The Training academies out there would like to take your money, cram as much info & bookwork in your head as possible in just a couple weeks. Okay, now you understand the fundamentals a little better, they can train you how to drive a truck, but they cant teach you how to be a truck driver.
As for learning how to back a trailer in an alley dock, or even parallel, you first have to VISUALIZE what you're doing. Get out the truck, look at the dock setup they have for you, create a plan of exactly how you're going to handle this before you ever set up for the back. Setup is 90% of what you're about to do, an inproper setup will guarentee a failed backing scenerio.
This may sound a little funny, but get yourself a toy tractor / trailer combo (from Wal-Mart, find a small one). Spend some time one evening at your dining room table pushing the thing around backward. Take a piece of paper, draw your self a dock or some dots for where you thing the cones should be and push this thing around with your finger to set up and maneuver this thing into its place. What your doing here is obtaining a "birds eye view" and developing a mental visualization for what you're trying to do.
I used to be a trainer for Werner, usually when I got a new driver they were really struggeling with their backing, this is what I used to have them do & it works.
I wish you luck & hope you can find a local OO or company to let you do some practice in their parking lot. Be careful & we'll probably see you out there somewhere someday.
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