Tandem slide damage

If it can be hammered down with even a 5lb sledge, it needs to be replaced. That steel should be hard enough to need machinery to move.

 

I was thinking about hammering the back of the pin to get it farther out. The rail? That's a goner.

 

393.207 (a) axles. No axle positioning part shall be cracked, broken, loose or missing.

393.207 (b) adjustable axle assemblies shall not have locking pins missing or disengaged.

I'd say you are in violation of one or both.

 

I would not pull it, the rear tandems will be left behind, if they break from the pins. Don't move it.

 

I’d like to see what the rest of your company’s equipment looks like.

 

I'd say yes it is. Typically when something, this goes with anything, looks wrong, it is.

 

For anyone working at a large fleet carrier (mega fleet's especially) ...
any time you pick a trailer from a terminal, loaded or empty, it's important to pay particular attention to the slide system. In fact, if it looks iffy or it's empty, you should try and release and slide the tandems to insure they will both release AND slide without any difficulty. Older trailers found in large fleets are the worst, especially if they have a mechanical "pull arm" release systems. But air activated systems can develop difficult to see problems in the linkage, too.

Chances are the trailer noted above would not release easily or slide easily, if at all. Getting caught in the field with a heavy load and a tandem group that won't slide, or a trailer that's stuck all the way back, will mess up your entire week.

In this condition (above), only a qualified full service shop can get this trailer back road-worthy again. Don't get stuck with such a trailer if there's any way you can avoid it. Get something like this reported and to a terminal shop ASAP. DO NOT LOAD if it's not already loaded.

 

Yep. When I drove for Swift it was common to hook to trailers with iffy slides. Sometimes I had to use a channel wrench to take OUT the spring on a tandem in order to get it to slide.

I always "wrote up" those trailers to dispatch. But I don't know if that ever resulted in action. Many times I hooked to a trailer with obvious issues, like a flat tire off the bead, or wiring to lighting that has been cut. Be prepared to deal with anything.

 

And for goodness sakes,

• don't get too aggressive and speedy in the slide move and create a minor earth tremor and wake the cows on the other side of the county when you reach the limit stops.
• If even just one pin is still engaged, it WILL NEVER SLIDE!, no matter how much time or how many many clutches or tires you ruin, or drive shafts you snap, trying to get it to slide. If after "gently" rocking the trailer a few times to release the bind that might exist on one or more of the pins, and it's still not sliding, GET OUT AND LOOK at the pins to see if one or more is still sticking out.

These aggressive and foolish actions are what causes them to jump out of the keeper dogs in the first place. (As well as some twisting u-turns when very heavy on uneven soft ground) If a pin remains engaged, and a good swift hammer impact doesn't cause it to retract and stay retracted, then you're going to have to seek mechanical help.

 

Ya shouldnt even back under that POS! Now if ya do, cause the "company" sez ya GOTTA, then splain to them people who is gonna be up Stink Creek without a paddle when TSHTF an them tandem groups pop out and land in someones lap? Ill let ya guess whos NOT gonna take the fall!