What does it take to tip a trailer over?

I would think it would all depend on the load in your box frankly. I suppose you are wondering what angle the trailer would have to be at to be at the point of no return? I've personally seen a loaded truck cut a turn too short and put his passenger side trailer tandems in a deep ditch. The trailer didn't come completely over and the driver's side of the cab was lifted up in the air, as it rested on the passenger side tires of the truck. It didn't come all the way over.

Lots of factors involved to just give you a simple answer. You woulda thought the whole thing woulda just come right on over the way it was sitting.

 

yup-

as has been mentioned a couple times - you can't call it from the sidelines. It's going to depend on the load - almost entirely - given those criteria.

My first load was 44k pounds, nose to tail and floor to fill line.
My last load before break was 44K pounds, nose to tandems, and 3 feet tall.

In identical circumstances, I would be forced to assume my first load would fall over ... uh.. first.

See what we're saying?

 

First of all, XDBGuard, I sure give you credit for asking a question (too) many newBees would consider dumb --- but it sure isn't.
NopE!

Tell me what'cha know.

B I N G O !
And don't forget the snow, and what IT may be covering.

The MOST?
Hmmmmmm
To stay on it's wheels?

It probably could, but I doubt always does.

Not necessarily.
Air-ride or leaf-spring suspension?

I like to assume I don't. And drive accordingly.

I VERY slightly topped a trailer up in Maine, once. But I've never rolled one, and with some of my loads, it wouldn't be that hard to do.

The trailers were built to deck the cargo area -- creating two separate compartments.
They were 48' and had flat floors -- NO dance floor -- and large, full-length belly boxes under the floor on the exterior.
That's where we stored all the 3/4" plywood decking, cross braces, 150 furniture pads, 150 motorcycle straps, and one set of split ramps.

Tractor and trailer are all air-ride suspension.

All that weight in the belly boxes is low center of gravity. But when all that weight is on the trailer floor -- and there's ANOTHER floor above that -- a "decked" load -- it ain't real hard to rock-n-roll if the bottom load comes off first.
Can we say "top heavy"?
Besides wind, what rocked our boat are what I call nun or nuns -- if there's a bunch.

I "nun" is where one side of a parking lot aisle rises for say, ..... the left trailer tandem -- as the right side tandem hits a hole.
Kinda like a wash-board with ribs that don't line up to form a bump -- but rather a side-to-side rock.
The trailer can disappear from the left mirror, and fully fill the right mirror.
That thar is a pucker factor of about 3 or 4,
especially if you've got a couple of more ahead, and you aren't slowed down enough, and/or not paying attention.

Sometimes slowing down too quickly isn't the thing to do, and often it can be necessary to pedal it through -- a combination of gettin' on it, and backin' off the fuel, --- especially if there are many ahead, and you're committed.

Having to BACK outta that situation is another thread in itself.

You SHOULD be able to feel it as the Big truck goes over it first, and adjust your approach as necessary. But sometimes the trailer isn't tracking exactly behind the Big truck. While turning would be an example.

Experience!
If y'all have been through a situation with an official pucker factor, and survived --- that's a feather in y'all's cap if you know better than to do THAT again. Or,
how to BETTER do it.

The closest I ever saw a trailer almost go over was at the T/A truck stop in Illinois up near Wisconsin.

I helped another driver back into a spot right next to me because he had to back AROUND a very deep hole full of water. It had rained pretty heavily and the weather had cleared, but there were still a LOT of puddles all over the parking lot, just not as deep.

As other dirvers continued to hit that hole, it became even deeper and jaw shattering to run into --even at 5 mph.

I thought it would be neighborly to warn other drivers about the hole to hello-ceiling, and seein' as I was gonna be there for 8 hours, I keyed up the company CB, and informed those drivers with their ears on.
Those who didn't -- I felt sorry for as they crashed into it, goin' slow.

But I didn't feel real sorry for the guy who was crusin' the lot, lookin' EVER so fine, and laughed when I told him that the hole was just past the Schneider truck if he was headed south, and just before the Werner truck if he was headed north.

He was headed south -- and commenced to blamin' that hole on the two companies who's Big trucks were parked near it.

They prolly dug that hole to hide in 'cause they's em-bare-assed by the color of their trucks.
HaaHaaa Haaaaaaaa

Ka-WHAM BAM CRUNCH
B O OM
THUD.

That driver hit that hole clippin' right along, and YES ---- I saw it comin'.
When his long nose took a dive, he lost nearly ALL his forward motion, but the trailer, now leaning hard to port (left), was tryin' to pass the Big truck in the hole.
Just about when I thought that trailer was gone -- UP pops the Peterbilt, outta the hole, and knocks the trailer back onto it's wheels.

Oh, it rocked and rolled severely a couple of more times, but the worst was over --- until ALL the damage was assessed.

I KNOW I heard metal things breaking, And I'm pretty sure his left fuel tank wasn't draggin' the ground beFORE fallin' in the hole.

Not to mention that the driver disappeared from my sight above his waist. He launched like a missle into the ceiling of that flat-top Pete, and crunched-up his black cowboy hat, which fell out of the open driver's side door window, and into the water.

Last I saw, he was limping the Pete away, and he didn't come back for his black hat either.
I know --- 'cause from then on, I warned other drivers that the hole was right where the black cowboy hat was, and how it came to be in that location.
Never mentioned Schneider or Werner again.
We didn't want to be splashed, ..... again.

 

YuP!
That'll do it too.
I think you have the concept.

During times like that, it's perfectly alright to make up your OWN words.

One of the important things is, you got 'er done without damaging equipment.
Another would be that'cha learned something.
You've stretched your horizons.
Congratulations!
That's called seasoning.
*(A "seasoned" Big truck truck driver is a step above a rookie. Next step is WELL seasoned.)

Due Dilligence!
Don't leave home without it.
That and a good attitude will eventually get'cha farther down the highway in the long run, IMO and experience.

YuP!
And the decisions you make.

Scary for YOU?!
HaiL!
Just READIN' 'bout tippin' a trailer scares ME!

My last gig was with a truckin' and warehousin', small, specialty truckin' company.
Part of my duties were to THINK.
Imagine THAT!

With multi-million dollar loads in my wagon,
that folks have been known to HURT a driver to get, -- and NEVER shake-N-bake.

Company Policy: Your loads WILL arrive in it at LEAST as good condition as it was in when it was loaded.
Or better.

When we ran into problems, and there were many -- the owner would say: Throw money at it --- MAKE it go away.
And we would and it did.

ABSOLUTELY!
But NEVER OVER estimate your truck.

I/We hope you'll make it a habit of visiting us.
Your question(s) should prove interesting to those wannaBees and newBees who haven't experienced what you have, ........ yet.
By coming here and relating your experiences, it actually helps many folks.

Our motto here is,
The Dumbest Question Is The One
NOT Asked.

And, IMO, the fact that you posted here seeking answers and/or advice, -- tells ME, that YOU'RE a cut above average.
That's what I think.