Figure 7-22.—Tractor-trailer left turn off tracking.LEFT TURNS.— On a left turn, ensure you havereached the center of the intersection before you startthe left turn. If you turn too soon, the left side of yourvehicle may hit another vehicle because of off tracking(fig. 7-22).If there are two turning lanes, always take theright-hand turn lane, as shown in figure 7-23. Do notstart in the inside lane because you may have to swingright to make the left turn. You may not see vehicles onthe right and cause a collision.BackingWhen backing a tractor-trailer, reverse theprocedure you would use to back a bus or a straighttruck; for example, if you want the trailer to go to theleft, turn the steering wheel to the right. After the traileris headed in the desired direction, turn the steering wheelslowly to the left. This puts the tractor in the same lineof travel as the trailer and prevents the tractor and trailerfrom jackknifing. (The term jackknifing means acondition where the tractor and trailer are jammedtogether at an acute angle.)Backing the trailer to the left is known as sight-sidebacking because you have a better view of the area intowhich you are backing, as shown in figure 7-24, viewA. Sight-side backing is the recommended method forbacking.Reverse the sight-side backing procedures to backa trailer to the right. This is known as blind-side backingand should be done only when it is absolutely necessary.As shown in figure 7-24, view B, as the driver, youFigure 7-23.—Left turn from right-hand lane.cannot see the rear of your trailer or the area into whichyou are backing.CAUTIONYou should always use a backing guidewhen performing backing operations with atractor-trailer.SAFETYWhen pulled off the road with a tractor-trailer, turnon the four-way emergency flashers. However, do nottrust taillights to provide a warning because drivers havecrashed into the rear of parked vehicles because theythought it was moving. If you must stop on a road or ona shoulder, you should place reflective triangles withinas soon as possible. The reflective triangles are placedat the following locations:1. On a two lane or undivided highway, placereflective triangles on the traffic side of the vehiclewithin 10 feet of the front or rear corners. This marksthe location of the vehicle. Additionally, place reflectivetriangles about 100 feet behind and ahead of the7-20
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