Backing & Tandem Control
Slide your tandems, manage tail-swing, and back into the tightest dock without a spotter.
What you'll learn
- Slide tandems to balance your axle weights.
- Know your bridge laws before you cross the line.
- Watch your tail-swing in tight turns.
- Set up wide for a blindside back. Pull up if needed.
- G.O.A.L. — Get Out And Look. No exceptions.
The Truck Triangle
Use the Truck Triangle to judge whether an obstacle will be hit during a turn.
The Truck Triangle is a simple way to predict what your trailer will hit during a turn. Imagine a straight line drawn from your steer tire to the trailer tandems. Any obstacle that stays outside that line is safe. Anything that crosses the line — or ends up inside the triangle between your steer axle and tandems — will be hit.
Turning toward an obstacle can pull it into your triangle. Turning away can move it out. The technique does not work well for turns sharper than 90° because the tandems start moving backward and the trailer is more likely to jackknife. Use it as a quick visual reference, not a substitute for proper turning technique and mirror checks.
Technique courtesy of Chris Icenhower and James Boyce.
From the road
Backing into a dock — slow, deliberate, and always G.O.A.L.
Permission granted by Junior Honduras YouTube Channel.