Estes sucks

Doubles are really no big deal; don't psych yourself out over it.

I ran FedEx linehaul package bellies (Ground) for about five years, and was a trainer with my contractor, where I often had to train a person for half a day, BEFORE I could even road test them. Reason being is, in my area, doubles pullers have gotten difficult to come by, due to competitors paying better for van, P&D, and local runs than previously, so many drivers take what is perceived to be easier work for similar money.

Also, FedEx not giving contractors decent raises for a few years, and then taking in outside carriers during peak times; plus, then requiring costly electronic surveillance equipment, and now, tractor replacements; these things all cut seriously into the money that contractors could pay drivers; our last annual pay increase before I decided to leave, was just .005 CPM ($2.00 a day average). So, to get a doubles driver, I often had to build one out of a driver that had no doubles time, but still someone that had the endorsement, quality seat time, and a clean CDL.

When driving, I find that I can take doubles many places I would not want to pull a van; they navigate turns much better, as the off-tracking on doubles is not nearly as much as a 53. I find I can turn onto most city streets without the fuss of I would have with a 53. A 53 may cause me to use a jug handle turn; with doubles, a simple box turn gets most done.

However, be careful on narrow two lane roads, as the back trailer walks back and forth; that's why they are called wiggle wagons. This is even worse when empty. And if you are dispatched empty doubles with a single screw day-cab on very windy days, JUST SAY NO, and go home alive.

Wind will make doubles walk a lot, even when loaded heavy; empty, they can be like holding on to a kite in a hurricane; twin screws do MUCH better with doubles on windy days; or really, any bad weather days. Single axles drive better, when working through town, but can s-u-c-k in any bad weather, due to less mass and contact at the front of the chain. I have had drivers refuse to operate single axles; they simply said, "Twin screw, or I'm gone."

MOST reputable companies have adverse weather plans for their runs; I have been bobtailed 250 miles home due to wind on dry days, and single pupped in rain, etc when a van was not available for a windy run.

The key thing with doubles, is to always ensure heavy trailer is in front when you hook. When setting up your set, don't be lazy; when your back trailer is in a place that does not give you plenty of room in front of it to set your dolly in place, and then be able to back in with your lead trailer hooked to your tractor, you need to start by first moving your back trailer to a better position before you do anything. If the surface is very rough with pot holes, etc, try to move your set up to an area that will allow you to set your dolly easier. While you don't always have the luxury of space, use it when you can; it is better to do it early, than to find out you can't make the hook, and have to drop and move everything after you start.

Be sure to SET YOUR DOLLY BRAKE WHEN YOU SET IT IN FRONT OF BACK TRAILER; I cannot tell you how many guys I have seen bump a loose dolly when backing in to hook it, only to have it roll up under the front of rear trailer; that will ruin your day, and if it latches the king pin... it may ruin more than your day; especially if you have to call your boss and tell them you need a tow truck to get it out; $500 gone.

So, set your back trailer in an area that is as smooth as possible, if the area is sloped much, make sure to move trailer so that slope goes side to side with the trailer, instead of front to back or back to front, it will make setting and hooking dolly much easier. Remember, a 350 lb monster of a driver, is no match for a 3500 lb dolly once it decides to move; so get out of the way, or get run over. Dollies do take off on drivers; just look at all the bent in rear light panels on doubles tractors, that should be evidence enough.

After setting your dolly CENTERED on rear trailer, hook lead trailer and back up to dolly; stay in as straight a line with back trailer as possible, this makes the hook happen much easier. Stop with front trailer just in front of dolly (GOAL). Don't be afraid to get out several times, even if the space is a few feet. Until you are comfortable setting up, you may find backing 6-8 inches at a time, and then going back to look will help you.

Don't worry, once you have done a few, you will find your groove, and you will find you can drop, break, reset, and hook a set in a matter of minutes, whereas, when you start hooking sets, it may take you up to an hour to build one set; no joke, I've seen it. With practice, you will be hooking front trailer, throwing a dolly on it, and then driving over and backing up under your rear trailer without all the moving, setting, dropping, re-hooking; it just takes a little time, patience, and practice.

