Fuel for Thought

Full Frontal Exposure or Show Your Rear

Which do you prefer? Full frontal exposure or show your rear?

Showing your rear has it’s advantages, but do you really want to expose your backside? 

Personally I have always preferred full frontal exposure. It seems that long gone are the days when full frontal exposure was the norm, nowadays it seems that most prefer to show their rear. 

I can see the advantages of showing your rear, but I also consider the disadvantages of such exposure.

When you decide it is time to park for the night, which do you prefer?

When I came into this business, it was normal to back into a parking spot (full frontal exposure). That is just how it was done. It seems that once services such as IdleAir became readily available, pulling in (and showing your rear) started to become more common. Even in parking areas where no services such as IdleAir were available. 

Backing in, as I was taught so long ago, has many advantages. If you are backing into a parking spot where your back doors will be near another truck’s back doors, it adds security by not allowing either truck’s rear doors to be opened by would be thieves. If you are perimeter parking, backing in will many times put your rear doors near a fence, brush trees or wall which also adds to the security factor. Also backing in will allow you to leave your parking spot easier when the time comes to go and you find that other trucks have parked on both sides of you. And lastly, backing in gives you more practice backing, something many of the new drivers could use more practice doing anyway.

Pulling into a parking spot may be easier at times, but can be harder to back out of later. I know some drivers say they prefer to show their rear and pull in because it will keep their cab away from the noise of a neighboring truck that may be idling. Or maybe they are parking next to a reefer unit, or they have a reefer and would like to keep it away from their fellow drivers. Showing your rear by pulling in can also help to keep exhaust from other trucks away from your cab depending on the wind. Another bonus of showing your rear is that with all the new drivers around, it can help keep the front of your truck intact. This is a HUGE bonus, however, it does leave the back of your truck or trailer sticking out farther since your trailer will usually overhang the curb where your cab will not. If someone is going to back into my truck, I would much more prefer they hit the back as opposed to the front. Even considering this last advantage, I still prefer to back in, I guess old habits can be hard to break.

So, what is your preference?

Full frontal exposure (back in)?

Showing your rear (back out)?

See you down the road,

Greg

The only source of knowledge is experience. 

Albert Einstein