backing up a double trailer

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by subsailor, Jul 3, 2008.

  1. subsailor

    subsailor Bobtail Member

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    Well my first post on this forum will be a question that I have always wondered. Sometimes I see "double trailers" if thats the correct term, driving down the road "usually a UPS or AFB truck around here". My question is how do you back these up? Do they go their own directions or do they kind of stay in line with one another?
     
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  3. Brickman

    Brickman Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    Its possible to back up a few ft. But they tend to do their own thing.
     
  4. rubbergearsnextyear

    rubbergearsnextyear Heavy Load Member

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    I believe these trailers couple in a different manner than in the US, but it is possible as this driver demonstrates in the following vid.....

    [yt="Backing Triples and Doubles"]F0NRIRIBlr8[/yt]
     
  5. Cerberus

    Cerberus Medium Load Member

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    it's not reccommended but to do it back up as your steering a car, the opposite of a regular tractor trailer
     
  6. Working Class Patriot

    Working Class Patriot Road Train Member

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    He's a Better Man than I, uh, I guess I'll go back to driving school now:biggrin_25523:
     
  7. rubbergearsnextyear

    rubbergearsnextyear Heavy Load Member

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    Hell, I can barely even back a single trailer much less doubles and triples lol. Guy's got skills for sure.
     
  8. d-man57

    d-man57 Light Load Member

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    There's some steelhaulers out of Mi. that pull double covered wagons with W9's. They unload where i do, they back those doubles into the docks. They get'er in there and do a good job of it, I haven't checked out the set up very close but they put a plate in between the two and the fork truck driver unloads both tlrs.
     
  9. d-man57

    d-man57 Light Load Member

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    He makes that look awful easy and blindsiding it to boot!
     
  10. heyns57

    heyns57 Road Train Member

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    I admire the skill of the driver in the video. However, he has a "B" train which has two pivot points: the tractor fifth wheel and the fifth wheel mounted on the tail of the lead trailer. Also, his trailers are longer than freight doubles trailers. Think about backing a small boat trailer with a car. It would be easier if the trailer was longer.

    Freight doubles are an "A" train that has three pivot points: the tractor fifth wheel, the pintle hook, and the converter dolly fifth wheel. Also, freight trailers are shorter.

    Before the "B" train was invented, steel haulers and gravel trains were "A" doubles. Gravel trains do lots of backing, but they can uncouple the lead without removing the converter from the second trailer. They also used an air powered pin to lock the converter straight in line with the second trailer, preventing any pivoting at that point while backing.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-Train
     
  11. Moses

    Moses Light Load Member

    That's not the blind side in Oz :biggrin_25522:

    As for the skills, holy carp.
     
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