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Can you back a trailer correctly?

  • 25-06-2013 1:21am
    #1
    Galwayguy35
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,675 ✭✭✭✭


    I am useless at backing a trailer, either with a car or tractor, although I haven't backed a tractor trailer for a good few years.

    I think it's a skill that people are either good at or they aren't.

    Can you back a trailer? 59 votes

    yes
    0% 0 votes
    no
    100% 59 votes


Comments

  • #2
    jamie72
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 877 ✭✭✭jamie72


    As an addendum, do you need a special license for a trailer?


  • #3
    dgt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,985 ✭✭✭✭dgt


    I am a muck warrior with tractor and ifor williams, of course I can


  • #4
    IM0
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,390 ✭✭✭IM0


    some amazing vids on youtube for that tbh. some of them or nearly unbelievable the accuracy *tips hat*


  • #5
    Nemeses
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,829 ✭✭✭Nemeses


    I backed a trailer this one time.

    it was on a tractorRRRRRRRR


  • #6
    The Backwards Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,299 ✭✭✭✭The Backwards Man


    The thing about backing trailers is;

    The longer it is, the more control you have over driving it where you want it to go.

    Size matters.


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  • #7
    Nemeses
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,829 ✭✭✭Nemeses


    The Backwards Man wrote: »
    The thing about backing trailers is;

    The longer it is, the more control you have over driving it where you want it to go.

    Size matters.

    Yeah you keep telling yourself that :P


  • #8
    Galwayguy35
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,675 ✭✭✭✭Galwayguy35


    I work in a warehouse and some of the truck drivers have real skill backing those 40 footers in tight areas.


  • #9
    Nemeses
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,829 ✭✭✭Nemeses


    on another note..



  • #10
    April O Neill
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,305 ✭✭✭April O Neill


    I can't drive, so of course not. :)


  • #11
    Cookie_Monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,522 ✭✭✭✭Cookie_Monster


    jamie72 wrote: »
    As an addendum, do you need a special license for a trailer?

    yes. EB


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  • #12
    locum-motion
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    jamie72 wrote: »
    As an addendum, do you need a special license for a trailer?
    Cookie_Monster wrote: »
    yes. EB

    Category W is a Work vehicle (tractor) with or without trailer, so if you have W you don't need a special licence for a tractor and trailer. (My tester asked me "Will you ever need to drive a tractor?" My uncle's a farmer so I said "Yeah, maybe" and he said "Grand, I'll tick Category W for you too, so.")

    If you have a Cat B licence (car) you are allowed to drive your car with certain small trailers. I'm not sure of the exact definition, but I think it's something like single axle only, small enough not to obscure car's lights and there's probably a max weight too. Bigger trailers, you need Cat EB.


  • #13
    darragh o meara
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,234 ✭✭✭darragh o meara


    locum-motion wrote: »
    Category W is a Work vehicle (tractor) with or without trailer, so if you have W you don't need a special licence for a tractor and trailer. (My tester asked me "Will you ever need to drive a tractor?" My uncle's a farmer so I said "Yeah, maybe" and he said "Grand, I'll tick Category W for you too, so.")

    If you have a Cat B licence (car) you are allowed to drive your car with certain small trailers. I'm not sure of the exact definition, but I think it's something like single axle only, small enough not to obscure car's lights and there's probably a max weight too. Bigger trailers, you need Cat EB.

    That's something I always wondered about. You can get the W category on your licence and tow massive big trailers with a tractor but yet when you get behind the wheel of a car you can only pull a small trailer with your standard car licence ie the same one that have you the W category which allows massive trailers some weighing a few tonnes.


  • #14
    darragh o meara
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,234 ✭✭✭darragh o meara


    Oh and yes I can back a trailer. Had to learn pretty quick when I got my truck licence and started working in a truck garage. I have to admit though its nowhere near as easy as it looks and I'm not majorly great at it either mostly just lucky :)


  • #15
    fits
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,649 ✭✭✭✭fits


    I am pretty good at it. When I first got my trailer I took it to a big car park and spent some time familiarising myself with reversing it. Have the EB license now and all. You have to reverse around a corner in that test.

    Big trailers are way easier to manoeuvre than small car trailers.


  • #16
    WindSock
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭WindSock


    No but I can back a horse!


    Eyyyy


  • #17
    jimgoose
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,180 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    I can indeed. Me father taught me, many years ago. Anyone can master it I think, but some really need to apply themselves.


  • #18
    Rabies
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,258 ✭✭✭✭Rabies


    jimgoose wrote: »
    I can indeed. Me father taught me, many years ago. Anyone can master it I think, but some really need to apply themselves.

    I think a few people have lied in this poll. We know no women voted yes, so hands up lads. Who voted yes but really can't do it :)

    Can you reverse a trailer around a corner or in to a tight space first or second attempt or on a busy road?

    Driving forward/backwards a 20 times doesn't count as able to properly reverse a trailer :)


  • #19
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    jimgoose wrote: »
    I can indeed. Me father taught me, many years ago. Anyone can master it I think, but some really need to apply themselves.

