Pulling doubles...

Trickier than it looks, but yup!! Gets easier with practice.

 

For whatever reason, safety at ODFL frowns upon this practice.

 

You may want to also consider ABF or YRC since their union and will a pension and have better benefits and be near free (or free) Estes does pay well though. Also since your doing beverage consider food service, it'll beat you up but not much worse than beverage and pays better than most other gigs. I started in beer, went LTL, I'm currently doing flatbed now and like it but the moneys not there. My goal is UPSF but that's not easy to pull off so I'm thinking foodservice, I could stand to loose a couple lbs and I like $$$

 

Be smooth. Take turns slowly and gently. I pull doubles and I never wanna to be in a semi again. When backing the set, do not turn the wheel anymore than half of a quarter turn or you'll lose the rear trailer fast.

 

? What? This isn't possible... You would have no control over the dolly, it would just angle out and you would be skidding the tires. I moved dollys with a hook, lined it up close and partially under the rear trailer, then hooked to my lead trailer, lowered the rear trailer enough to put just a bit of pressure on the dolly, backed the lead up to the dolly and connected, then backed the dolly the last foot or less until it connected to kingpin on the rear.
For me that was always faster than hooking up the dolly to the rear trailer, then trying to get the front trailer perfectly lined up to connect.
Also if the dolly is well maintained, and you're on level ground they are actually easy to move. Gravel lots will have you cursing the shop loaner without a pintle hook though.

 

Just some general stuff for you on pulling doubles....

1. Piece of cake. No serious difference between doubles and singles other than parking and backing up....which you should avoid if possible.
2. There's a big difference between A-dollies and C-dollies. C dollies let you back up easier if you need to. C dollies have two points to hook to and are just a bit more difficult to hook up, but they handle better when driving.
3. The rear trailer doesn't track exactly like the front one does around corners...but it ain't far off and will surprise you at how closely it follows the front one.
4. Steer normally and don't sweat it. Doubles aren't that bad.
5. Develop a routine to hook up the same way each time. That way you won't forget anything.
6. It's easier to drag your dollies with your tractor than with your back muscles. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't learn to back up a dolly--especially in a day cab where you can see what's going on. Yes, it can jackknife fast and it has a certain feel that must be learned by doing...but it's not that hard.
7. I used to back up the dolly real close to the rear trailer on hook up. Then, as I backed the front trailer, I'd just touch the bumper to the dolly, pull forward a foot, then get out and hook up the rear dolly. That would make me so close to the rear trailer that the dolly wouldn't have time to miss the kingpin as I backed up.
8. Don't trust your GPS with doubles! lol Pull through the pumps to park so you don't need to back up....or take an end space that allows you to pull straight through. Sometimes scales have parking next to them that allows this.
9. Plan ahead way more than with a single.
10. Avoid side streets...lol

 

Hmmm, FedEx driver advising someone to slow down?

I may have woke up in an alternate universe.