How to reverse a B-Double (DDT)

" Don't drive above your own ability. If you can see you can't do it- Just don't do it! " Spot on boss! - Absolutely dead on.I Love it

Him suggesting drivers carry around a toy was brilliant. Always great to take on a safe challenge every now and then. The greatest advice was at the end. DON'T DRIVE ABOVE YOUR ABILITY.

That carpet is my childhood

Huge respect to the guys and gals who drive these B-Double's. Most car drivers have difficulties maneuvering 4 wheels in a straight line, never mind reverse. Truckies are the lifeblood of commerce .. give them plenty of room when you're driving, and put yourself in their shoes when things get tight. Cheers from Melbourne.

This guy must have been the hero of the neighborhood sand box as a kid !

I give this teacher best respect. He just gave the best advice at the end! Don't overextend yourself or your skills and you'll be fine.

This guy is one of the best instructors I have ever heard - brilliant video. Almost makes me want to go and get my MC licence all over again.

this is a good video. I currently pull a B train in Canada and trucking over the road for 15 years, this is how it is done when reversing. Anyone interested in learning the basic fundamentals should watch this and pay attention to the advise and detail this excellent instructor gives. If I can add anything it would be to do everything as slowly as possible and Never be in a hurry to reverse B train. 50 % of the time I have to reverse into or out of a facility to load or unload. You have to know the fundamentals .You have to have a plan of attack .Take your time and you will be a pro.

This is so helpful even for the ets2/ats, truck simulators which recently introduced doubles. Thanks a lot for sharing!

I once had to drive all the way around the world because I couldn't figure out how to back up

I don't even drive truck, why am I here? xD

So funny. The dry humour of a blokey Aussie truckie teaching a novice. Very enjoyable and informative -- even for someone (me) who's never driven any truck!

I learned 90% of my reversing skills from Grand Theft Auto. I played that for at least 2 years before I got my drivers license and was able to back up trucks and trailers with inches to spare on each side the same day. People don't believe me, but you learn a lot from the dynamics of it in a game or with a toy. You learn the physics of torque and the way to turn, correcting and visualizing.

I'm not a RL trucker. Just a trucking enthusiast and an e-trucker, but my, this explanation was worth a million dollars.

Great idea and good video about this!! I learned how to back trailers with my 1983 wired-remote control toy semi tractor trailer. At 18, I drove semis to deliver equipment, and was good at it because I could "see it in my mind" like the man says in the video. You have to envision what you're trying to do. By the time I was in my 20's, I was excellent at it and became an instructor. I'd recommend to people to practice backing up a trailer in an empty parking lot behind a car or SUV using only their mirrors (looking forward). People never practice. They wait until they're hooked up and trying to back a boat down the ramp and get crossed up all over the place. Practice. Goto a parking lot and practice backing up around it until you can back into a parking spot with ease. Growing up around trucks, I always heard that "the longer the trailer, and the shorter the pull vehicle wheelbase, the easier it is to back a trailer." So true. If you can master backing a tow dolly trailer behind a car, truck, or suv, you'll easily transition to semis. If the distance from the rear axle to the front axle of the car, pickup, or SUV (pull vehicle) is greater than the distance from the rear axle of the pull vehicle to the trailer axle, then it's really hard to back it up. Conversely, if the distance from the rear axle of the pull vehicle to its front axle is SHORTER than the distance from the rear axle of the pull vehicle to the trailer axle (or mid point between multiple axles), like a semi truck, than its MUCH easier to control backing it up. From the driver seat, if you line up the side of your trailer with where you want it to go, it'll go there if you keep it lined up as you back up. It's almost like theres an imaginary arrow down the side of the trailer that is pointing to where you want it to go, and then you keep steering as needed to keep it lined up. Getting used to trusting your mirrors and doing so on reflex takes a LOT of practice because everything is backwards, but eventually becoming second nature, like driving a stick shift transmission. Good luck, and good video about this. Truck drivers don't get enough recognition for their skills. For example, Fire-fighters are great people, they sacrifice to help others, and it is a noble calling. They are heros. Although I'm not comparing the two directly, truck drivers deserve at least a little recognition for what they do for this country. Its because they have to be responsible ALL THE TIME for handling 40 TONS of steel and product moving at 70+mph next to 4,000 pound cars and SUVs that they could tear through like toilet paper. Truckers have to leave their friends and family behind, miss holidays and birthdays, and weekend cookouts, and live in a hot or cold small cabin sleeper of a truck sleeping in parking lots for weeks at a time and worry for their safety. It's a hard life. A 40 hour work week is standard in most jobs. Truckers put in 40 hours by the 2nd day of their work week, and many have to work 6 or 7 days straight. They don't get off work because they are ALWAYS responsible for the truck and the load and what happens to it, or if it hurts someone or something. They spend 168 HOURS A WEEK baby-sitting the truck and the load, often for weeks at a time before getting to go home, but usually they don't get paid for anything except the miles they drive. Why? It's not like they get to go home. They should make at LEAST minimum wage when NOT driving. Truckers who arent driving have the job of a night watchman- being responsible for their rig. They sacrifice so much to make this country keep going. Next time you see a trucker, say "thanks". It's an otherwise thankless job demanding skills, time, and sacrifice. Thanks again for this video!

I think the reason so many drivers can't do it is because they only reverse as a last resort. It's really not that hard to back them up accurately, but it does take some practice. If you're always avoiding it at all costs, then you'll never get good at it.

Excellent explanation.Things get easy when you work it out in your head first and set things up properly on the way in.

You're a legend and a great instructor. now I'm off to bunnings for my "B Double"

I only drive trucks in American Truck Simulator, but damn that was great lesson to sit in on. Before watching this video those double trailers seemed so intimidating, but now I'm tempted to try them out. Such simple yet, invaluable information I would have never figured out on my own.

Brilliant. The simplicity of something that can be so overwhelming to an outsider is a testament to your experience and skill. Thank you very much. I didn't even get my truck drivers license yet but I understand this concept thanks to you.