Right Turn at a Tight Camden Corner
You are driving a 70-foot doubles set in Camden, turning right from a four-lane arterial onto a two-lane street. The corner has a curb, a fire hydrant on the right, and a parked delivery van 20 feet past the corner. Your light is green, but the left lane has oncoming traffic. Your lead trailer’s right tires are 3 feet from the curb as you approach; the second trailer’s left tires are near the lane line. The street is 30 feet wide, and your combination off-tracks about 8 feet. You need to turn without hitting the hydrant or van and without crossing into oncoming traffic. Traffic behind you is impatient, and the light will not stay green long. A cyclist is waiting at the corner.
1. How should you set up and execute this right turn, including lane position, speed, and use of the available road?
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I would not start the turn from 3 feet off the curb with 8 feet of offtrack. That geometry puts the second trailer about 5 feet inside the curb line. I would slow to walking speed, stop before the corner if needed, and wait for the oncoming lane to clear so I can use the left lane or the left side of the right lane to start the turn. Then I would make a smooth, wide right turn: keep the tractor close to the centerline, let the lead trailer follow, and watch the second trailer track around the hydrant and van. If I cannot get enough road because of oncoming traffic, I would not force it; I would wait or take another route.
2. What should you monitor in your mirrors during the turn, and what is your immediate response if the second trailer’s right tires head toward the curb?
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In the mirrors I would watch the lead trailer’s right rear tires, the second trailer’s right tires, and the tail of the second trailer against the curb, hydrant, and van. If the second trailer’s right tires head for the curb, I would stop immediately-do not keep pulling and hope they climb the curb. Stopping holds the geometry; then I can check whether I can back slightly to re-position, or whether I need to wait for traffic to clear and take a wider line. Backing in traffic is a last resort and needs a spotter.
3. Why might swinging wide left be insufficient or unsafe here, and what alternative would you consider?
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Swinging wide left can be insufficient because the rear trailer still cuts inside the turn; with 70 feet and 8 feet of offtrack, a little extra room at the front may not keep the tail off the curb. It can also be unsafe if it puts the tractor into the oncoming lane or toward a cyclist. A better alternative is to wait for traffic so the whole left lane is available, or to avoid the turn and use a route with a larger radius. If the street is only 30 feet wide and the van is 20 feet past the corner, the turn may simply be too tight for this set.