Spotter (maneuvering) explained

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.

Notes and References

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