When backing your trailer into a parking spot, there are basically three approaches you can take.

0:25 The ideal approach is to line up with the parking spot and back straight back in. This way both sides of trailer and the parking spot itself are visible throughout the reversing maneuver. This approach does require sufficient room in front of the parking spot to turn and pull far enough ahead to straighten out - room which is not always available!

In situations where there is not enough room to line up for a straight-in reverse, the trailer can be backed "around the corner". 1:40 When possible this is best done from the driver side because you can easily glance over your shoulder and get a good view of the parking spot and driver side of trailer.

3:00 The third approach is to back trailer "around the corner" from the opposite (passenger) side, sometimes referred to as a "blind side" reverse because your field of view is more restricted. This approach may be required because of the layout of road, laneway, or parking spot. A glance over your shoulder while reversing is still possible but your view of trailer and parking spot will be obstructed by portions of the vehicle.

With any of the three approaches to reversing your trailer, several minor steering inputs as required to keep truck and trailer aligned are more effective than one drastic one when trailer and truck get w-a-y out of alignment. And if it is necessary to pull forward a short distance to reposition, that is fine - it is more important to back into a spot safely and with no "bent metal" by repositioning a few times as needed than trying to do everything in one move and running into something.

Practice the three approaches to backing into a spot with your truck and trailer, become familiar with how they steer and track, and back into the parking spot with confidence at your next event.

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