Johannes Dutch left this video in a comment, but it deserves a wider audience. I can really appreciate it now, as I’ve had to brush up on my trailer backing skills since buying a utility trailer to haul behind the Promaster. Backing into our driveway, both here and in Port Orford, has been an interesting challenge. I’m getting better, but compared to this guy, I’m still in kindergarten and he’s got a PhD.
Pfft!
No milk.
Right after this, the driver did five extra successful runs: to bring a cup of milk, a sugar lump, a teaspoon, a tea bag dish and a cookie. Unfortunately, by then the water turned cold.
Pfft!
Cold tea.
Tough crowd…
This is known as the “tea bag challenge” among truck drivers. It all started in Finland.
Some more background info about the video (in English):
https://abcnews4.com/news/offbeat/video-truckers-amazing-feat-with-tea-bag
This is terrific!
Looks like the Finns tried a sequel with automation, though I think the original is more impressive:
Two words: Nuh Uh!!
Yes I like backing drawbar trailers I do it every day at my job nothing that accurate though, Volvos are nice and smooth running in reverse its something about those Ishift 12spped transmissions that is far superior to the Eaton smartshift 18 speed that I have at present
WOW! I’m blown away at the concept of backing a truck and trailer like that. I remember as a kid practicing backing up this configuration using my Siku trucks, typically a Unimog with a construction trailer that had a pivoting front axle like this; I never quite got my head around it.
For some strange reason, I can easily back up a 45-foot (13.7 metre) gooseneck horse trailer behind the Ram Crew Cab long bed.
Ask me to do the same in the Ranger with a small utility trailer, and as often as not I’ll curse a blue streak before it’s all said and done.
Something about longer distances between the trailer wheels and the pivot point where the trailer attaches to the tow vehicle makes things easier, at least for me. But I think I’ll stick to brewing tea the old-fashioned way. 😆
The hard part here -apart from the 82’10” overall length- is that the combination in the video has two pivot points: at the truck’s trailer coupling, where the converter dolly is attached to the Volvo, and then the fifth-wheel coupling, where the semi-trailer is coupled to the dolly.
A gooseneck trailer and utility trailer have only one, as you mention. About your experience: small, single axle utility trailers are horrible things to back up. In the blink of an eye, they’re all over the place. Except where you want them to be. Go for a tandem axle utility trailer, much better!
This is terrific .
Some can back trailers, others can’t .
I’ve never had any luck with it .
Maybe it’s time for an article about the bus rodeo .
-Nate