What Hodge said, i designed a set of jacks for a trailer, spring loaded pin that releases with a 1/2" turn. Because pin is on a spring it wont drop the leg in travel like a threaded clamping bolt.
Unloading tractor from Trailer causes accident in PA
- Thread starter kckndrgn
- Start date
I did deliveries for a tractor dealer for a few years. I learned the hard way. Nobody trained me, I didn't know any better. Unloading a customer's brand new M4000, using a chevy dually to pull it. Ramps were traditional style hook them onto the back of the trailer, no legs. Guy lives on a steep hill, nowhere else to unload since the driveway is steep and it's backed up to a major highway, and directly across the highway is a major river.
I'm driving backwards to unload. 2wd truck is in park, brake set. Back of truck lifts up off the ground and we go for a ride. I ended up out on the highway, truck's front wheels at the very edge of the highway headed for the river. Nothing was hurt but boy was I puckered up!
A 4wd truck is best for this. Put it in 4x4 and set the brake. It won't roll much if any since all wheels are mechanically locked together. Better yet, a concrete block under the back of the trailer so it won't lift the truck. Or better yet, folding ramps that have legs. In all the years of messing with tractors and watching people load/unload them, it simply amazes me the amount of ignorance. Trailers that WAY too small for the load. Trucks that have their towing capacity doubled by the load of the tractor and trailer, and whatever else they've got on it. No ramps, just drive them up on the truck. I seen a guy do it the other day, too lazy to pull the ramps out of the trailer, and he kept trying to get the tractor to climb up the trailer. In the process he had broken something in the transmission, as park stopped holding. Every other one has no brakes on the trailer, and the ones that do dont' work or the operator doesn't know how to use them. Then lights. Out of 10 that I see loaded or unloaded, 1 might have working lights. Most don't even have any. Mobile home axles, no suspension, no lights, no wiring for the lights, nothing. Absolutely amazes me.
I'm driving backwards to unload. 2wd truck is in park, brake set. Back of truck lifts up off the ground and we go for a ride. I ended up out on the highway, truck's front wheels at the very edge of the highway headed for the river. Nothing was hurt but boy was I puckered up!
A 4wd truck is best for this. Put it in 4x4 and set the brake. It won't roll much if any since all wheels are mechanically locked together. Better yet, a concrete block under the back of the trailer so it won't lift the truck. Or better yet, folding ramps that have legs. In all the years of messing with tractors and watching people load/unload them, it simply amazes me the amount of ignorance. Trailers that WAY too small for the load. Trucks that have their towing capacity doubled by the load of the tractor and trailer, and whatever else they've got on it. No ramps, just drive them up on the truck. I seen a guy do it the other day, too lazy to pull the ramps out of the trailer, and he kept trying to get the tractor to climb up the trailer. In the process he had broken something in the transmission, as park stopped holding. Every other one has no brakes on the trailer, and the ones that do dont' work or the operator doesn't know how to use them. Then lights. Out of 10 that I see loaded or unloaded, 1 might have working lights. Most don't even have any. Mobile home axles, no suspension, no lights, no wiring for the lights, nothing. Absolutely amazes me.
NEPA Guy
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Many years ago my father-in-law learned the hard way when ever you're towing something, if you have to make a stop and leave the truck/trailer alone, always check the hookup when you get back. one time he was towing a dump trailer full of debris, stopped for lunch. he gets back into the truck and drives away and a few blocks later his trailer comes off the back of his truck....while he was eating someone had pulled the pin securing his ball to his receiver. Luckily he wasn't moving very fast when the trailer came loose and the chains did their job....the ball was still in the trailer's hitch. He had a bolt that he used to connect everything up so he could get to a store to buy another pin.
Lil Foot
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What he said.
I have a buddy who was traveling around the country with 3 other guys, all pulling fifth wheels, They all stopped at a truck stop for breakfast, and when they tried to leave, the first 3 all dropped their trailers on their pickup beds. The fourth guy saw what was happening & checked his- someone had pulled the hitch release on all 4. Mine is padlocked, but I do a walk around before driving anyway.
I have a buddy who was traveling around the country with 3 other guys, all pulling fifth wheels, They all stopped at a truck stop for breakfast, and when they tried to leave, the first 3 all dropped their trailers on their pickup beds. The fourth guy saw what was happening & checked his- someone had pulled the hitch release on all 4. Mine is padlocked, but I do a walk around before driving anyway.
NEPA Guy
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To think people would want to cause that type of wanton destruction. I've got a lock on my pin just cause I don't want people to steal my $50 ball! I'll keep a closer eye on my setup. Good advice.
