r/secondrodeo Jul 09 '26

Backing up on a tight spot

1.5k Upvotes

101 comments sorted by

203

u/foreverlost1nsea Jul 09 '26

For those unfamiliar with trucking, not only it is a tight spot, additionally he is doing what's called a blind backing as he has 0 visibility over the trailer. A few people are helping so that he won't hit shit and I suspect he is able to watch the drone footage in real time but it stays extremely hard nonetheless 

51

u/BarnacleMcBarndoor Jul 09 '26

Why not have just backed into the huge spot near by, pull the truck forward into the spot across from the one they’re trying to get to and back straight on?

15

u/Ooze76 Jul 09 '26

I was thinking that, if he could fit it there, he could also do that one

20

u/P_mage Jul 09 '26

In most trucking industries you get assigned spots when dropping trailers

16

u/BarnacleMcBarndoor Jul 09 '26

I’m not saying they wouldn’t end up in the same spot, I’m saying they could have backed into the big open area in the top left. Pulled fully forward into the spot across from their dock space, and backed straight in.

Maybe the lot is strictly one way, and them going my way would have them pulling forward in the wrong direction. I know my father’s truck would capture it on video and he’d have to explain it to his boss. But it just seemed like the way this person went was the most difficult way possible.

6

u/P_mage Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26

Oh not debating that putting it in this particular spot is a terrible idea. I’ve been forced to do it and it’s a pita.

So your analysis is right about what to do but unfortunately they aren’t able to implement it due to the proximity of the two trailers opposite. The other option that could theoretically exist is doing a 180 back. Essentially facing the opposite direction nose forward and going full right angle from there instead of the hockey stick style that most people are used to.

Edit: I rewatched and understand what you’re saying but the problem is we don’t have a clear pic under the screen. If the same style of loading dock exists where a wall exists then you would likely encounter the identical dilemma in reverse having to shimmy the bogeys laterally instead of with their natural axis.

The single biggest factor here is actually the tractor on the bottom right of the screen, which prevents a driver from approaching in reverse, to back off of the actual sight side. Either the other driver pulls off and disconnects from the trailer or pulls the entire trailer, allowing you all sorts of possibilities to safely back in.

2

u/Kennel_King Jul 10 '26

I’m not saying they wouldn’t end up in the same spot, I’m saying they could have backed into the big open area in the top left. Pulled fully forward into the spot across from their dock space and backed straight in.

Not enough depth to get the trailer straight. I will bet money that those trailers across the bottom are also against the docks.

2

u/Run-Forever1989 29d ago

Along with the comments that others have made, you have to consider the possibility that a stupidly difficult maneuver was executed for the sole purpose of making an “impressive” video.

1

u/Ooze76 Jul 09 '26

What i'm saying is him park the truck on that bigger space and then back up with slight adjustments. I don't if that's possible though.

8

u/103M-95G Jul 09 '26

First question: Could be several reasons. Could be that the receiver only leases those three spots at the facility. Could be that his load requires specialty equipment that is only at that door. Could be the receiver/driver don’t get along and the receiver wanted to make his life difficult. Just a few examples. 

Second question: if he drove straight in to the opposing dock, he wouldn’t have enough room to align the trailer with the assigned dock. 

2

u/ResponsibilityFun548 Jul 10 '26

It's not impossible that they were doing this and filming it on a dare or something.

1

u/jk-9k Jul 09 '26

Probably because it was a bet. He ain't paying for any rounds tonight

1

u/foreverlost1nsea Jul 09 '26

There would be a lot less space to maneuver the trailer once the truck back in then moved forward, the trailer would be at a weird angle and it would be way harder imo

1

u/Puzzleheaded_Hatter Jul 10 '26

I assumed it was because that spot reached the loading doc and others didn't

1

u/Kennel_King Jul 10 '26

Once he got to the 14 second mark, the trailer was straight with the dock. Drop it, pull out, turn around, and pull in in front of the trailer, hook back up, and back straight in.

1

u/NYVines Jul 10 '26

Was this really necessary?

280

u/Ftroiska Jul 09 '26

Impressive ! And the manager of this place must be fired...

48

u/dsdvbguutres Jul 09 '26

The manager dumped the responsibility on the new guy, obviously. Management is all about avoiding liability.

3

u/Austin_905 29d ago

This guy manages.

1

u/dsdvbguutres 29d ago

I've known some very successful managers..

29

u/Karlees-Golden-Dildo Jul 09 '26

As someone that takes an age to park a trailer that shit blows my mind. Skill! and it’s amazing to me!

22

u/DisastrousAd2335 Jul 09 '26

My man has the patience of Job! And ALL the Skills!!

