Delivering bobtails

Out of curiosity, if you're bringing 3-4 new tractors piggybacked to one of your terminals, or anywhere else for that matter, do you need double/triple endorsements? Also, while piggybacked, is it only the lead tractors brakes working or are all the tractors brakes tied together?

Who knows?

 

You dont need D/T endorsement. Can't answer on the brakes, its been 20 years since I ran deck sets. Back then it was up to the driver if he wanted to hook up the brakes on the decked trucks. I only did once, for a set of automatic single axle L8000 daycabs. Had to take them from Dallas to SFO. To this day the only auto I've driven and I was so glad I had the extra brakes running down the mountains.

 

They have brakes,you can see the air lines.

 

I'm curious about those too, the prop shafts never seem to be disconnected , you really should pop the drive shaft , isn't this a problem at the dealers ? Also.... How do they get them on and off? Every dealer won't have a crane on hand

 

many tow truck drivers will do this as well. Helps for free movement. Final destination needs to refill. Tow drivers will reinstall but not fill the oil back up.

No clue about dismantling the set.

 

You do have to get the doubles and triples if its more than on piggy backed. I did it for Unimark out of Joplin for a bit. We ran airline for brakes on 4 ways only.

 

From what I see they pull the axle shafts out of the axle on the ground. That will equal no motion the the whole drive train. A decent size tow truck can undeck the trucks from the side.

 

I think it is the Hino trucks that you have to drop and strap the driveshafts too if I remember correctly.

 

I'm currently in the business. D/T endorsement is required.
Brake lines are applied on four ways only. I just had a three way inspected by California D, O. T. With no brake lines and passed with no violations. Only the lead truck has brakes on a three way or less.

Axle shafts are removed on Freightliners and Internationals and thus no need to drop the drive shafts.

We use wreckers, forklifts, cranes or hoists to undeck.

If you're thinking about doing this consider this fair warning; undecking is hard, dirty work. You can be laying on your back under the trucks in a foot of snow in sub zero temps and frying like a piece of bacon in summer. If you're feeble or over weight, forget about it. It's expensive to get into as you buy your own tools. Right now I've got about $1500 invested in tools. Cheap stuff breaks when you work like we do. Buy quality or rue the day!

Investigate the companies and match your needs to what they offer.

Haul away trucking experiences the highest turnover of drivers out of all trucking sectors. There's a reason for that! Most had no idea what they were getting into.

We are the Navy Seals of trucking!