sliding tandems

Our trailers are the old conventional 'get out and pull the handle' trick. What I do sometimes is just pull the lock out the handle, drive over to the tight dock area and start backing in. If the tail swing is too much I can slide the tandems back, it would appear to anyone looking that I never got out. Oftentimes too, I will slide them back and bump the dock but just leave the handle out and when pulling out the dock can slide them forward, again without getting out the truck and other drivers might think I have some in cab pin release.

 

vise grips works just as good,lol.

 

Moe, Curley, Larry, thing. NOT! Mix 1/2 water in a bottle, 1/2 cheap dish soap. Shoot the top sliders good. It moves great.

 

One of the best tools in my arsenal is a tandem stop. Sure makes life so much better in the winter time. Sliding your tandems forward and want to set it for the 5th hole? Put your tandem stop in the fourth hole. Sliding your tandems back and want to set it in the 9th hole? Put your tandem stop in the tenth hole.

 

I've thought of rigging a cab switch. Since I like to verify all 4 pins in the locked position before I roll, I'm out there anyway so there's no point.

Hint: If you don't have air powered slider pins, set your parking brake but leave the trailer aired up when you go back there to release the pins. Some trailers are worse than others, but most air rides will push forward against the truck brakes when the air bags vent, and put the pins in a bind if you pull both knobs before releasing the pins.

I do like scottied. Since you're already back there opening the doors, it takes 5 extra seconds to pull the handle on the way back to the cab. I know my drives are maxed if my air suspension gauge hits about 72 psi. Depending on weight on the bills and how it's loaded, I can balance without a scale within 1500 lbs. I will get a scale if I know my gross is >75k just to be sure. Pull away from the dock, check out the load when closing the doors, then slide the axles till the air gauge is where it needs to be, lock em in & go.

 

RedForeman that is an excellent tip on the trailer brakes and one that I never thought of.

 

whats the "fail safe"...

 

The fail safe is the electric solenoid. Supply 12v it opens and lets air through unlocking the pins. Take away the power the air vents and pins lock.

 

Well there hasn't been any talk of a truck that can slide the tandems or open the doors by itself but they seem to think a self driving one is in the works
So maybe we will just be on for the ride and then our jobs will be to adjust weight, open/close doors, put fuel in.