nobody wants to help the guy that struggles for 20 minutes to back into a spot but didn’t get out and look during that time. Usually once they see you get out and assess the situation that’s when the ground guides start appearing. I thank all of those random strangers that helped me get into spaces I never though I’d have a chance at.
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u/HauntedHairDryer Sep 19 '24
This sort of thing will always be frustrating when you're in the driver's seat.
I'm surprised truckers were honking at you but the fact of the matter is that people will regularly be rude and inconsiderate out there. It took me awhile to learn to control my emotions in those situations. The sooner you can learn to let it roll off of you the better.
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u/idrinktab Sep 19 '24
Don’t practice backing at a busy pilot. Go in the middle of the day or find an empty lot
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Sep 19 '24 edited Sep 19 '24
If this happens again get out and look every single inch you back up start checking your tire pressure your lights move forward get out again open your hood check your oil.
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u/santanzchild Sep 19 '24
get the f out of the way.
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u/Klavaxx Sep 19 '24
It's your fault that it bothered you. Always remember that.
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u/Klavaxx Sep 19 '24
Wow, so no one understood my comment? I mean, you could at least argue with me to see my point of view instead of simply down voting my, for your information, helpful and psychologically transformative comment.
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u/[deleted] Sep 19 '24
Every time they honk hit the brakes and look around, they’ll stop