B-Train backing?

just remember you turn the opposite way of what you would for a single trailer, and just practice

 

Getting both trailers lined up straight with the truck is #1 if you have the room .

With your wheels straight put your hand at the top center of the steering wheel and do not remove it . One hand small movements back and forth is what it takes to back it in . Removing your hand to crank the wheel = overstearing and is the most annoying thing with trains .

As soon as you see the pup going one way steer it the other way ASAP ,, +repeat .

I been at it for alittle while ,, when you think you got it down the next time in reminds you YOU DON'T ! .

 

Any time you have a van or tank or even a flat mounted to the power unit and pulling another trailer it's called a truck and trailer. You'll see more pintle hooks on the back than fifth wheels however, you're right with a fifth you can pull any trailer. So with the fifth there's no con gear and the units pivots in two places. It's very easy to back unlike a set of doubles. You'll also see truck and trailers out west more than any other place.

 

IMO B-Train tanks make more sense than the pintle hook with the pup, for the same reasons I'm wanting a B-train flat. Works great hooked together but can be broken apart and pulled separately for a light empty weight or to get in tight spots. Also if A truck breaks down, any truck can be hooked to the set, unlike the bottom pic.

 

You learn something everyday. Thanks. They don't have them things where I live. It's mainly a northern thing.

 

I have never pulled any type of doubles, so I am certainly no expert.
Years ago, at a truck stop , I saw a set of doubles being pulled by a moving company, and it had a rod and chain on each side of the front trailer that would extend out from the nose of the trailer and hook into the tractor frame, making it rigid . Now it was not normally hooked up. Driver of that unit told me that would make the front trailer and the tractor turn as a single unit, and you could back up a set of doubles easily.Said front trailer had to empty, or lightly loaded.
Not sure if he was telling me the truth, but I have never seen anything like that since. Told me it was a prototype.
Anyone know about this contraption ?

 

The pic of the tanker on the bottom or a strait truck pulling a pup trailer is called short doubles.

 

The second picture you show is a truck and trailer. I disagree with you about being able to hook any trailer. Just because that's the problem. I can unhook just like any other set but I'd rather pull the same trailer that is matched to the truck so the ABS works completely. Besides all that there's a trick you can do that the old timers taught and it's called walking the trailer. If you get into a tight spot you can back up and apply the trailer brakes and apply power so the trailer will hop over enough to get out of any spot. I've done it and it works best if you put water down so the tires will slide.

 

Backing B-trains straight isn't too hard. Small corrections, as others have said. The real test is backing them into a spot that isn't straight back. Hehe

 

I pick up my set in early August. I have them for 4 months to practice backing them up before I have to do it full time.