[5420]

As a former semi truck driver I couldn't let this one pass. First off I think the camera is a great idea because it helps you see what your mirrors won't let you see, can help you avoid running over the cat etc. Second I have my wife help me but she only can tell me two things, when to stop as in "that's good stop there" and "stop you are about to hit something." Honestly trailer backing is not as difficult as we make it out to be. Learn the difference between the blind side and drivers side and if at all possible pull up so you are backing off of the drivers side and try to avoid turning so sharp that you lose your view. Even professional drivers hate the blind side. Second learn to swing so your trailer is aimed where you want it to go, I learned this when I first started driving truck and it makes it a whole lot easier. Hard to explain but think of it this way. Your driveway is on the left side of the street, you come at it from the far lane across the street (driveway is on the drivers side not blind side). You swing into the opposing lane of traffic with your Tundra and then swing back out into your lane with the tail of your trailer pointed at the driveway and your pickup pointed down the street. This way you are already pointed in the right direction with your trailer and you can see what it is doing out your drivers side mirror and window. If you keep your drivers side trailer tires aligned with where they are supposed to be the other side will be OK and not hit anything. Basically you are doing a S curve in the middle of your street to align your trailer. Not sure any of that made sense but that is how a trucker taught me and it works well with 53' trailers to small cargo trailers. Backing in a parking lot with cones is a good plan but place cones not only as if they were your driveway but also as if you were on a narrow street. You can become proficient so you can put a trailer anywhere you want to with time. My first year driving truck all they let me do was move trailers around the yard from one warehouse door to another as they needed them switched around. I hooked and unhooked from hundreds of trailers and never got out of first gear but I did learn how to back a trailer. By the way I never got the hang of putting your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel, I think you just get comfortable with turning the wheel in order to steer the trailer.