How do you know when to and when not to slide tandems?

Well since it's my own truck and trailer whenever I back in anywhere I tend to slide the axles back.

I think that is easiest on the trailer and on the truck itself.

I also dump the airbags on both the trailer and the tractor.

 

I dont have any tandems to slide, but if i did, i would be sliding them forward so i can make a nice sharp turn out of parking spot between to swift trucks

 

Negative, 25 years ago i was a dock worker. the deck plates will go very low and i would sometimes load some very low light duty box trucks with 2000 pound pallet of box meat. The floor jacks can raise up very very high to meet any angle and not drag the pallet

 

Plus, at least for every air ride trailer I've ever pulled, once you set the breaks the air bags deflate anyway, Docks are set up for this minor variation in trailer height.

 

some customers require tandems to be slid all the way back if dropping a trailer. You’ll see this a lot at paper mills but there’s others that do it too. They do it so there’s not as much bounce in the trailer for the forklift operator, and because there’s so much weight going into that trailer. It’s a safety thing.
Any other time, I only slide tandems when I need to. If it’s not a requirement at a customer, or required for weight distribution I won’t slide the tandems because there’s really not much of a reason to if your weights are good and your tandems are legal according to the bridge law

 

Most shippers and receivers will tell you their loading/unloading rules upon check-in.

Some places want tandems back. Rarely, they will request all the way forward when their docks are low (normally very old facilities or farm docks.)

Some places want you to dolly down and disconnect while on the dock. Some just want you to disconnect the red air line to lock down the trailer brakes.

Some places want the doors of the trailer closed when you back in because they open the doors inside the warehouse.

Some places want you to break the seal yourself, others are militant about their people doing it.

Some places have you deliver paperwork to a shipping office, others just have you put the bills in the trailer before you back up to the dock.

Every shipper is different.

 

If I do not know the site rules, and they are not provided for me, I ask.

Be pro-active, but polite.