Spotter (maneuvering)

A spotter is a person used in vehicle maneuvers to assist a driver who may not have a clear view in their direction of travel.[1][2] They are most commonly used in:

  • Off-road rock crawling
  • Reversing truck and trailer combinations, such as semitrailers, b-trains and road trains
  • Placing oversized freight using a forklift
  • Lifting loads using a vehicle-mounted crane (loads lifted using a fixed crane are supervised by a banksman)
  • Guiding military vehicles (also called ground guiding)
  • Dumping materials, such as from a dump truck
  • Guiding oversized loads.

The spotter's advantage is the ability to move around the load or vehicle to determine the best trajectory.

A spotter will either use a set of standard hand signals, or will agree hand signals before the maneuver with the driver or operator.[3]

Technological solutions such as reversing cameras and proximity sensors have reduced drivers' reliance on spotters in some circumstances.

References
  1. "What is a spotter?". Driving Tests Resources. 5 June 2021.
  2. "Safe reversing and spotting practices". WorkSafe New Zealand. 18 March 2021.
  3. "Vehicles at work: reversing". UK Government Health and Safety Executive.


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