Pulling a pup (28’) with a tandem tractor

Discussion in 'LTL and Local Delivery Trucking Forum' started by Air Cooled, Sep 3, 2020.

  1. Air Cooled

    Air Cooled Road Train Member

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    Never done it. I requested a single screw with a pup but I’ll be in a tandem for now. Another driver is pulling a pup with his tandem with the fifth wheel slid all the way back because it’ll hit the landing gear. It’s an old trailer. Any tips on pulling a pup with a tandem? Pull up city?
     
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  3. LPjunior1970

    LPjunior1970 Light Load Member

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    Take your mud flaps off if possible
     
  4. Air Cooled

    Air Cooled Road Train Member

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    Yea, that’s what my co worker does. Is that legal? I mean, you’ve got that pup serving as a giant mud flap. With some of the places I deliver too I’d rather have that fifth slid all the forward.
     
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  5. jmz

    jmz Road Train Member

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    All the twin screws that I’ve used at FxF actually have mounts to store the mud flaps on the front side of the drive axle. It’s perfectly legal as long as you don’t bobtail like that.

    I prefer to slide the 5th wheel unless it’s a trailer with the glad hand connections in the center instead of to the drivers side.
     
  6. 201

    201 Road Train Member

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    Just about everyone out here uses twin screws to pull small trailers for traction. Piece of cake, you don't even have to check your mirrors on turns, but I still would. Backing up is a lot different than a '53, fo sho. You'll be fine.
     
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  7. Air Cooled

    Air Cooled Road Train Member

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    Yea it snows a lot where I’m at. The twin screw may be a better option in the winter
     
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  8. buddyd157

    buddyd157 Road Train Member

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    you may have to set the 5th wheel more towards the rear, to avoid destroying the mud flaps. you always want to check the distance from the front trailer landing gear location to the mud flaps.

    but you should do that, with the tractor at a near 90 degree angle, like you were taking a turn.

    one company i worked at, we all had single screw tractors, but then they gave us all twin screws to increase the amount of weights, they can haul over the single axles.
     
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  9. Air Cooled

    Air Cooled Road Train Member

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    Yea I’m gonna slide that sucker as far as I can forward so it’s inches from the landing gear. Not to sound like a little b**** but I deliver to a lot of doctor and dentist offices. I almost always have to back in from the street so I need all the wiggle room I can get. I’m in a straight truck with a drop axle now but that’s not cutting it anymore so I requested a pup just like a p&d driver. Cool thing is, they are onboard with it and want to keep us happy. Love this company.

    one thing that sucks with a tandem and a pup is the pull-ups I have to do. That darn pup gets away quick especially with a tandem. I might appreciate that extra axle in the snow though
     
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  10. MACK E-6

    MACK E-6 Moderator Staff Member

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    I don't particularly like pulling doubles with twin screws at all, especially if the trailers don't have the set back landing gear. That means riding with the fifth wheel slid all the way back, which also means the set is going to pull like ####. Very twitchy, IMHO.

    They do pull good with my single and the fifth wheel slid forward, once I scale it and make sure the weights are right.
     
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  11. Old_n_gray

    Old_n_gray Road Train Member

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    We pull them at ABF with twin screw Mack Anthems and Kenworths. In my opinion they don't feel that much different. A little better traction in the winter though.
     
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