Someone asked about parallel parking a semi

I think it was here a while back where someone asked about why parallel parking was on the cdl test. So I took these tkday as parallel parking is part of my daily drive these days. Lol. Just thought it was interesting is all, and I didnt have to do it for my cdl test.

Are you driving for the Cold Spring boys Jon? I will have to keep my eyes open.

For that company, but out of the blaine office. I do get over there every week or so.

Parallel parking was part of my CDL, I believe. ....Or maybe it was just part of the training? Gee, can't remember anymore.

Use to have to do this at a little Aluminum company in the back streets of Chicago back in the late 70's and early 80's while waiting my turn to back in blindside down and alley off a narrow oneway street . Not a big deal if you could drive . Today with the new bred of steering wheel holders this is a problem . They have enough problems driving on a four lane on dry days in broad daylite, and you want them to park .

(quoted from post at 09:32:10 12/27/17) Use to have to do this at a little Aluminum company in the back streets of Chicago back in the late 70's and early 80's while waiting my turn to back in blindside down and alley off a narrow oneway street . Not a big deal if you could drive . Today with the new bred of steering wheel holders this is a problem . They have enough problems driving on a four lane on dry days in broad daylite, and you want them to park .

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This morning my son told me he was at a truck stop walking past the diesel pumps. There was a truck parked between the pumps kind of crooked and the driver was pumping fuel. The driver, who was of non-USA origin waved my son over to ask him a question. Son walked over to him and noticed he was pumping red fuel so he told the driver about it and the driver shut the nozzle off, asking my son what the difference was between red and clear. This guy was driving for some large fleet company. How did this guy get a license? Maybe he didn't have a license for all I know.

Some companies are so desperate for drivers that they don't think to ask whether they know the difference between on and off-road diesel. I'm sure they care, as it's likely company equipment.

We received a shipment in CA from Golan Heights Trucking out of, I think, Skokie IL. The drivers looked like the namesake of their company, wearing sandals and shorts. It was a short easy backup down a slightly curving wide private road. They refused to back down it and instead carried the load by hand 300 feet.

I received a load of sacked concrete. The driver didn't speak a lick of English. He said he had come up from Phoenix to Northern CA. He had no plates, no CA number, no DOT, ICC (it was some time ago), no markings, nothing on the truck. I asked if he crossed any scales or check points and he said no. He didn't want to drive down an easy, slightly winding road either. I took him in another vehicle to show it was not bad. I finally had to tell him I wouldn't accept the load unless he took it where I wanted.

I seldom drive and haven't the skill level of many here but it is amazing how poor some of the drivers are.

I'm not sure if it is still required for the NYS version of the CDL A, but it was when I took my test for the former NYS Class 1. Test administrator that went with me on the driving test, had me literally drive just a few blocks from the DMV, return to the DMV, then parallel park the tractor trailer where I started out from. Yes, I did the pre-trip inspection as well, but that was it. The guy wanted to go to lunch, so the driving test was really easy for me. I had plenty of experience prior to as I worked as a yardman dealing with moving trucks and trailers on my shift, parallel parking trucks and trailers was part of my job as a teamster in those days. It would be sad if I could not ace that part of the driving test.

By the way it looks,you drove over the curb,.........

(quoted from post at 10:49:32 12/27/17) We received a shipment in CA from Golan Heights Trucking out of, I think, Skokie IL. The drivers looked like the namesake of their company, wearing sandals and shorts. It was a short easy backup down a slightly curving wide private road. They refused to back down it and instead carried the load by hand 300 feet.

I received a load of sacked concrete. The driver didn't speak a lick of English. He said he had come up from Phoenix to Northern CA. He had no plates, no CA number, no DOT, ICC (it was some time ago), no markings, nothing on the truck. I asked if he crossed any scales or check points and he said no. He didn't want to drive down an easy, slightly winding road either. I took him in another vehicle to show it was not bad. I finally had to tell him I wouldn't accept the load unless he took it where I wanted.

I seldom drive and haven't the skill level of many here but it is amazing how poor some of the drivers are.

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It's fun watching an old skilled driver in a tight spot. I'm like you, I drive some but not like I used to so I'm rusty as an old nail. 20 years ago or so a neighbor asked me if I could come over to help load hogs. When I got there a pot semi has pulled in and was looking the situation over. I will admit the neighbor was asking a lot out of the driver, requiring a 90 degree blind side back, straighten out for 50 feet or 100 feet then another 90 degree blindside to the chute. The semi driver was young and told the farmer he couldn't do it, making up an excuse of bottoming out the trailer, this yard was flat. The truck left so the farmer called Luther, an old seasoned livestock hauler. Luther pulled in with his pot, backed it up in one try , nudged up to the chute and was ready to load. Corraling those 240 pound hogs up to a gate in the fence using only plywood hog panels with no permanent corral was another memorable job.

In CA I had a test proctor who did not possess a CDL. I do not think you should be allowed to administer a test for a field you are not qualified to perform in. She said she went to a class to administer the CDL test and drove a station wagon with a trailer and that it was pretty much the same thing as driving a tractor trailer. I tried not to laugh. I did ask if it was the same thing then why didn't station wagon drivers need a CDL?

