Reverse Trailer Parking Difficulties

[Sigmar's Faithful]

So I have about 150 hrs on ATS. Before this I had played ETS2 for 160+ hrs. I recalled when I played ETS2 (I had bought all map expansions up to Scandinavia until I swtiched to ATS entirely), I had a lot less trouble parking the trailer. That is, until Scandinavia, I could reverse park 8/10 times. I took some fiddling around, lots of mini breaking and reversing, but they usually take less then 1 real-life mintues.
But came Scandinavia, I found that more and more I simply felt there isn't enough space for reverse parking. Example, I recall there's a worksite in Sweden or Norway that had this narrow L passage way to the work site, which is very small and it needs me to reverse park the trailer into position. I tried for like 5 minutes before I just gave up.
So is it me or is ATS parking a lot like the Scandinavia expansion? I always felt that there isn't enough space and more often then not I am given either skip parking or reverse, never the easier one. It is for this reason I had the random parking option turned off (which I had on for ETS2) because I just don't know how to reverse park in ATS.

[FurBall]

The hardest park about backing in ATS is dealing with the larger trucks with larger wheelbases. It takes a lot more time and space to turn a big 'Murican truck than a European one.

[Messsucher]

It can be harder in ATS, however, it just means you need more skill. You need to be pro. Nothing is broken. If you are not pro, then I would recommend to take small trucks with small trailers. You wont get the biggest ones IRL either before you can handle them.

[Jack Burton]

I have exactly the opposite problem. I started with ATS and recently picked up ETS2 to provide some new pavement before Washington state releases next week. The wheelbases on those European trailers are so short they always turn faster than I expect, and I end up squiggling back into the dock. God help me if there is a steerable axle! Starting to get used to it now a few hours in.

My impression is that ATS also has more depots that require a blind-side reverse, which may be an additional complication for you. When in doubt, GOAL.

[Nite69]

for me the hardest to park is the articulating trailers and low boys on certain deliveries, but luckily most of them are a straight pull in for delivery

[Martial.Lore]

Watched a video of a skilled driver reverse parking a double. That really takes a lot of patience, waiting for the second trailer to respond to an action you've performed to turn the first trailer-- it just takes so long and you need so much space! I was hardly able to reverse a double out of a rest area parking space in ATS.

[margalus]

Practice, you will get better. Just don't try reversing the articulated or multi trailers.

[room217au]

Use the chase camera ("2"), but swing it around to the front of the cab so that you are looking 'back' towards the truck.
Relative to this camera position, and you are reversing, when you turn the steering wheel to the right, the back of a single trailer will move towards your right.
At this point of learning, just keep your eye on the BACK of the trailer, and point it by turning right or left. You should always be doing this at slowest speed.

In addition:
Once you have the trailer pointing in the right direction and you straighten the steer wheels, the trailer will move sideways more sharply.
Turning the steering wheel in slightly the OPPOSITE direction of trailer movement, will LESSEN that sharp movement and straighten the trailer's track.

This may seem confusing, but see it in practice and you'll find it's very easy to reverse park semi trailers in this game and ETS2.

When you are confident doing it this way and you get to learn how the trailer reacts to how much you steer left or right you can achieve the same thing by 'leaning out' of the driver's window and look directly backwards at the rear of the trailer.
Same steering applies: Steer right = trailer right. Steer left = trailer left.
This gives the simulation of reversing like a real truck driver would, but you only see one side of the trailer. Obstacles (eg. other trailers, fences, debris, etc) are 'blind' on your passengers side.
Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

[smokedog]

Originally posted by room217au:

Use the chase camera ("2"), but swing it around to the front of the cab so that you are looking 'back' towards the truck.
Relative to this camera position, and you are reversing, when you turn the steering wheel to the right, the back of a single trailer will move towards your right.
At this point of learning, just keep your eye on the BACK of the trailer, and point it by turning right or left. You should always be doing this at slowest speed.

In addition:
Once you have the trailer pointing in the right direction and you straighten the steer wheels, the trailer will move sideways more sharply.
Turning the steering wheel in slightly the OPPOSITE direction of trailer movement, will LESSEN that sharp movement and straighten the trailer's track.

This may seem confusing, but see it in practice and you'll find it's very easy to reverse park semi trailers in this game and ETS2.

When you are confident doing it this way and you get to learn how the trailer reacts to how much you steer left or right you can achieve the same thing by 'leaning out' of the driver's window and look directly backwards at the rear of the trailer.
Same steering applies: Steer right = trailer right. Steer left = trailer left.
This gives the simulation of reversing like a real truck driver would, but you only see one side of the trailer. Obstacles (eg. other trailers, fences, debris, etc) are 'blind' on your passengers side.
Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

now try it with a mouse n keyboard lol

[TwinShadow]

You'd hate real life then. lol

I've seen a fair few posts here and there that some people in real life depots and warehouses are even tighter than what you see in the game. I personally welcome an extra bit of challenge when it comes to parking them, but me personally, I've never had issues. Sometimes I do have to pull back out to reset my alignment, but I usually can do so within about a minute or two. Same with ETS2 since I'm quick to adapt.

