by bj9k » Thu May 03, 2012 4:30 pm
Place something on the ground in line with the back of the van. Then get in the cab and line the object up with a point on the bodywork (normally the rear wheel arch or mud flap) and that indicates the back of the van. Repeat for the other side. As long as you put the seat in roughly the same position each time, accuracy should be within an inch or two - even for a HGV. The longer the vehicle, the less the seat position matters.
Be careful when reversing up to cars as your attention is naturally drawn to the tyres of the car, forgetting about the body protruding closer to the rear of the van. If you're towing, then any 'kink' in the tractor/trailer will bring you closer to the back of the trailer, so you need to leave extra room for that.
Make sure to clear up the pavement of obstructions if you plan to do a parallel park, as the back of the van will be over the pavement when the rear wheel is near the curb. You will not be able to see bollards or lampposts. You'll just hear the crunch!
Check you nearside mirror as you pass obstructions to check that you left enough room. Focussing your vision on the inside mirror on a turn (instead of forwards) will ensure that you don't put a gash down the side. If you find the gap closing rapidly then you will have enough time to centre the steering and stop before you make contact.
Be aware that your braking distance will vary dramatically with the load of the van. It is incredibly easy take 2-3 lengths to stop on a slight incline in the damp, even at speeds around 20mph. The golden rule of 'adjusting the speed to be able to stop on your side of the road, in the distance you can see to be clear', actually means that a white van man should almost always be going slower than a car. A van may have more vision, but it takes longer to stop.
I've been driving large vans/trailers for three years without incident - often down streets that I wouldn't take my car down. The above advice works great.