Pulling a pup (28’) with a tandem tractor

Never done it. I requested a single screw with a pup but I’ll be in a tandem for now. Another driver is pulling a pup with his tandem with the fifth wheel slid all the way back because it’ll hit the landing gear. It’s an old trailer. Any tips on pulling a pup with a tandem? Pull up city?

 

Take your mud flaps off if possible

 

Yea, that’s what my co worker does. Is that legal? I mean, you’ve got that pup serving as a giant mud flap. With some of the places I deliver too I’d rather have that fifth slid all the forward.

 

All the twin screws that I’ve used at FxF actually have mounts to store the mud flaps on the front side of the drive axle. It’s perfectly legal as long as you don’t bobtail like that.

I prefer to slide the 5th wheel unless it’s a trailer with the glad hand connections in the center instead of to the drivers side.

 

Just about everyone out here uses twin screws to pull small trailers for traction. Piece of cake, you don't even have to check your mirrors on turns, but I still would. Backing up is a lot different than a '53, fo sho. You'll be fine.

 

Yea it snows a lot where I’m at. The twin screw may be a better option in the winter

 

you may have to set the 5th wheel more towards the rear, to avoid destroying the mud flaps. you always want to check the distance from the front trailer landing gear location to the mud flaps.

but you should do that, with the tractor at a near 90 degree angle, like you were taking a turn.

one company i worked at, we all had single screw tractors, but then they gave us all twin screws to increase the amount of weights, they can haul over the single axles.

 

Yea I’m gonna slide that sucker as far as I can forward so it’s inches from the landing gear. Not to sound like a little b**** but I deliver to a lot of doctor and dentist offices. I almost always have to back in from the street so I need all the wiggle room I can get. I’m in a straight truck with a drop axle now but that’s not cutting it anymore so I requested a pup just like a p&d driver. Cool thing is, they are onboard with it and want to keep us happy. Love this company.

one thing that sucks with a tandem and a pup is the pull-ups I have to do. That darn pup gets away quick especially with a tandem. I might appreciate that extra axle in the snow though

 

We pull them at ABF with twin screw Mack Anthems and Kenworths. In my opinion they don't feel that much different. A little better traction in the winter though.