tandems and backing

Tandems back position will offer little turn swing at the rear...some docks you might have to have this. Tandems forward, less turn radius required for the front (nose) of the trailer and the tractor.

Tandems back you will need a whole lot more space for the tractor to move around the nose of the trailer.

It's all in which end has the most room to move!

Oh yeah....you will run into the dock that requires you to move your tandems twice or more times during the backing....what a PITA!!!

 

Can you please explain the purpose for this please.. ?

 

Sry...But I stand by my word. Even if the trailer swings faster, the truck still has to come around. It doesnt take more space with them to the rear. Its a known fact that its an illusion. I have had to train a few in downtown Detroit here at Kroger that say the same. Once they have been shown, they now do the same. All that back into some of these docks thinking you have to have them forward, come close to damage if they dont do damage (lots of yellow pole scratches on trailers). I will always stand by my word. Believe what you choose, to each their own.

 

Easiest thing for you to do is not look at the tandems when your backing, watch the back of the trailer then it will never matter where the tandems are. Then when you get a spread axle you won't have to worry about which axle to watch.

 

"Sry...But I stand by my word. Even if the trailer swings faster, the truck still has to come around. It doesnt take more space with them to the rear. Its a known fact that its an illusion. I have had to train a few in downtown Detroit here at Kroger that say the same. Once they have been shown, they now do the same. All that back into some of these docks thinking you have to have them forward, come close to damage if they dont do damage (lots of yellow pole scratches on trailers). I will always stand by my word. Believe what you choose, to each their own."


Ya, no! It most definitely takes more room to make a turn if you have the tandems all the way to the back! The tandems are a good eight to ten feet further back than normal! Of course it would take more room because the point in which the wheels touch the ground is that much further back now. That is why a professional driver, say like Gizmo, when making tight deliveries up north, moves his tandems all the forward. This allows him to make tighter turns forward and back ward and makes the tight streets of the Northeast more navigable.

When you move the tandems to the back its easier when backing as long as you have more room. Moving the tandems to the back allows for no swing of the trailer. The back of the trailers is pretty much where the tandems are on the concrete. It also takes a little longer to get a response to what you are doing with the steering wheel.

The reason some shippers want the tandems slid to the back when unloading is because it not only lifts the back of the trailer a bit to match the dock height but it mainly supports the weight of the forklift better when it comes flying off the dock into the back of your trailer. The back of the trailer doesn't dip down when the fork lift first drives into the trailer. Next time you are at a dock stand outside and watch the trailers move as the forklifts unload them. This is also very beneficial if you are dropping the trailer to be loaded or unloaded. Since the front of the trailer isn't tied down to anything it can really move around if the tandems are slid forward all the way. Kind of like see-saw!

 

Chompi covered it very well....see above post^^

 

He is not. It is mathmatically impossible for the truck to take up more space. If the trailer rear moves faster then you have to get the truck to swing out faster. How many times have you wathched a truck backing between 2 trucks in a dock? Now watch when they try to get the trailer tandems that are slid up forward, to come around one truck. Where is the tail? Many times its hitting the mirror on the truck next to him because of the tail. Like I have said, Ask your company's safty department what is the % of accidents involving trucks have to do with backing. It is a fact...75%. Because drivers drive forward 90% of the time and watching the trailer in a forward motion in which causes them to see the illusion of the tandems "shrinking" the trailer. I pick up at the meat market area in downtown Detroit every day. On the little one way streets in my KW and 53ft trailer. Tandems all the way back before backing into the docks and still get in the dock before those who think the tandems forward "shrink" their trailer. Thats a fact...Do the math. You might learn something, cause its mathmatically IMPOSSIBLE to shrink it. Sry.

 

Also, try going to a truckers rodeo. You might learn something from those drivers. And yes, they are professionals. Like myself also.

 

Oh yes he is!!!!

OK...you forced this issue!

DUH! Nobody said anything about "taking up more space"...it's about what "space is needed for the entire unit" to pivot in 3 points!

If you would...please imagine a quarter circle, (assuming you won't have to take the nose of the truck beyond the 12 o'clock point of the circle)...the bottom point of this quarter circle is the dock (hole) now the trailer (body) and the tractor will be pivoting within this quarter circle to accomplish getting in the dock (hole). With the tandems back (full), will the tractor need to move farther within this quarter circle zone to get to a "square" line (straight back) to finish docking? Yes it will require "a big, wide swing, to come around to square...because the rear (tail) is moving a small amount, the remainder (tractor and trailer, forward of the pivot point [tandems] need to swing as a unit. Just put a pen or pencil on a flat surface. Hold the bottom in a steady point...now swing the opposite end 90 degrees. What moved more...the front or the back?

You are (I assume) you are approaching the dock (hole) from a flush, (straight across the nose line of other trucks), also, you aren't considering any adjustment pull ups..just a one shot "ace it in" approach.

Right where it was to begin with....at the opposite end of the tractor!

Only because the driver is trying to be a show off and "ace it in"...not bothering to check the opposite side....you know...Get Out And Look, GOAL! by not doing any adjustment pull ups...yeah tail swing is an issue.

First...those are referred to as "incidents" not "accidents"...an "accident" involves human physical injury or property damage over $2500.00....check with your safety dept about how statistics are collected and analyzed! Actually, the percentage of "backing incidents" is 100%...since that is what the statistic is you are trying to use! If you want a percentage of the incidents that "take or damage another mirror"...good luck with that, since oft times, those "incidents" involve fenders, doors, fuel tanks, trailer damage, tire/wheel...anything else the tail of the trailer that dumbbutt driver didn't GOAL before continuing!

Whatever you are smoking...I want some....haven't noticed my trailer "shrinking" while driving down the highway...that could be kinda cool though......cough cough cough....GOOD STUFF MAYNERD!!!!

Let me try this....1 KW + 1 53' trl = _______........nope not mathmatics, looks more like Algebra....can you help me find X?

Yeah I watched a rodeo once...nobody got bucked off or stomped in the ground....BORING!!!!!!

It's a simple fact that when one tries and fails the first 4,5,or 6 times...eventually with practice, one might get it right! Which is what a truck rodeo is...a set course (never changing) that drivers don't do so well with on the first few tries, but figure it out after the 4th or 5th attempt! Those guys aren't "professional rodeo-ers"...they don't get paid to do the rodeo "circuit"...they get paid to drive a truck the rest of the year...just like you and I...even you and I aren't really "professionals"...except for the fact we get paid to do our job. Do you call a janitor a professional? NOPE...just a janitor...but he/she gets paid to do the job. Truck driving is not categorized as a "PROFESSION", it is actually, by the Dept. of Labor, a trade!

 

I myself started pulling a 14 foot tall and 53 foot long warehouse... this thread is helpful because I have no clue about sliding tandems.

I slide mine to the middle portion of the track most of the time.