Two questions I always forgot to ask that no one talks about

Newnashguy,NEVER engage it when you have wheels spinning or you will destroy the power divider,OK I know "What is a power diveder". Answer to that question It is something you DO NOT want to tear up.

 

newnashguy sometimes you get lucky

 

I was always told you had to be completely stopped.

 

Common misconception...

 

Completely stopped is a fool-proof way not to tear something up...

 

i've been told that too.

 

Getting a trailer's doors up against a wall is a good short term security measure; they can't cut a lock or seal they can't reach, and even so they can't open the doors. The pros, though, would go through the roof if they want your cargo bad enough.

Bumping a wall might do more damage to the building than the trailer, especially with the cut-rate construction of some buildings. You'll see in your travels many a damaged dock backed into a tad too hard, once too often. And docks are usually built to take moderate impacts. Practice contacting docks and walls as near to feather soft as possible. 'They' won't thank you for it, but they won't scream at you for knocking a hole in their cheap cinderblock warehouse either.


As for the power divider (interaxle differential) lock, that's a bit of a judgement call. I do tend to lock it during short runs in slippery conditions, but i only have the power divider lock, and not full three way (or four way, as some call it) lockup. With only the power divider lock engaged, you can still have a wheel on each axle slipping; four way lockup will lock front drive, rear drive, and power divider differentials, practically locking all four drive wheels together; cruising with this engaged makes turning hell, and may send you out of control on a slippery curve. Four way lockup on dry pavement will contribute to rapid tire wear, hard cornering, driveline wear, and perhaps loss of control in even dry conditions.

 

I have had to use the interaxle lock in ND when pulling across a snow covered hay field. My switch says "Do Not Engage During Spinout" so I don't know but I always completely stop before hitting the switch.

 

We run them constantly in heavy haul, never stop, its during an actual spin-out, like losing traction spin-out, that you don't want to engage it.

And you'll know when you've engaged it at the wrong time.