    I don't know about that. Many can't master driving a car forwards.


  • #20
    oldyouth
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,754 ✭✭✭oldyouth


    jamie72 wrote: »
    As an addendum, do you need a special license for a trailer?

    I have a licence to drive all classes of trailer, but I can't back one up to save my life. The '80's were great for drivers :P


    Awaits backlash.....................


  • #21
    jimgoose
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,180 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    oldyouth wrote: »
    I have a licence to drive all classes of trailer, but I can't back one up to save my life. The '80's were great for drivers :P


    Awaits backlash.....................

    Oddly enough, I can reverse one all day and all night but I'm not licensed to. This will change when I get my artic license, so NER!! :D


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  • #22
    jimgoose
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,180 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    Rabies wrote: »
    ...Can you reverse a trailer around a corner or in to a tight space first or second attempt or on a busy road?...

    Yes. :cool:


  • #23
    shedweller
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,029 ✭✭✭shedweller


    I've seen a lad reverse an artic that had an extra trailer at the back. I got a headache just looking at it!

    Myself? Reasonably competent because i rarely do it. But i grew up handling trailers so it's like riding a bike i suppose. Short trailers, generators etc. are a bastid!


  • #24
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 24,714 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Yeah I'm fairly good at it from years doing it at home on the farm and also driving tractors pulling lowloaders, generators, mixers etc for a builder. I can go up through the gears reversing a trailer with a tractor and have had complements from people on reversing out of tight areas with big trailers (the yard in the hardware store in boom times was like Tokyo).

    Contrary to what some people might think longer trailers are much easier to reverse than short ones.


  • #25
    tin79
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,270 ✭✭✭tin79


    locum-motion wrote: »
    Category W is a Work vehicle (tractor) with or without trailer, so if you have W you don't need a special licence for a tractor and trailer. (My tester asked me "Will you ever need to drive a tractor?" My uncle's a farmer so I said "Yeah, maybe" and he said "Grand, I'll tick Category W for you too, so.")

    If you have a Cat B licence (car) you are allowed to drive your car with certain small trailers. I'm not sure of the exact definition, but I think it's something like single axle only, small enough not to obscure car's lights and there's probably a max weight too. Bigger trailers, you need Cat EB.

    Nuber of axles has nothing to do with it. Its based on GVW of the trailer only for the EB licence.

    On a B licence you can tow any trailer up to 750kg GVW or you can tow a trailer with a GVW of >750kg once the GVW of the trailer is less than the unlaiden weight of the towing vehicle and the combination of towing vehicle and trailer GVW do not exceed 3500kg.

    With the car I drive I can tow up to 1300 GVW on a B (after lenghty discusions with the traffic corps by the side of the road).

    Number of axles, braking, max towing load, nose weight etc would be based on vehicle spec etc but they are not formally part of the EB licence classification.


  • #26
    martinedwards
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,043 ✭✭✭martinedwards


    grew up on a farm so it was a skill I had to learn.

    supplimented by playing with Britian's toy tractors & trailers as a kid of course!!

    still go caravanning and can park the van in the pitch on first attempt EVERY time, and then get out and laugh at all the muppets with their remote control caravan movers.


  • #27
    Remmy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭Remmy


    Yep I did tons of it as a kid. Infact on my first edt lesson my instructor said she never saw someone with such complete mastery over reversing around a corner who was crap at roundabouts ;) (in so many words)


  • #28
    Freddy Smelly
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 980 ✭✭✭Freddy Smelly


    locum-motion wrote: »
    Category W is a Work vehicle (tractor) with or without trailer, so if you have W you don't need a special licence for a tractor and trailer. (My tester asked me "Will you ever need to drive a tractor?" My uncle's a farmer so I said "Yeah, maybe" and he said "Grand, I'll tick Category W for you too, so.")

    If you have a Cat B licence (car) you are allowed to drive your car with certain small trailers. I'm not sure of the exact definition, but I think it's something like single axle only, small enough not to obscure car's lights and there's probably a max weight too. Bigger trailers, you need Cat EB.

    b class license allows you pull a trailer with upto 750kg load.

    CategoryVehicle typeMinimum age of driverB

    Vehicles with seats for a maximum of 8 passengers and a maximum weight of 3,500kg (can tow a trailer where the maximum weight of the trailer when fully loaded is 750kg or less)17 years


  • #29
    Rho b
    Closed Accounts Posts: 412 ✭✭Rho b


    The Backwards Man wrote: »
    The thing about backing trailers is;

    The longer it is, the more control you have over driving it where you want it to go.

    Size matters.
    To be precise - the further away the axle/axles of the trailer are from the hitch point than the easier it is to handle. A small single axle car trailer is more difficult to handle than a 40' trailer due to the fact that the smaller trailer reacts more quickly with any deviation from a straight line.

    As another poster pointed out the most difficult is a lorry with a drag trailer. Double rotating points to take into account - nightmare :eek:
    Have to appreciate any driver that can handle one of those rigs :)


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