Making move to tanker

Riding with Fish??!!! Oh, man...let me apologize in advance! Well, actually I guess it's too late to do it in advance.

 

Haha he's a good one.

 

Yep. You'll like Scootie as well. All good guys.

 

Shiftin' on the tide driver, a skill few learn. Your right, it's fun. You only get one mistake. I like that. If something goes wrong, your the first to know.

 

I'm curious if you guys ever move your 5th wheel. I just started pulling tankers a month ago and have never messed with it like I did pulling reefers. All the way back? All the way forward? In-between the drives like on a reefer? Does it matter at all? Any help or experience in this would be great as I'm clueless

 

I've yet to move mine. The one on this truck is in the same position the one on the first truck they assigned to me. I know so little about sliding the fifth wheel anyway, I'm not sure how to tell ya it's position. (Let the "steering wheel holder" jokes commence). I can tell you the front pin is in the seventh notch from the front. I like the position, as it seems to handle the loads just fine. Also, the guy they moved out of this truck & into a newer (even tho this is a '13 model Volvo) flat top rig noticed the fifth wheel on it was in a different position. He said first thing he was going to do was move it to where this one is. He's been pulling tanks for years. I figured I'd listen to his experience & just leave well enough alone. lol

 

Why move it? Your load is moving all the time. Can't weigh a tanker on a platform scale, Well you can if you want to wait an hour.

 

Well, I'm new to this and all, but we weigh on scales all the time. Just pull into scales, stop the truck, & release the service brakes, do not set tractor or trailer bakes. The rig will move back & forth, but they can get a weight a lot sooner. Was a really weird feeling the first time I did it. Thought the rig would just roll if the scale in one direction or the other, but it stayed put alright.

 

I wasn't thinking about the weight. I was thinking more about ride quality and turning radius. Stuff like that.

 

Can't remember the name of the company now, but I've hauled loads of acid to Tama, IA

Our 5th wheels were fixed so never had to move them.