Hooking doubles with dolly attached to lead

Discussion in 'LTL and Local Delivery Trucking Forum' started by 2BucTruck, Dec 20, 2017.

  1. 2BucTruck

    2BucTruck Medium Load Member

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    Learning this skill will definitely come in handy in weather situations. I noticed the other day how a dually is a lot easier than the super singles.
     
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  3. road_runner

    road_runner Road Train Member

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    Most useful advice I ever received for backing a dolly is to turn your wheel in the direction you want your con to go. So if your con starts going left on you and you want to straighten it out, you gotta crank your wheel right to make it go right.
     
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  4. Gearjammin' Penguin

    Gearjammin' Penguin "Ride Fast-Truck Safe"

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    One night after hours of the hell that is the PHX dock, I got released with papers for a loaded box and a kite. Rolled up to the empty yard to see a guy trying to back his dolly with the lead. Back, forward. Back, forward. Circle around to set up. Back, forward. Back, forward.

    So I drop my gear in front of an empty and head to the outbound area. Hook up. Pretrip Part One. Wrong seal, gotta get that taken care of. Problem solved, head back to the empty area. This guy is still at it. Back, forward. Back, forward. Circle around to set up. Back, forward. Back, forward. Lather, rinse, repeat.

    I get set up and hook up the right way. Pretrip Part Two. Get settled into driving mode: soda in the cupholder, vending machine burrito warmed up and in reach, handheld updated, smokes at hand, logbook updated from yesterday when I started the Sisyphan task of moving PHX freight. Get ready to pull out....

    And the guy is STILL AT IT. Back, forward. Back, forward. Circle around to set up. Back, forward. Back, forward. If he'd just gotten his lazy butt out of the truck and done it the right way, he'd have been long gone.

    I understand the issues with uneven ground, inclines and other stuff; and in those instances, backing with the lead makes sense. I do that myself when I'm hooking in an abandoned, rutted dirt pulloff. But when you're on flat and even pavement, and your dollies are so tweaked and twisted that they have about as much chance of going straight as Richard Simmons...just do it by the book. Trust me.
     
  5. road_runner

    road_runner Road Train Member

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    10 to 45 pullups while sitting in a heated cab, listening to music while drawing overtime pay as a P&D driver is STILL a win in my book.

    When I hit 8 hours, anything after that is $30 an hour that I pocket. I'll ride that train until I run out of fuel.
     
  6. Gearjammin' Penguin

    Gearjammin' Penguin "Ride Fast-Truck Safe"

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    I can see that. I was linehaul when the above happened, though.
     
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  7. 2BucTruck

    2BucTruck Medium Load Member

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    Seems like the Sisyphus analogy would be more aptly applied to that poor sod.
     
  8. Bob Dobalina

    Bob Dobalina Road Train Member

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    Hey guys: truck drivers are not allowed to reference Greek mythology. That's a ten-yard penalty.
     
  9. okiedokie

    okiedokie Road Train Member

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    When pulling trains it's a handy skill to have under your belt. Cause you know it's going to be the middle trailer that gets dropped at a terminal.
     
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  10. Naptown

    Naptown Road Train Member

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    One of our triples drivers showed me how to do it one time when I was up in South Bend. Those guys are good and can hook 'em up in nothing flat. Of course they get a third more practice than the rest of us.
     
  11. Russian Rabbit

    Russian Rabbit Road Train Member

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    i respectfully disagree with your disagreement; In my opinion, it takes roughly the same time to spot the dolly with tractor vs. trying to back it up while connected to lead trailer. BUT, if the latter works for you, then great.

    Here is something that looks like it could save time and some effort, but no companies will utilize it because it makes too much sense:
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2017
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