When handling dollies, I recommend working from the opposite side of dolly from where airlines hang, unless you enjoy wearing 5th wheel grease... and then having it inside the tractor with you... and then in your car... and on every thing that ever touches those items. Ah yes, your family will LOVE you for that.

A few more tricks I've learned over the years of hooking sets; I always work the rig from back to front, and ALWAYS the exact same way, as there are a lot of things to forget when you start jumping around during final hook ups.

Flash light check your king pin hooks; dollies are notorious for looking hooked, and then opening up when you are going down the road and around corners; winter is the worst, due to ice, grease hardening, etc.

Don't forget chain hook ups; contrary to myth, it is NOT recommended to cross chains on a dolly. This is not your ski boat. In fact, recent safety studies showed a high incidents of unit rollovers where chains were crossed in the events where dollies came loose from front trailer. It has been theorized that the chains under tension, straighten out, and when they are crossed, they have to flip the dragging load to facilitate their fullest most complete straightening. Legal chain lengths have been reduced to resist against drivers crossing chains as well. Doubles drivers may have noticed the shorter chains on newer equipment; this is why.

When hooking your lines, work inside to outside to avoid unwanted contact with grease; blue line; power cord; then red line.

DO NOT COIL YOUR LINES UP ON DOLLY WHILE STILL HOOKED TO TRAILER = GREASE COVERED LINES.

If you are in the habit of wearing gloves when you get back in tractor, you may want to change that habit once you start pulling doubles; you WILL grab a grease covered line at some point, and it you grab a door handle, steering wheel, or shifter the grease will be there for a while to come. I never really ran in to that with a van or single pup, but those dollies will get you every time.

When you are pressed for time, SLOW DOWN, breathe, think; time consuming mistakes happen most often when you rush.

Learn everyday; none of us will ever know it all.

Hope this helps you a bit

 

Just fyi, Estes has taken a 10% rate increase in the past 6 months.

 

estes puts the estes in testes

 

Well whatever you do, don't call XPO. Those ####ers are the lowest of the low. It starts from upper management and corporate. They beat down on their employees every day. The morale sucks and the drivers, when they can hire them, hit the streets hating the customer and doing what they can to make everyone else's life a living hell. Crap runs down hill and the customer is at the bottom at XPO.

 

What did XPO do or not do to you specifically? I would be curious to know the details of your beef with them. Perhaps you should start a new thread so readers can better understand your story.

 

@snowlauncher xpo in houston is one the most dislikable LTL companies, I quote from various customers that they have unprofessional drivers and always damage their stuff and sometimes they fail to do pick ups.

 

It's kinda funny, myself being in LTL, I hear some customers who constantly complain about a specific carriers service, drivers, damages; yet for all I hear they still continue to use that carriers service. More than likely they are getting the best freight rate so they keep the carrier and then continue to be miserable with the service. I see it as an irony.

 

One customer stated that he dont like to use xpo but who ever the consignee is wants xpo to deliver their freight. I wonder if who ever the consignee is has a deal with xpo or maybe deliver faster who knows.

 

There are couple things you can do differently here to make things less complicated when hooking tandem trailers. #1 LEARN TO BACK A TRAILER AND DOLLEY. It takes some practice, but once you learn it makes it much easier and safer. Hook your converter gear to the lead box, then line it up as straight as you can with the kingpin and make very small adjustments to the wheel as you back. It does take practice but with some experience it's the best way to hook double or triple pups. #2 if you accidentally bump a loose dolley too hard and it hooks to the kingpin, just chain it to the back of the trailer with the safety chains and pull the 5th wheel release handle on the dolley. Then pull the dolley out from under the apron. Don't call a tow truck as they will charge a ridiculous amt. of $ for something you could fix with a little common sense.

 

@MACK E-6 This and Gear-floaters' post should be put into a 'how-to' thread.

 

It's all a bunch of hooey!