converter dolly shopping: air-ride vs spring, what else?

That's true can't take doubles everywhere I know some companies like Room and Board use doubles and I've seen other moving van companies use them as well, but at a truck stop you have to be careful because you can't ally dock a set of doubles into a spot it won't work.

 

Took me one time breaking set because I got stuck at tatop. Another driver offered to help me break and hook, I like nope I'm learning a lesson at the moment.

Very good advice here. You can back a set though. Some guys better than others. I watched a guy 45 degree alley dock a set. One guy but it was cool though. Saw him do it several times. I've backed them about 150 ft out of fuel island because guy was taking shower or sleeping in fuel island.

 

And for bu

And for building teams hand signals are a MUST. Cab man: Brake on. Brake off. Clear for roll. Dolly man: Back. Forward. Stop. Light Check. Air leak. High Hook. Etc.

Teach your guys NEVER to back unless they see the dolly man. Never back when he is between trailers. Always follow his hand signals. Never rush if you hook as a team. Someone could be killed.

 

great advice. Totally true. And the dolly man should never enter between the trailers unless the brakes are engaged (you hear the air brakes pop).

Also one thing alluded to in there. High hooking. High hooking the tail SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and it's really easy to do, the dolly's sit lower when no air is in them (as in you are backing them under), it's easy to high hook a tail.

 

Ugh. High hooking! Man, what a pain in the neck. It's harder to judge it because not only is it further away, but you can't see the dolly deck as it backs. Thus, two man hooking is the way to go. But like I said, it can be VERY dangerous. Train well and don't cut corners.

 

Airride is superior to spring.

Cargo damage is zero or very nearly so with airride. I don't recall the last time there was cargo damage specifically with airride, however there are roads out here in the west with frost heaves etc that can really give you a shaking. And if something in trailer is going to get shaken until damage then that's it. Spring absolutely gaurantees much more damage.

I don't do doubles or triples, but I can tell you airride is one of the things you cannot do without. Spring is going to cost you cargo damage and heartache down the road.

That's all I have here that's anything close to useful for this type of trucking (Or any type as far as airride is concerned)

 

The stop signal (closed fist) is the big one....just make sure everyone is on the same page, that's the key! Like someone mentioned ideally your front box is heavier but if the roads are dry and hooking up like that causes extra work I wouldn't be concerned too much, just drive safely. UPS small package hooks theirs by volume, meaning a 100% front box of feather pillows and a 75% rear box of books. Obviously the rear box is heavier by a large margin but you need to be on your game regardless when pulling doubles. I've personally had a 10k# difference in good weather doing p&d work because of the way freight had to come off along the way and if you drive carefully it's not that big of a deal.

 

If you're only going to break it apart on occasion I think a dual axle single tired dolly would be a good choice then just run air/electric to the rear of the tractor and put a pental hook on the rear. Then just tow the pup in.