sixth wheel handles. ...

I see drivers all the time sitting there twisting their cab off the frame trying to get tandems to slide. WTF? If the pin is stuck out, IT AIN'T GONNA MOVE.

If I have a stubborn pin that won't release completely first I pull the handle all the way out, way past the notch, then put vice grips on it to hold it out as far as possible. Oftentimes drivers bend the linkages that connect to the pins by kicking in the handle when it won't go in all the way. Eventually the pins won't pull out far enough when the handle is pulled out only to the notch.

If that doesn't work there's a pin stuck because something in the release mechanism is broken. So then all you need is a big screwdriver to rip the spring out. Then give the pin a good whack with a hammer and it'll go in and stay in.

From what I've always been told if you've got 3 pins you're legal. Don't take my word on that though. LOL. I've had some super ****ty trailers where I've had to take out 2 springs because the linkages are broke on both sides. Then I have to put at least one of them back in after I slide them, lol. Not as easy but its doable without too much work.

I'll deliver the load on 3 pins, put the spring in a bag on the front of the trailer and call SEM. Then it can go to the shop or the trailer guy can come out with a welder and/or torch to repair the release mechanism.

NVM I just read stevep's post and he says it's 2 pins. So I guess I could have ripped 2 out and rolled.

 

I kind of envy all you guys that got in prior to all the legal mumbo-jumbo we have to deal with now. You might have run unsafe at times, but you gained a lot of experience The newbies like myself will never come across. I've seen trailers on my drop yard with the one pen missing, I had wondered how it happened at the time. This explains it.

Sure, there's a fine line between getting the job done and doing the job safely. But I still envy you.

I was raised with the ideal that knowledge is power, but both power and knowledge are useless unless you're self-sufficient. So I always strive to be self-sufficient.

 

Yup, been there, done that. I actually drove hundreds of miles with my vice grips holding the pull handle IN so the pins were pushed through the frame holes. Just clamped it on the inside of the frame to hold it in. The pin rods were hopelessly bent. I did put it out of service and called SEM after I made my delivery.

 

How old are these trailers with busted pins?! Can't say I've ever see any missing or mangled on a trailer, but every company I've worked at trades up trailers after 4-5 years.

Ours are mostly air slides which work great when they work but sometimes require "love taps" when they are frozen and stubborn. Pretty much always have to rock the truck a bit to get then to let go.

I've never had a problem with the pull-out handle, except that the handle wouldn't pull out. Had to relieve some tension on the pins first.

The handle that pulled up/down was so sometimes a real pain and a farm jack would have come in handy to move it, but the line always cooperated when the handle did.

Biggest issue with us sliding them was the slick ground when the chassis was cold... You could drag the wheels around the parking lot and not get enough traction under the trailer. Last one like that on a cold day, I set up cinder blocks as wheel chocks because I kept running the tires over the curb was using as a chock.. Heard a hug bang and figured I must have blown a tire but it was my wheel backing over the cinder block and pulverizing it into crumbs.

I also was assigned a trailer a few months ago where the driver had managed to somehow lock the pins on the chassis but the rail under the box was sitting up on top of the pins. I got our maintenance guy to come check it out and he was not amused.

 

Usually the ones that are 12-13 years old. Schneider has very few trailers put into service in 08 and didn't get any new equipment in 09-11. So we have a few 02's left, much more 03-04 and 06-07 and a whole bunch of newer equipment.

 

LOL your part about sliding them when cold gave me a good laugh. I had that situation once at a customer... well it was somewhere up in the middle of nowhere, Northeast. The entire lot was ice, the entire town was ice, there was not a paved area ANYWHERE, and I stupidly obliged them in sliding my tandems back before I docked. Then when I got off the dock I couldn't get enough traction to slide to the tandems to save my life. I ended up having to get a running start in reverse, about as fast as that Century would go, then pop the trailer brakes out while I was rolling and when they would lock it would jar the trailer enough to get them to slide a bit before the trailer tires finally broke traction and I was just plowing them along.

Unfortunately, while my improvised solution DID work, I couldn't get the tandems accurately placed where I wanted them. So then I spent the next 15 minutes with a shovel busting through the ice to get some pavement for my trailer tandems and drives to grab on. Of course, 2 minutes after (not kidding) a guy with a loader shows up and plows the entire lot.

 

yeah for some reason whenever I pick up a preloaded trailer the shipper ALWAYS picks the 02-03 trailers to load 90% of the time. And I drive past a whole bunch of MT new trailers sitting in the lot and I'm just
ridiculous!

 

Get yourself a pipe or crowbar and put it the hole where u want tandems to go. Makes it easier then multiple guesses. Also the sta rat tool is awesome in sliding better then vise grips. Cost a few shillings but worth it and its a tax write off. https://youtu.be/h5ZjU2lVYf0

 

I don't worry about sliding tandems..... I carry light loads lol

 

So do I. But I like to cheat on my dbl...so I'll haul heavy stuff too for other dedicated accounts. May as well say hello to anyone I can eh?