What do you do if you cant get tandems to slide

As you see lots depends on the equipment you have. Air assist or lever, manual or auto. Lots of good knowledge here I don't know so thanks for the question.
2 suggestions that have helped me. I keep the same reefer all winter so it's worth it for me. YMMV.
I rub a little grease on the rails from when I scrape the 5th wheel. (I scrape the old grease off cuz I've been told it collects and freezes in the jaws on the worst day of January when it's sleeting and you're late.... so I keep it clean)
A blue paper towel smear of grease rubbed on the rails 1x month or 2 seems to be good. Not like every surface just lower ledge and middle 6 feet or so. It moves itself around when you slide.
Also. NEVERSEIZE. The silver glop in the Grey jar with the brush. A brush full smushed in at all 4 pins from Nov to April whenever you remember. It pulls in with pins and I guess coats the back side? It was suggested to me by an old guy and I think it helps. I stopped having to beat stuff up with the BFH.

 

If you mix assembly lube with the neversieze, you get a super slippery shmu very slick.

 

Assembly lube? Is this a generic term or a product? Always good to learn about new 'tools'... I have a 6pack that holds various spray stuff, silicone, pb blaster, fluid film, etc. I spray winches and binders with various chemicals depending on circumstances. Should I add this to the options?
(Quick visual of those poor f'ers losing the back set out the rear of the trailer. Yes it's not really funny but....you did say slippery!!!)

 

A couple chains with hooks on 1 end always worked for me.

 

I see one problem. Keeping these rails treated on a regular basis is something an OO or a small fleet can do. Large (150+) carriers have thousands of trailers spread all over creation. This means prevention is almost impossible. In these cases when confronted with recalcitrant tandems you have cold metal on metal. I also have seen tandems sitting crooked on the rails. <<<<This is caused mostly by yard dog abuse. That BFH as you call it is the only way to get some pins to retract in these situations. This problem harkens back to hundreds if not thousands of threads about how drivers leave problem trailers for other drivers to deal with. Example and off-topic a bit. I was once dispatched to one of my company terminals to pick up a reefer load on a repower. It was late at night and the dropping driver did not take the time to get security to open the diesel pump and fuel the reefer before going on hometime. When I came along about 3 hours later that reefer had quit was throwing codes because it had run out of fuel. I refueled the tank and tried to restart but in most situations, once a reefer unit runs out of fuel the unit sucks so much trash the fuel filter gets blocked. That was an emergency late-night TK service call that was expensive. Flat tires, air leaks, missing or expired permits and tags and busted airbags are just part of that problem. Another problem I have is why buy this crap? Outside of a can of WD-40 just for general reasons I ALWAYS got someone in my carrier's shop to give me the spray.

I'm retired now. This is one aspect of trucking I DO NOT miss.

 

Assembly lube is the generic name, its for popping engines back together, think gear oil for viscosity plus a hair stickier

 

Sounds like could be similar to the Lucas 5th wheel oil. Not the Red n Tacky grease, the clear gold viscous liquid in a tube.

 

If the brakes won't hold, they need replaced. Drums, shoes, and probably chambers too.

 

Generally speaking. As one tows the trailer down the road. The pins in time will wear a groove in them in the front.
The simple way to get past the groove is to set the trailer brakes and gently nudge backwards. You dont need to hit a curb or anything that violent. If the pins wont retract, yes, whacking the pin outside of the frame should make them retract. I carried a 3 pound garden mallet with me when I was turning miles
3 lb. Hardwood Cross Pein Hammer

 

Not the lucas 5th wheel stuff, thats black and the consistency of tar, way too thick.