She told me the test did not start until I reached the fairgrounds. I had lease a very short wheelbase tractor and short trailer. We stopped at a stop sign where she said, "Oh, I forgot. You need to turn here." I swung way out and spun the wheel like a madman. The girl in the left turn lane eyes got wide as the tractor came close to her and I had to shout at the proctor to move her head so I could see my mirror but I made the turn. She commented that I was the only one to make that turn without touching the curb and that if I had she would have failed me. I pointed out that she said the test didn't start until I reached the fairgrounds and she noted she could fail me at any time for any reason. Another appropriate response to the situation she set me up in was to say no, I cannot do it safely and go to a point where you could turn around.

In the CA book for CDLs it shows a bobtail parallel parking. I figured it was just for them but at the test I she asked me to do it. I hesitated and she asked if I had practiced it, which I hadn't. If I didn't do it, I failed, so I did it. It isn't that hard if you have been practicing or driving.

I later found out that test proctor had a reputation for failing everyone the first time. Her defense was that they would go back and try harder and be safer. Obviously there were a number of complaints as she stopped that practice.

I remember watching one of those "Dirty Jobs" type shows where the host went and got his CDL as part of the show. One of the tests was "parallel park" but the desired end result was the the trailer parallel to the curb, and the tractor at a 90 degree angle?

Now and then I see drivers in some of the local shopping centers with a long trailer and in the middle of a work day, they are required to back up to a loading dock that to me looks like it would be near on impossible to squeeze that unit into place. Somehow they all manage to do it even with cars parked all over the place. I guess it would be easier at 2 AM but even then, I wouldn't want to try it myself. I get dizzy just thinking about it.

Not sure about a semi, but back in 2005 while in the military, they had 2 of us obtain our license for the 40 passenger bus and you had to parrallel park on the right and left sides to pass.

(quoted from post at 11:24:30 12/27/17) In CA I had a test proctor who did not possess a CDL. I do not think you should be allowed to administer a test for a field you are not qualified to perform in. [color=blue:4e7e08a4d2]She said she went to a class to administer the CDL test and drove a station wagon with a trailer and that it was pretty much the same thing as driving a tractor trailer.[/color:4e7e08a4d2] I tried not to laugh. I did ask if it was the same thing then why didn't station wagon drivers need a CDL?

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I would've gone right then and found myself a station wagon and matching trailer. Heck, if it's basically the same thing, right?? *lol*

Think I'd of probably blew a fuse if going through that situation. I most likely would've failed before we even got started. :wink:

Had a drop in Philadelphia..heavy traffic (Conventional Pete, WAY over-length)..
Always had to move the 5th wheel forward and suck up the trailer tandems all the way to make the turns..

The curb-side Dock required backing down 2 full Blocks on a One-Way, One Lane street, with cars parked solid on each side..during rush hour...

Always had to walk back and explain to the horn-honking drivers that I had NO choice but to back up...!!

I asked why they were sending me up that way and they said.."Because YOU don't tear up equipment"..!!

I said "don't punish me for it"..!!
PLUS, that was NO where near the "Worst" place to park..how about going to a business and cannot FIND a dock...(there wasent one)..!! Ended up parked blocking an Alley, across a lawn while they broke the load down and CARRIED it down into a Basement..(22,000lbs of it).!! At least they supplied the beer...it was a HOT day..!
Ron..

Single axles on a long flatbed, you hauling empty pallets or boxes of pink flamingos? Kind of a special light but bulky cargo rig there.

Empty containers I suppose.

Paul

After years of driving parking a semi is as easy as parking a car.

After reading some of the other posts below,I will add a couple of situations I have seen.I worked as a truck mechanic for 40 years,at least 25 or more near downtown Cincinnati,Ohio.At the UPS in Queensgate,the spotter has to jackknife a whole row of pups at the dock almost 90* with the yard dog.And the whole row has spotted one end to the other; you can't pull one out from the middle of the line.It's harder and tighter than it sounds.
At the Kahns' plant,drivers had to back in off of Spring Grove avenue with their reefer trailers hanging out into the first lane,after they dropped the trailer.In fact,almost every company on Spring Grove had docks facing the street that had to be jackknifed into; some even drop downhill.Considering I-75 took the place of Spring Grove avenue,I bet those docks were a lot more fun back in the day of manual steering.
A lot of docks I have seen,a man could barely fit between trailers,and the drivers could not get a straight shot at the dock to back it in.And much of this was at night!
I went on a road call once to replace a trailer valve.The driver was required to back thru 2 tunnels,that were offset from each other,to get to the dock.The tunnels were arched,as long as the whole rig,so he had to stay in the middle and not hit the roof corner on the arches.Then make it thru the offset,to line up for the 2nd tunnel,then the dock.
My hat is off to all drivers that had to put up with such crazy, difficult situations,on a daily basis,and the fight traffic on top of that. Mark