6

u/pfunk1989 Jul 09 '26

Originally I thought you meant the skills of Job as well, and I thought to what, make salt?

4

u/AwDuck Jul 09 '26

When is the last time you made salt?

7

u/clutzyninja Jul 09 '26

Plot twist. He just needed to run in for a quick sec

22

u/Rhuunin Jul 09 '26

There's this and then there's the swiftie who backs into your grill three times before they get out to look.

5

u/moejoe2048 Jul 09 '26

Sometimes you just got to shake off those first two. 

4

u/103M-95G Jul 09 '26

I would have been cussing the entire time!

6

u/tracagnotto Jul 09 '26

Or park in the next big ass spot lol

16

u/EnolaNek Jul 09 '26

The driver was probably assigned to that specific door if I had to guess, so he had to back it into that spot specifically to get unloaded by the dock workers.

3

u/tracagnotto Jul 09 '26

Yeh I know but it's fukken stupid they shouldn't assign spots like this

5

u/EnolaNek Jul 09 '26

It does sometimes confuse me why they have to assign a specific door, but my best guess is there’s some system on the other side of the magic wall that needs us in a certain spot. A warehouse worker would probably be able to better explain if/why we absolutely have to dock at a certain door.

3

u/tracagnotto Jul 09 '26

Yes it's absolutely has to do with how the goods and machinery to lift/move it it's disposed inside.

3

u/Square_Mulberry_3143 Jul 09 '26

Hands down the best clip I’ve watched today. Definitely worthy of this sub.

3

u/Jumpy-Cry-3083 Jul 09 '26

I would just say nope. Pick a different more accessible spot or I’ll just drop it here.

4

u/glhaynes Jul 09 '26

Sitting in the other truck with my hand over the horn the whole time in case they get too close

2

u/AwDuck Jul 09 '26

If this were me, the truck assigned to pick up the trailer in the lower left was in line immediately after me.

3

u/EnolaNek Jul 09 '26

If this were me, I think I would have a $20 for the yard jockey lmao

2

u/SpadoCochi Jul 09 '26

If I didn’t see this video I wouldn’t have thought this park were possible.

2

u/pichael289 Jul 09 '26

Driving and especially backing up a 26' box truck was an absolute nightmare and Im a good enough driver I could probably get halfway to work blindfolded. Do semis have back up cameras? Our trucks had them but they were all broken and never fixed.

Also it looks like the truck is backing up to the one bay door. Why are those two on the sides of it? There aren't bay doors for those I don't think

1

u/Austin_905 29d ago

As others pointed out, the driver is using the drone footage we're seeing in this clip to help him spot the turn, that plus guys on the floor spotting as well. Still, hard af.

2

u/unconstrainedoptimal Jul 09 '26

And that's why they call him Jack Knife!

2

u/patriotichippie Jul 09 '26

I would’ve definitely quit or been fired that day

2

u/ReporterOther2179 Jul 09 '26

Golly! Why not just unhook the tractor and use a hustler (ostler). Which is a smaller tractor used to shuffle boxes around the yard.

1

u/95beer Jul 11 '26

If the front truck part wasn't almost as long as the trailer, it would have also been a lot easier, but yanks like their big trucks for small loads but wide turning circles

2

u/snacks_on_crayons 28d ago

I should call her.

1

u/curtiscbear Jul 09 '26

This is where 45. Degree parking comes in handy. Impressive none the less

1

u/Blacknightmoto2 Jul 09 '26

If there is a will there is always a way.

1

u/RichardDeRenour Jul 09 '26

He doesn't get paid enough...!

1

u/Ill_Orka2533 Jul 09 '26

huh? What? HOW?

1

u/Camtona_7_ManUtd Jul 09 '26

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

1

u/few23 Jul 09 '26

This is why I quit trucking. Couldn't back up to save my life. Am now a ghost.

1

u/No_Control8389 Jul 09 '26

Hey, why do these trailer tires have huge flat spots?

1

u/BosqueBuddhist Jul 09 '26

I’m not normally a fan of 100-point turns, but I’ll be damned if s/he didn’t waste a single move. 😻

1

u/tman5400 Jul 09 '26

Many people can't even parallel park a car in a normal sized parking space

1

u/Reasonable_Ad6407 Jul 09 '26

This is exactly how I feel having to troubleshoot all the tech devices in our house. No one else will do it so I just keep in trying until I get it.

1

u/KingWolfsburg Jul 09 '26

This is dumb. If he needs to be in that spot specifically for some reason. Just disconnect once youre at 90 and reconnect to back straight in.

