Moving OOS trailer to shop

The reason a tow truck is allowed to tow an OOS trailer is because it’s reasonable to believe the tow truck will take it straight to a shop and the shop won’t release it until it’s repaired.

 

Everyone seems to be missing that the driver/company is saying the trailer is out of service. NOT the DOT putting the trailer out of service. That’s a big difference legally.

If they can scale what ever load on one axle, they can pull the wheels, chain that axle up. I would also pull the service line off that axle but it’s probably not needed.

If the trailer repair shop was close and the trailer empty, I’d pull the service lines on that axle, wire up the loose parts and get to the shop. But that’s just me.

This is also an issue that could probably be fixed right there on the spot with a competent road mechanic.

 

Ok I thought it was DOT OOS. However if he's stopped and inspected the axle that is chained up will be part of the inspection...thats what id be worried about.

Your right @kylefitzy Id do the same to move the trailer to a competent shop.

 

You did the right thing, Sir.
And you learned that you can do better on pre-trips.
It'll save you more grief and pain down the road.

 

Don't beat yourself up too bad about the tires. Even if you inspect, as has been mentioned, something mechanical gone wrong, like you had, could have caused the issue. I had a front tire, that hit a hole bad...stopped, checked it...looked fine. 4 hours later pulled into a weigh station and the tire was down to threading on the outside. I thanked the DOT for finding that for me, and went to the TA and had it done. The mechanical condition occurred with no reason to suspect something worse was going on...but if they hadn't stopped me in the station, that tire could have blown and I'd have been screwed. I don't miss much, but as has been mentioned, something happening real time is something you can't predict and when it goes, it doesn't take long to go catastrophically, which is what might have happened to the tires with the damage the brakes being screwed did. Just try better is all you can do. Surviving is the first order of business.

 

I have chained a spring ride hopper up at the West Memphis Arkansas scales for a driver that was put OOS for brake issues on that wheel position and they let him leave with it. He was empty of course. Whether it’s DOT OOS or just deemed so by driver taking that wheel position off the ground removes the OOS condition. As long as there are still enough tires on the ground to keep the weight legal. Once repaired the inspection form will have to be signed off on by the company and mailed back.

 

Done the same in Van Buren. Legal weight, chain and go.

 

Show intemd to repair, and insurance. They have way more insurance in place than most companies ever will.

I would carefully try to repair on site if I owned it. However I have seen scams wear into hubs from this. If damage is severe, I'm heading to shop.

As other said. Chain up.

 

The amount of effort involved in just pulling the wheels and chaining the axle isn't much less than just fixing the issue right there & now.