A vehicle-trailer back-up control system that employs an active front steer sub-system. The system includes a smart hitch controller that receives a vehicle speed signal and a hand-wheel angle signal, and calculates a hitch angle command signal. The system further includes a hitch angle sensor that measures the hitch angle between the vehicle and the trailer that is compared to the hitch angle command signal to generate a hitch angle error signal. A PID control unit receives the hitch angle error signal, and generates a corrected road wheel angle signal based on proportional and derivative gains. The corrected road wheel angle signal is used to generate a motor angle signal that is applied to a steering actuator to be combined with the steering angle signal to generate the front wheel steering signal during a back-up maneuver.