Please excuse the title of this article, but when asked to write about my book, The Tractor Trailer Book: Practical Advice for Driving Tractor Trailers, the documentaries that Hollywood puts out about new movies came to mind. I think I've been watching the movie channel too much. Far from a Hollywood production, this book has a fairly simple design. It's a 76 page paperback with 24 black and white diagrams. But I think the simple design will appeal to a new driver who is just looking for advice on the everyday aspects of life as a truck driver.
I first got the idea of writing this book from watching trainers from a local truck driving school take students out on the road. I wondered what I'd say to the students if it was me sitting in the passenger seat. I thought about what I'd say, not only about the techniques of maneuvering a tractor trailer, but also about some of the day to day problems that you face doing this job. There are many drivers that have been driving professionally longer than I have. I have a little over ten years experience on the road, with fifteen years prior to that loading and spotting tractor trailers. I still get behind the wheel every day (I presently drive for Bridgestone/Firestone Tire Co) and I have enough experience to know that every delivery situation is different and that you have to be constantly on your toes. I've had to make deliveries in residential neighborhoods, stores, and warehouses. In this book I describe what I do to make deliveries, whether it be backing off of a street to get into a customers parking lot, or trying to get into a space at a truckstop.
This excerpt is from a section describing how to back into a driveway from the street. "..get far enough past the entrance so that you can see both the left rear of your trailer and the edge of the entrance in your mirror at the same time. You'll be moving your eyes back and forth, from your left mirror to check on the trailer, to the right side of your tractor to make sure that you don't hit anything as you start to swing your tractor to the right to follow the trailer."
You can find out more at my website: www.thetractortrailerbook.com.
