Sliding tandems horror stories

This is simply not true. You need to take a turn at loading and unloading with a forklift and heavy pallets.

 

I will second what most said about sliding your tandems back, if you dont it is harder on the equipment. Sure you can go on the dock at the mill and tell the forklift driver thats putting them 5,000 lb rolls on you to slow down and be gentle, but that usually wont get ya very far

 

I've had my hand at loading trucks and we never had drivers slide their tandems. I actually have a regular pickup that is a floor to roof - nose to tail dog food load that requires we leave the trailer brakes released while they load. I have never once and bare in mind I've been the industry my whole life seen a 53ft. trailer do a nose dive because of tandem position. I've see more careless forklift operators than anything, hauling tail in and out of the trailer, crashing into the bulk head poking holes in walls. Therefor I don't think what we're seeing is matter of how a trailer is dropped its a matter of careless forklift drivers.

 

Why mark anything ... I just watch my drives to tell if I've moved an inch or 10 feet.

 

Figured this pic would fit right in here.

 

ya have to remember that there are people who have no sence of what an inch is. Remember the guys out there that tell their lady friends that this is

6"?

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Do you really think they know what 10' is on a wheel turning? ROFL! I just pick out two points on the ground and slide. I do at times when having to slide a ways from the back just pace it off on the ground but for the rookies the marks on the ground is good advice untill they can tell a foot from a yard.
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Solution: STA-RAT. Worth its weight in gold.

 

A bity of advice tonewbies.. If you dont allways pull the same trailer then if you have a few minutes and you are empty.. slide you wheels back and forth a few times while empoty and move them all the way from far back to close forward.. then set them where you want them to be.. Now if you need to slide them loaded you have allready rubbed off a lot of road grime and rust etc and sliding should be a lot easier to do now