is it possible for the trailer axles to get out of alignment?

Yes. This used to happen a lot water hauling where those trailers would really get beat up. Usually they'd start to dog leg off to one side pulling them down the highway. I'd notice that before I'd notice them pulling to either side more during backing.

When I was doing truck and pup there was one pup that always wanted to drift in the same direction during a straight back even though it pulled straight going down the highway. Not sure what was wrong with it but most people who pulled it would comment that it was hard to back.

 

Not sure why you guys are not taught "fog line" as that is where you want to keep your right wheels at all times so you are that much further ahead at dodging oncoming traffic in your lane.

 

You want to see a great example of why some trailers are like this go sit on a dock sometime and watch the yard drivers. They will take a fully loaded trailer and spin that trailer a full 180 degrees at too high a speed in a perfect circle. I have actually been outside near this when it happens and you can hear the tandems and tires straining under the pressure.

 

We called those trailers "sidewinders" or "dog tracking". Usually from hitting a curb. If it's way out of line, check the suspension. There could be a broke track rod.

 

If you have a couple tires getting eaten up faster than the others (or all of them) on your trailer, it's pretty obvious that you have an alignment problem. I've seen trailers going dogleg down the road almost as if the trailer is in the lane next to them.

 

Yes, especially sliding axles, also curbing knocks it out

 

Yes. Its from jacknife turning them loaded on pavement. Also known as dog walking.

 

This trailer is OOS until the shop get is back into the bracket.

Once once gets off track in the rails the stresses upon the other three continue to increase until failure

 

I call that abuse. Myself.

I am very gentle when the trailer is being pivoted within it's center tandem, one axle rolling forward and the other rolling backwards as you turn em gently, as in very very gently until it lines up nicely with a dock.

A trailer that insists on rolling off to the side compared to your tractor is a threat to anyone coming around a curve on a two lane road, can kill them or hurt them really badly. It also intoduces a threat of sliding into jackknife in ice, snow, rain etc. Among other problems. Your own tractor can get feeling like it's bent itself from having to drag all that weight off set and may even show up in your alignment
issues beginning with the power steering pump or forward axle spring hangers getting loose plus the possibility of the strakes, the strips of springs that suspends going slowly out of line.