Wheeled landing gear

This is likely a question for our resident trucking history buff. @Mike2633 hopefully can tell us.

 

Back in the day trailers had no maxi brakes,when the air leaked off the brakes released, when a truck tried to hook the wheels would let it roll instead of bending the landing gear.

 

thank you and I have been driving since 85 and I didn't know why either lol

 

I always wondered myself. Next question is how many got dropped on an incline and just rolled away!!!

 

Back then they were smart enough to block the wheels and back up to it and hook airlines up before backing under.

 

I worked at a local job in 95 that had some old quads with two front axles welded up in place no drums, brake shoes or wheels, dollies had wheels.We’d drag them aroun the city, their “official “ policy for hooking all trailers was to hook up , charge and apply brakes. They were probably 1970s trailers. Only good thing about Driving junky equipment is you learn all kind of tricks.Like dipping pigtail in tank, bungee cord gearshift in top gear, never trusting a fuel gauge. And my favorite, running a small wire from fuse panel to pigtail for Trailer running lights. Lol, I don’t miss that job at all.

 

Or back close to trailer and hook air lines, charge air tank, if need be, then you can lock brakes on to back under it. ( opps you did say that) lol on the "smart enough". I sense sarcasm. On the wheel landing gear...some container chassis still use them. Have no idea in the reason of wheels. Unless the yard truck, or someone don't lift landing gear up far enough they would have more of a roll instead of gouging effect? Not suprised though, (still on chassis)spoke wheels, tube type tires, and some tubeless. The tire casings are almost always 10 years old unless its a new(er) chassis.

 

My father in law worked at Dayton tire in Dayton Ohio. When the trailers would loose air of course they wouldn't have parking brakes. The forklift drivers would go into the trailer real fast and slam on the brakes. This would cause the trailer to roll away from the dock. Needless to say they were on break until someone could put the trailer back to the dock.