Wiggle wagons

Ha! I had to go back and see what 4 letter s word you meant. You know, coming from Wis. I always liked sxxx. Not to drive in, of course, although, you rarely fall asleep in a semi when it's sxxxing, but now that I'm retired, I have a whole different understanding about sxxx. There's something gratifying watching someone else shovel it, and I love sxxxmobiling. I think I miss that the most and I'm not paying $200 bucks for an afternoon to rent one here.

 

Thats not exactly true.

I pulled a set of joints that I could back up all long day if I wanted to.
Impressed the hell out of everyone except me.
I was quite amused by the comments though, because I was cheating!

My converter had an air switch on it that I would casually flip as I walked by and two pins would pop out of the 5th wheel and lock into two holes in the trailer plate so the converter wouldn't pivot.

My first full time job as a train hauler was pulling these pups with the trick converter, (tarp and rack kit missing in pic), started driving it in 78 when the fella washing it got canned.
Later that year I got a new truck and a new set of super B's, no cheater switch needed!

 

I haven't heard them called "joints" in years, and washing a cabover Frightliner,,,I'm impressed.

 

I have not seen that model Cabover in so long. A ghost of trucking past for me.

The one I had was pretty anemic. Stand on it all day dropping three gears to climb a small hill...

 

I'll never forget one day rolling down a grade pulling a set of wiggle wagons in the winter time. Snowing, roads bad, I was just taking it slow and steady as she goes. Took a glance in my west coast mirror and lo and behold I saw that rear box coming around sideways on me and into the approaching lane. It's pretty bad when you can look back and actually see the company logo on the side of the trailer! Thank God nobody was approaching from the opposite way!

When this happens, alot of guys will try and slow down or step on the brakes. But what you want to do is give it some acceleration which will straighten out the set. That's what I did and Lord have mercy, I made it to the bottom of that grade safe and sound.

Gotta stay on the ball when you got a set of doubles on your back. Maintain proper speeds\distances, utilize your 5 Smith System keys, and always remember that safety's the key to accident free! Someone needs to tell that to FedEx, they seem to put more boxes in the ditch than anyone else out there.

 

I would not say impossible. Used to do it all the time. Steer opposite direction and use the tractor and lead to steer the pup.

Best set up I ever seen was a set dad built. Put a brake chamber under the 5th wheel of the dolley. It would push a pin thru 5th wheel into the upper plate of the trailer. Eliminating one pivot. Worked really well but was on a dedicated set. Same trailers no drop and hook.

Then for the rooks you always chain the trailers together for backing up of your no good at it.

 

All of the 40/20 A train set-ups my old boss ran had a pin to lock the turntable in place. At that point they backed up pretty much like a B train. At our yard all of us had to back in and park up against the fence at the rear of the property.

Anyone that loads at the particle board plant in Missoula or at GP in Lovell WY better hope they can pin their turntable or they’re gonna have a long day.

 

If you're at UPS, the paperwork clearly says what percentage each trailer is. I can't remember but IVIS may as well. Higher percentage would supposedly be heavier.