Thing's that make yah go

Good catch. I've now made it a habit to scan the ground for sharp metal objects, nuts, or bolts, anything that can puncture a tire. Some of our customer yards require extensive cleanup before I can start moving.

One customer in particular has a long, narrow dirt yard with fracking equipment on either side. In order to back in to the single door to the warehouse to be loaded by overhead crane, you have to pull forward about 100 yards to get the trailer split axles in position to start backing. I spend about 15 minutes walking the entire route, throwing dozens of bolts and sharp metal chunks out of the way before I start the maneuvers.

 

Factory Cover???? LOL.
Yanking the axles eliminates any rotation of the gears during transport. Now you do know the factory cover is part of the axle correct? Just asking since I don't know you.

 

That plate on the hub is pulled shaft. It's for towing. You can try and jump into that tractor and drive it it will not go at all.

Ive a few stories in my time. One was a angle iron about 4 foot and one thick in my lane at Cross Bronx over the east river. I horsed the whole thing into the right and pissed off so many people I was public enemy number one and to this day I distinctly remember the CLANK as it took out a 4 wheeler behind me. I moved around it, he never did.