Sliding trailer axles on slippery surface

Use a 4x4 in front of or behind the trailer tires to stop it from sliding.

 

Carry some 4by4 with you so you have them next time?

 

Removing the red line on the trailer then using the trolly valve does nothing. The anti compounding valve prevents the foundation brakes and service brakes from being applied at the same time.

 

Take a small 4 pound sledge hammer and beat the stubborn pins out. Better then pulling to hard on a cable that will break.

 

Do it in a truck stop fuel island..

 

Here's a story I wrote about it.

Chains

So there you are, it's freezing cold outside, you've been driving in snow and ice for days, you just unloaded and reloaded, you head to the truck stop to weigh your rig, you drive on the scale and find that you have to slide the trailer wheels back a few holes in order to get legal.

You have a look around and naturally, the parking lot is covered with snow and a bit on the slick side, but you proceed undaunted and attempt to find a section of parking lot with the least amount of snow, or a patch of pavement peeping through, maybe some gravel in a pothole, or a concrete curb to bump, which only works in one direction, reverse, unless you can position the curb under the trailer, which means backing over the curb, or doing some fancy driving to get the trailer wheels on one side and the drive wheels on the other side of the curb.

After you discover that none of those traction aids exist, you pull the slider release mechanism on the trailer, jump in the truck, cross your fingers, and attempt to slide the tandems, only to have the trailer wheels skid when you apply the trailer brakes.

After a few laps around the parking lot, you decide to access the situation one more time to determine what needs to be done to insure success.

As you stand there, another young driver happens by and suggests you knock some ice off the trailer and try again.

You thank him, out comes the hammer and crowbar, and you chip away and knock as much snow and ice as you can off the frame where the trailer wheels slide, and when it's nice and clean you get back in the truck and make a few more laps around the parking lot.

You then notice several other drivers sitting in their trucks watching with great interest as you drive around and around and around with your trailer wheels locked up, then you realize that you have become the entertainment and CB topic of the day in this particular truck stop.

One of these drivers takes pity on you, walks over to where you are standing, as you mutter to yourself about the stupid trailer and become increasingly frustrated because you are a half hour behind already, as well as covered in dirt from crawling around under the trailer trying to chip away ice and road dirt from the slider rails, the driver then takes a look at your trailer and tells you to pour some diesel fuel on the sliders because they are rusted and it will penetrate the rust, lubricate the rails, and help melt the ice.

You hadn't really noticed the rust, but the logic sounds reasonable, you thank him for his insight, then proceed to syphon some fuel into a empty pop bottle with a piece of discarded hydraulic hose you had to go dumpster diving for, you get a mouth full of diesel fuel while you're at it, and you even manage to spill some on yourself in the process, and a gallon or so on the ground when you dropped the pop bottle and were fumbling to pick it up.

With a new found confidence and abundance of hope, you jump back in the truck, get her rolling, spike the trailer, and the wheels starts skidding!

You go forward and back, backward and forward, you put tire chains on the trailer but they just tear up the parking lot, the owner of the property sees you and comes outside to chew you out for destroying his asphalt, then notices all the fuel on the ground and chews you out again!

There you stand beside your rig in the middle of the parking lot, wet and shivering from the cold, nearly in tears, frustrated to the breaking point, already late out of the gate, stinking of diesel fuel, and wondering if you might have to hire a tow truck.

Just as you are about to whip out your cell phone, you notice this snotty sounding old truck with "Phantom 309" painted on the hood as it pulls onto the scale.

You watch as he scales his load, then pulls up next to you in the middle of the parking lot.

A grizzly looking old truck driver climbs out of the cab, parks next to you and gets out.

The old guy puts on his gloves, grabs his hammer, then walks casually around his rig, kicking snow and ice off, he checks his tires and lights, and as he walks by you he says "Howdy sonny, Big Joe's the name, how's it going, eh?"

You just say, "Hi, my name is (insert name here). Not doing so good, I'm stuck here until I get my axle weights legal, how about yourself?"

The old guy says, "Things are pretty good, just got to slide my trailer wheels a few holes forward and I'll be on my way."



