[Tailback]

backing a 40,000 pound load of swinging meat up a shaky ramp onto a railroad piggyback flat car is no way to learn to back a truck.

Your father in law sounds like a tough guy to impress, I hope marrying your wife was worth it, sounds like it probably was. So was mine.

That truck school experience has served me well in the military. I can't tell you how many times I've had the supply sergeant or first sergeant come to me to back water buffalos, field kitchens, generators, or fuel trailers into very tight spots and onto railroad cars. My skills driving truck has kept me out of many a detail because they always want me close at hand "just in case".

[Muleteam1]

>>Your father in law sounds like a tough guy to impress, I hope marrying your wife was worth it, sounds like it probably was. So was mine.<<

He was an old Republican from way back. I greatly loved that old man as I have his daughter for now 36 years.

Yes truck driving experience can get you out of some tight jams. I recall one old conventional Diamond Reo we used to use at the piggyback yard that had a warped frame from someone backing it off the train at some point (not me). Whenever backing into a turn with a loaded trailer the clutch would sink to the floor and become inoperable until the truck and load came back almost straight. It would be an understatement to say it was quite exciting to back a load between two shiny new semis already sitting on each side of your door at the meat-packing house. Your heart sank with the clutch petal as you maneuvered what you knew was a one and only attempt at placing the reefer in the door and not on top of one of the burly truck drivers closely guarding their rigs.

Much time has passed now and the largest thing I back anymore is a 16" foot car-hauler with an antique tractor on it.