The Tractor Trailer Book
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Description:
8"x10" paperback, 76 pages, with 24 black and white diagrams
As you exit the highway you'll often come up to an intersection with a double turn lane, two lanes turning left, or two lanes turning right. Always try to be in the outside turn lane (see figures 4-1 and 4-2). If you're turning left, stay in the right lane, and if you're turning right, stay in the left lane.
You'll notice in figure 4-1 that you have a good line of sight in your driver side mirrors, (the approximate area shown by the arrows), when making a left turn from the right lane. You can see how close you are to any cars that may be turning along with you, and the only thing that you have to watch for on the right side is that you clear the right side curb or guardrail. If you were in the left lane, you'd have to watch the clearance on your left side for stopped traffic or possibly a guardrail separating the lanes, while at the same time trying to see if anyone was coming around you on the right side, which will have a very limited line of sight.
Delayed Reaction
The truck in figure 6-3 is at a similar angle as the previous diagrams, only a little closer to the parked trailers. This backup probably won't work without pulling up and straightening out. Although it looks as though it might hit trailer #2, actually it will probably hit trailer #1 because of delayed reaction from the steering. There is a delayed reaction from when you turn the steering wheel to when the rear of the trailer changes direction. If you could somehow pick up the front of the tractor, straighten the wheels, and set it back down in a straight line with the trailer, there would be no delay time and the trailer would continue in the direction that it's heading and hit trailer #2. However, even with cranking the wheel all the way to the left (as shown in the diagram), to follow the trailer, the tractor and trailer will travel a few feet until it's straight, and until it's straight it will continue going left towards trailer #1. The only way to fix this backup is to turn the wheel to the right, pull forward, then back in at an angle straighter to the parking space.
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