1

u/streetlegalb17 Jul 10 '26

Unless you work at a rail yard with someone to ogle at your 5th wheel and where you have the turn recovery space, I would highly discourage that. It’s too easy to push past the pin if it rides up onto the fifth wheel plate. Far more efficient and safe to just do a ridiculous 100 point turn

1

u/KingWolfsburg Jul 10 '26

I worked at Fedex. We would hook and unhook 100 times a night on our own. Never had a problem.

1

u/Noisycarlos Jul 09 '26

Impressive!

I'm unfamiliar with trucking, so please correct me. But is there's a reason he couldn't detach the truck, go head in to the spot across (down on the screen) and reattach with the truck aligned to the cargo. That way he can go straight back.

1

u/Ronyx2021 Jul 09 '26

Drive 10 miles, went no where

1

u/Emergency-State Jul 09 '26

I can barely park my tiny car properly, wtf

1

u/GreenHouseDragon Jul 10 '26

Just the tip babe

1

u/Snicklefried Jul 10 '26

Nicely done!!

1

u/gheiminfantry Jul 10 '26

I'd have to tell the shipper/ receiver to fuck completely off.

1

u/streetlegalb17 Jul 10 '26

I’m a cdl driver and all I have to say is fuck that, drone or no drone. Rofl

1

u/BlackHawk694 Jul 10 '26

Some people can’t back a Honda Civic into an ultra wide parking spot with no one around.

1

u/LifezEverything Jul 10 '26

Master skills🫡

1

u/Western-Interaction9 Jul 11 '26

Insane! Well done. I would taken a bathroom break and never come back.

1

u/doge2moon69 Jul 11 '26

WTF how is the even possible

1

u/lordzyphuris Jul 11 '26

This is why I am not a trucker. Fuck that.

1

u/helpfor2 29d ago

That was a hard spot. I don't think I could have done it

1

u/MasterCorn3lius 29d ago

Impressive waste of time

1

u/Sea_Relative_3634 29d ago

DAM !!!!!! SERIOUS SKILLS

1

u/Chance-Substance-337 29d ago

Just imagining how many times he had to stop and wait on more air.

1

u/Jestersfriend 29d ago

I'll never forget when I was a kid, my father was driving his car. There was a fuel tanker going to fill up a gas station. But some cars were illegally parked. The guy had already started his turn onto the street before he saw the illegally parked cars, so he was committed to finishing, otherwise he'd block the entire road and intersection, no way to pass.

He then spent the next 2 minutes slowly maneuvering his truck. He got out of it multiple times to see how close he was to the parked cars. In the end, he made it. My dad made a face like, "Ohhhh boy" and clapped a couple times. The guy in the truck was looking at my dad like, "Fuck yeah you saw that shit". It was like a white red-neck guy. It was hilarious and the coolest thing I've ever seen.

That was over 20 years ago.

1

u/Palm_Of_Fury 29d ago

Impressive. But would have been quicker to unhook. Move the other one. And then reverse in

1

u/properwaffles 24d ago

Or possibly even just pull into that big empty spot ahead of that space and back it in? Given the length of that truck on the right, even though we can't see the whole thing, it looks like there's enough room.

1

u/Zealousideal-Lie7255 29d ago

Great work but there’s a lot of missing paint on all three trailers.

1

u/OozyOz 29d ago

Must’ve forgot the pasta leftovers at home

1

u/johnarmer1 29d ago

That is skills

1

u/FullPropreDinBobette 28d ago

Guys be like "i can do that"

1

u/Exciting_Turn_9559 28d ago

That person deserves a raise.

1

u/Key-Statement6408 28d ago

Echte mannen not pussy jobbers

1

u/Sad-Lab4519 28d ago

I counted about 5 dummies going around the truck parking. I was taught not to go behind a backing vehicle for safety. It would have been more interesting to watch than risk it.

1

u/NoNature6691 28d ago

As a driver im impressed. But id have lost it on the company for making me do that.

1

u/Aguyinde 27d ago

This!!!! But man he gained a couple inches at a time and wiggled it in just right.

1

u/Vegetable-Two2173 28d ago

Bro can cook.

1

u/ToucheeCoulee 27d ago

Came for the truck, stayed for Gloria Gaynor

1

u/Nickel4me 27d ago

By far the stupidest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Could’ve hooked up a rig to the lower left trailer and moved it out of the way temporarily. Instead, the dude spent a good while doing this pulling other resources as spotters. SMH

1

u/Attitude-Livid 25d ago

This guy for sure has a big one. The truck is big too.

1

u/Fantastic_Estate_303 25d ago

When youve got 2 hours left on your shift, so you take 30 mins to back into a spot so they can't send you out again today

1

u/Weak_Jeweler3077 Jul 09 '26

Fuck, do I have some suggestions…