CDL Prep HeroCDL backing simulator
Back a 53-foot trailer through three skills-test exercises. Each run is scored the way examiners score it: encroachments, pull-ups, looks and final position. Free, no download.
Straight line backing. Back straight down the lane without touching a line or cone. Finish with the whole rig inside the lane, front past the entry cones.
Hold Back to reverse. Drag the wheel to steer.
Wheels straight
Backing rule: put your hand at the bottom of the wheel (the yellow dot) and move it toward the side you want the trailer to go.
How backing is scored on the CDL skills test
The basic vehicle control test comes after you have your learner's permit. Examiners watch four things:
- Encroachments. Each time any part of the vehicle touches or crosses a boundary line or cone, that counts as an error.
- Pull-ups. Stopping and pulling forward to fix your position is a pull-up. Stopping without changing direction is not. Starting moves are not penalized; too many pull-ups are.
- Looks. You may stop, put the vehicle in neutral, set the parking brake and get out to look. Get out safely, facing the truck, with three points of contact. Each look counts, and there is a limit.
- Final position. You have to stop where the examiner tells you to. In the alley dock, that means the rear is within 3 feet of the back of the alley and the rig is straight.
Failing the basic control skills test can end your testing for that day. Exercises vary by state. The usual set is straight line backing, offset backing (right or left), parallel parking and the alley dock. Your state's CDL manual lists the ones you'll be tested on.
Source: Georgia Department of Driver Services, CDL Manual Section 12: Basic Vehicle Control Skills Test. Other states' manuals use the same model text, but check yours.
The one rule for backing a trailer
Backing a trailer feels backwards because the trailer goes the opposite way from the back of the tractor. To keep it simple: hand at the bottom of the wheel, and move your hand toward the side you want the trailer to go. Turn on the path guide in the simulator to see this happen. The yellow line shows where the rear of the trailer is heading.
Make small corrections early. A trailer that starts to drift keeps drifting faster, so waiting means bigger corrections, more pull-ups, and eventually a jackknife.
What this simulator can't teach
Here you see the course from above. In the cab you see it in your mirrors, and you feel a heavy wheel. Use the simulator to learn how the trailer moves and how runs are scored, then practice in a real truck with a qualified instructor. The pre-trip inspection is part of the same skills test, so study it too.
Questions
Can a simulator teach me to back a real truck?
No. It teaches how a trailer responds to the wheel and how the exercises are scored. Mirrors, depth, wheel feel and the size of a real rig only come from practice in a truck with a qualified instructor. Entry-level driver training is required before your first Class A or Class B skills test.
Which way do I turn the wheel to back a trailer?
Put your hand at the bottom of the wheel and move it toward the side you want the trailer to go. Small corrections, made early, work better than big ones made late.
How many pull-ups and looks are allowed?
Starting moves are not penalized; after that, the examiner announces how many pull-ups each exercise allows. The Georgia manual allows up to two looks, or one on straight line backing. This simulator allows two pull-ups and uses those look limits. Check your state's CDL manual.
Is this the exact course from my test?
No. Exercises, sizes and scoring vary by state and test site. This simulator uses 12-foot lanes, a 12-foot by 50-foot alley and a 70-foot street in front of it, with a typical 53-foot trailer.
Pass the written test. Then pass this one.
Download CDL Prep Hero for iPhone or Android to study for your CDL knowledge tests, then come back and nail the alley dock.