You look under his trailer and see it's plastered with ice and snow, worse than your own trailer was, and advise the old driver that he may have difficulty as you have already tried everything possible and had no success.

The old driver smiles at you and continues to go about his business, and when he's done he reappears at the rear of his trailer with his hammer and two heavy chains, which you believe he is going to lay under the trailer wheels to try and get some traction.

You already got chewed out for ripping up the parking lot with your tire chains and wonder what the heck he's up to as you and several other curious drivers watch with great interest while the old dude knocks enough ice off the trailer to be able to release the locking pins, then pulls the lever.

Then the old guy hooks the chains to the front of the slider rails and carefully drapes the chains over the tops of the inside trailer tires, doubles up the chain at the back and tucks them under the rear tires, leaving a bit of slack in the chains for the tires to roll over.

The old guy hollers at you to come watch the chains and make sure they stay on the center of the tires, and when he gets to the three hole mark to let him know, then he jumps in the truck and starts backing up.

You have your doubts as you watch the rear tires roll over the chains, the chains go taught, then a loud "BANG" that scares the living begeezus out of you and you jump back a few feet!

Ice and snow breaks off in big chunks and falls to the ground, along with a healthy dusting of rust from the slider rails, and you shake your head in disbelief as the trailer slides back on the tandems, you are so amazed you almost forget to warn the old guy to stop!

The old guy drives forward until the chains are free of the tires, walks to the back of the trailer, releases the pin lock, locks the handle and says, "Pretty slick, eh sonny? C'mon, lets get your wheels slid, do what I did but in reverse."

The old guy points out that on some trailers you have to hook to the bumper bar and it should be at the top near the frame, the strongest part of the vertical beam near the frame, or to a longitudinal part of the frame if possible, and warns you to be careful, because if the chains slide off the tires and you're not paying attention, you can cause damage to the bumper bars, as well as brakes and suspension parts, because the chains will walk to the inside due to the angle across the tires relative to the frame where the chain is anchored. you can't move too far or you will have to reset the chains, or risk damage if you go too far.

Once the slider breaks free, if you have to slide some more you may not have to use the chains again, depends how slippery the ground is.

You manage to get the chains draped over the inside tires and tucked under the inside front trailer tires, you get in the truck, ease out the clutch, the truck begins to crawl forward, the chains go tight, the engine loads up momentarily, then "SNAP", the slider breaks loose and the wheels begin to slide.

The old guy waves for you to stop, engages the pin locking mechanism, waves to drive ahead a couple inches, then you feel the pins pop in the holes and you are done.

You jump out and thank the old driver for his help, and not being the shy type the old guy says,

"C'mon sonny, I just saved you $100.00 for a tow truck, you're buying supper I'll have you know, and I'm real hungry, this is going to cost you big time sonny, and don't you be so cheap, loosen the grip on that wallet of yours and get yourself a good pair of chains you tightwad, they may come in handy some day, by the way, you stink, why don't you have a shower and change out of those dirty clothes, wash the diesel smell off yourself sonny, don't you have any pride son, or do you like being dirty and smelling bad, some peoples kids, does your mother know how bad you smell!"

Well...., after supper and a shower, that young driver had enough money left over and bought himself a really nice pair of twenty foot chains, and wouldn't you know it, he got to use them more than once in his truck driving career, one of the best investments he ever made!

Then "What's His Name" and "Big Joe" hopped in their rigs and drove off into the sunset.

After a short while, Big Joe pulled his old truck into the Monfort lane, he bid "What's His Name" a fond farewell on the CB radio, then Phantom 309 started to glow and blew past the young trucker as if his rig was standing still and just kept on going!

In no time flat Big Joe and Phantom 309 were clean out of sight, before the young driver even had a chance to key the mic and say goodbye to his new friend!

The End

 

If your in a place that is covered in snow and ice and you only need to move it a couple of holes to get the weight right, screw it! Most scales will be closed anyway. Get down the road until you can find a dry spot to slide it.

 

I didn't want to read a short story but when I got started I couldn't stop reading..LOL..

 

Just load the trailer in South Florida. Not to much ice there. Geez.