Right Turn With a 53-Foot Trailer in Jersey City
You are driving a 3-axle tractor with a 53-foot trailer, about 70 feet overall, to a grocery dock in Jersey City. You need to turn right from a four-lane arterial onto a 24-foot-wide two-way street. The receiving lane is 11 feet wide, and cars are parked along the right curb just past the corner. A light pole sits about 8 feet from the curb at the corner. Your trailer's rear axles will off-track inside the tractor's path. A cyclist is waiting behind your right rear trailer tires, and a delivery van is stopped in the left-turn lane. The light turns green. You have room to pull forward into the intersection before steering, but oncoming traffic is moving. You must decide how to position the tractor, when to begin the turn, how to use the mirrors, and what to do if a car slips into the space on your right.
1. How should you set up and execute this right turn? Include lane position, speed, when to start steering, and mirror use.
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Approach in the right lane, but keep the tractor close to the left side of that lane without crossing into the left-turn lane or oncoming traffic. Slow to a walking pace before the corner; a 70-foot combination cannot be hurried through an 11-foot receiving lane. Pull forward into the intersection before turning so the trailer has room to follow. Begin the right turn when the tractor's drive axles are near the corner, then steer smoothly and keep the trailer's right rear tires 2–3 feet off the curb and clear of the light pole and parked cars. Watch the right mirror for the trailer tires and the left mirror for trailer tail swing. Keep the steer tires out of the curb and do not let the tractor cut the corner.
2. A car stops in the gap on your right, between your tractor and the curb. What do you do, and why is backing up a poor first choice?
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Stop and hold your position. The gap is your clearance; if a car takes it, continuing the turn will either hit the car or force the trailer into the curb. Do not wave the driver through and do not squeeze past. Wait for the car to move if it can; if the driver is blocked or unaware, use a brief horn tap and give time. Backing a combination in an intersection is a poor first choice because visibility is poor, traffic is unpredictable, and the trailer can off-track into pedestrians or vehicles. If backing is unavoidable, use a spotter and back only a short distance after checking both mirrors and the area behind.
3. What if the trailer's right rear tires still head for the curb? What inputs should you make, and why not brake hard mid-turn?
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If the trailer tires are closing on the curb, stop before contact rather than jerking the wheel. If you still have room, straighten the steering slightly and pull forward a few feet to reduce the trailer's cut, then resume the turn more slowly. Do not brake hard in the turn: hard braking can lock wheels, cause the trailer to swing, and reduce your ability to steer. If contact is unavoidable, stop, secure the vehicle, and get a spotter before correcting. A curb strike can damage tires, wheels, and the trailer, and it can also put you in the path of the cyclist behind you.