Blind-Side Dock in a Narrow Alley During Rain
You must back a 70-foot combination into a 90-degree dock on the right side of a 22-foot-wide alley. The dock apron is 12 feet deep. Cars are parked along the left curb, leaving a 14-foot travel lane. A spotter is available but is standing near the dock door, outside your mirror view. It is raining, and the trailer has no rear camera. You have 20 minutes before a refrigerated load must be checked. The alley is one-way, and traffic is light. Your tractor has a 220-inch wheelbase, and the trailer is 53 feet with a 4-foot rear overhang. The dock is on your blind side if you approach from the east. You can approach from the west, but that requires a U-turn 300 feet ahead at a wide intersection. The dock door is open, and the loading supervisor is waving you in.
1. Which approach direction would you choose, and how would you set up the tractor and trailer before backing? Explain why.
Read the worked answer
Choose the west approach if it makes the dock a driver-side or sight-side back, even though it requires the U-turn. Sight-side backing gives you a much better view and reduces the chance of hitting the dock or a parked car. Before backing, stop in a straight position, pull past the dock far enough to create a gentle angle, and keep the trailer's rear visible in your mirrors. Use the full width of the alley, but do not let the tractor block the travel lane longer than necessary. If the setup cannot be made without hitting the parked cars, abort.
2. The spotter steps out of your mirror while you are backing. What do you do, and why is continuing slowly unacceptable?
Read the worked answer
Stop immediately and set the parking brake. Continuing slowly does not make it safe: a spotter can slip, a car can move, or the trailer can drift into the dock while you are looking in the other mirror. Do not move until the spotter is back in your mirror or until you get out and check the area yourself. Agree on hand signals before restarting. If the spotter cannot stay visible, use a different spotter or do not back.
3. After two pull-ups, the trailer's rear overhang is 18 inches from the dock door but the tractor is 6 inches from a parked car. What is your next move?
Read the worked answer
Stop and hold the brake. Do not try to squeeze the last 18 inches while the tractor is 6 inches from a car. Get out and look, check the dock plate and the trailer's rear overhang, and decide whether one more controlled pull-up will improve the angle. If the space is too tight, abort and ask the dock to move the car or assign another door. The goal is a safe dock, not a dock at any cost.