[margalus]

Originally posted by TwinShadow 【天狐】:

You'd hate real life then. lol

I've seen a fair few posts here and there that some people in real life depots and warehouses are even tighter than what you see in the game. I personally welcome an extra bit of challenge when it comes to parking them, but me personally, I've never had issues. Sometimes I do have to pull back out to reset my alignment, but I usually can do so within about a minute or two. Same with ETS2 since I'm quick to adapt.

Yes, the roads and lots are ridiculously huge in game.

[Twelvefield]

Originally posted by room217au:

Use the chase camera ("2"), but swing it around to the front of the cab so that you are looking 'back' towards the truck.
Relative to this camera position, and you are reversing, when you turn the steering wheel to the right, the back of a single trailer will move towards your right.
At this point of learning, just keep your eye on the BACK of the trailer, and point it by turning right or left. You should always be doing this at slowest speed.

In addition:
Once you have the trailer pointing in the right direction and you straighten the steer wheels, the trailer will move sideways more sharply.
Turning the steering wheel in slightly the OPPOSITE direction of trailer movement, will LESSEN that sharp movement and straighten the trailer's track.

This may seem confusing, but see it in practice and you'll find it's very easy to reverse park semi trailers in this game and ETS2.

When you are confident doing it this way and you get to learn how the trailer reacts to how much you steer left or right you can achieve the same thing by 'leaning out' of the driver's window and look directly backwards at the rear of the trailer.
Same steering applies: Steer right = trailer right. Steer left = trailer left.
This gives the simulation of reversing like a real truck driver would, but you only see one side of the trailer. Obstacles (eg. other trailers, fences, debris, etc) are 'blind' on your passengers side.
Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

A super well-written guide. If I could plus rep, I would.

[Okerlund]

Originally posted by Twelvefield:

Originally posted by room217au:

Use the chase camera ("2"), but swing it around to the front of the cab so that you are looking 'back' towards the truck.
Relative to this camera position, and you are reversing, when you turn the steering wheel to the right, the back of a single trailer will move towards your right.
At this point of learning, just keep your eye on the BACK of the trailer, and point it by turning right or left. You should always be doing this at slowest speed.

In addition:
Once you have the trailer pointing in the right direction and you straighten the steer wheels, the trailer will move sideways more sharply.
Turning the steering wheel in slightly the OPPOSITE direction of trailer movement, will LESSEN that sharp movement and straighten the trailer's track.

This may seem confusing, but see it in practice and you'll find it's very easy to reverse park semi trailers in this game and ETS2.

When you are confident doing it this way and you get to learn how the trailer reacts to how much you steer left or right you can achieve the same thing by 'leaning out' of the driver's window and look directly backwards at the rear of the trailer.
Same steering applies: Steer right = trailer right. Steer left = trailer left.
This gives the simulation of reversing like a real truck driver would, but you only see one side of the trailer. Obstacles (eg. other trailers, fences, debris, etc) are 'blind' on your passengers side.
Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

A super well-written guide. If I could plus rep, I would.

I agree! That is exactly how I use the camera to park in harder places and it helps so much. I could not have explained it that well.

[lalototote (Ags Mx)]

the parking in the ats, in my opinion, are easier than in the ets2 since the ones of the ets in general are narrower ... those of the ats are on the contrary are wide for a few meters per side ... that in my opinion

[Goose_Few]

I couldn't use any external camera to reverse the trucks, I learned "leaning out", until it became 2nd nature, not long ago, I started using only in cab view, still kindda cheat, because for reversing I use the far side mirror overlay.
I use an Xbox360 controller.

My goal, is to have a proper wheel and some kind of eye/head tracking in the future so I can get rid of the fake mirror.

As other above said, keep practicing, isn't that hard when your brain understand the mechanics of reversing a trailer.

PS I have never even tried with doubles or articulated trailers... that will be step #3

[margalus]

Originally posted by Goose_Few:

I couldn't use any external camera to reverse the trucks, I learned "leaning out", until it became 2nd nature, not long ago, I started using only in cab view, still kindda cheat, because for reversing I use the far side mirror overlay.
I use an Xbox360 controller.

My goal, is to have a proper wheel and some kind of eye/head tracking in the future so I can get rid of the fake mirror.

As other above said, keep practicing, isn't that hard when your brain understand the mechanics of reversing a trailer.

PS I have never even tried with doubles or articulated trailers... that will be step #3

Even with head tracking the extra mirror helps. In real life you don't have to turn your head all the way, you can see the mirrors with the corner of your eye while still watching forward. In game that is impossible unless you are running a triple monitor setup.