Everything to know about Doubles

When you are starting, just go easy. It all comes with time and experience, then you know how a set behaves and you can drive accordingly.
Doubles can turn on a dime, don't do is as a rookie or you are liable to pinch the pups, but ive been given bad directions and have to turn a set in some super tight places. Do not get into a spot you cant turn. Backing doubles is hard for a rookie.

Besides that, go slow, double and triple check all your connections, especially the 5th wheel locking jaws. Too many dropped sets or pups.

I think pulling doubles/triples is the coolest thing ever.

 

just make sure you arent gonna have any low bridges so you dont knock the top one off

 

its a pretty easy test about 20 questions. make sure u look at how to hook up the doubles, how do you know air is supplied to last trailer, they ask about he whiplash effect, where the heavy trailer go, questions about dolly.

yea pulling doubles pay is pretty good and you be home every nite but its a lot of work
you have to get the truck u are going to have to use that day, pick up 1st trailer, pick up dolly, pick up 2nd trailer
but if you have to bump dock with 1st trailer you have to drop last trailer, pull out drop dolly, pull out and then bump dock with 1st trailer, drop that trailer, pick up the 2nd trailer, pick up dolly, then pick up trailer against dock.

that's a lot of work doubles track faster than a 53 but a 53 is not as labor intensive

 

You can do it man, Just trust your self.

 

Give me about a week. I am working on a detailed guide with pictures for all the newbs.

 

I know of no regulation just came to work one day and they told us to stop crossing the chains. Apparently if your pintle hook breaks it will flip your dolly if they are crossed. I never experienced a broken hook though so I don't know I'm just doing what im told.

 

Urgh... I am gonna go ahead and throw this out here. Some people cross their chains... some don't. Some swear up and down that you HAVE to cross them. I used to cross my chains at my old job when I used to flatbed, so out of habit I cross them.

As for the safety chains themselves, they really aren't good for anything other than to give you the warm and fuzzies I've seen it before where a pintle hook broke and the sudden jolt ripped the safety bar (that the chains were attached to) right off of its welds. Maybe it works for some people when they start loosing trailers. I use my chains cause I have to. If your pintle breaks, the configuration of your safety chains will be the very least of your worries.

 

You can get all the pointers in the world but it really just takes some time. Every one has given great advice though - only thing I would add is don't swing too wide on tight turns. It can get you in a bind on the side you thought you had the room - like a rest stop diagonal space. Run them around the yard a few times to see how the back box tracks on turns. They turn a lot tighter than you would think. .

 

Pull on the release bar at the bottom of the hook after it's latched to check it. Don't get your hands anywhere in between the eye and the hook when hooking up. If you let a dolley get away from you and it's coming at you, or going away, don't try to stop it.....just let it go, or get out of the way....it will hurt you. Always use the handles on the dolley when moving it.

 

Definetly takes some practice. I dislike rest areas with wiggle wagons.

NEVER get between the dolly and trailer. Dollies injure quite a few drivers keep your hands and fingers out of the way when hooking dolly.