My buddy told me of a very similar deal happening at a car enthusiast show. He was standing in a parking lot, out of the way fortunately, when a truck, trailer, and show car went sailing by downhill followed by a huffing red-faced owner. No one was hurt but the $22k(+) '34 Chev sedan wasn't so lucky.
BillK01
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So educate me a little since I just bought a 16’ tandem axle trailer to haul my BX2360 on. I’m a tractor hauling noob.
I have a 2011 Ford F-150 4x4 with a small 2” lift on it. My trailer has the fold down gate for loading. Should I always be putting something under the rear of the trailer when loading or unloading the tractor or is it only necessary if I’m on a hill? I do put wheel chocks under the trailer tires. I don’t want something like this happening to me.
Thanks.
I have a 2011 Ford F-150 4x4 with a small 2” lift on it. My trailer has the fold down gate for loading. Should I always be putting something under the rear of the trailer when loading or unloading the tractor or is it only necessary if I’m on a hill? I do put wheel chocks under the trailer tires. I don’t want something like this happening to me.
Thanks.
North Idaho Wolfman
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Yes it's a very good habit to get into no mater what angle its at.
A couple wood blocks will do wonders.
It's also much better on the trucks suspension.
I once was on a job and this guy was bragging about how his truck could haul so much weight, he was hauling a mini ex at the time, they back it off on flat ground, and it pulled the back of the truck off the ground and proceeded to blow his air bags to shreds, he had a hard time just pulling the empty trailer off the job.
85Hokie
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When you load the trailer....do it on flat ground, or near flat ground.
Chock the trailer tires is a good thing ifn you wish.
Make something that will allow the trailer to squat just a few inches...and then hit your homemade "jackstands" - this will take almost all pressure off the ball and hitch of your truck, look at the picture - I did this for the reason we see in post #1....cheap, quick and very effective - works like a charm.
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I hate it when that happens. When I picked up my L3901, as the dealer was loading it, it almost raised the rear of my truck off the ground. Before I unloaded it at home, I built some blocks out of 6x6's with a 2x10 on the top and bottom. Problem solved.
Daren Todd
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I had a hot shot driver do that to his 1 ton dually down in San AntoniaYes it's a very good habit to get into no mater what angle its at.
A couple wood blocks will do wonders.
It's also much better on the trucks suspension.
I once was on a job and this guy was bragging about how his truck could haul so much weight, he was hauling a mini ex at the time, they back it off on flat ground, and it pulled the back of the truck off the ground and proceeded to blow his air bags to shreds, he had a hard time just pulling the empty trailer off the job.
Guy contracted to haul a 16,000lb rated forklift up to Midland. Asked the guy if he wanted to block the goose neck trailer. He said nope, it will handle it. Asked him if he was sure?. He said load it. I made him lock the truck in 4 wheel drive low and chock the front tires. Then proceeded up the ramp. Forklift would only go half way up the ramps, then the tranny started slipping. One of the other guys grabbed "Bertha" the 20 ton forklift and shoved me up the rest of the way.
At one point up the ramps the rear wheels on the truck were 2 ft off the ground
Air bags held at that point, with the forklift centered over the axles. What blew them was when he decided to move it to the front of the trailer so he could grab another piece of equipment down the road a bit. Air bags didn't like that much weight.I don't think the hot shot even asked how much the forklift weighed, which was around 20,000 lbs.
When I was buying my trailer, drop down jack were an option, but didn’t want them in the way all the time. Instead I carry nice jack stands in the trailer box. When loading I place them under the rear corners down about an inch. Usually when the load gets toward the front the stands will become free. If not, I just drive forward a few feet to free them. I don’t do it for a lawnmower, but I do for skid steers and my tractor.
First off, this was NOT me. I always put jack stands under the rear of the trailer to keep it from lifting the truck up.
A guy was unloading a kubota, while parked on a hill. This raised the rear of the truck enough that it started going down hill and crashed in to a house.
http://akvnews.com/truck-hits-house-in-apollo-borough-crash/
hoping the operator and home owners are all OK
Tell him to give me a call, I can fix that tractor! LOL
Egressman
3 weeks ago a Zagray's (Colchester Ct) May show we watched a teenager try to load a 20hp-300-400# garden tractor up hill. Ramps were slippery metal diamond plate. After first try failed, he backed up, gunned it in 2nd gear and rolled it backwards right over himself. Thought he broke his neck or back. After a few minutes he got up. Always load slow, flat if you can, chock front wheels on hills, and support trailer deck if the tongue lifts up. Or pay up your life insurance. When it doesn't work, its talkin to you. LISTEN!
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Even on flat ground things can happen. My trailer has jack stand right on the ramps. I was loading my skid steer on it skid steer weighs around 9000 lbs. Got to the top of the ramp and started on the trailer and the trailer slid ahead throwing the skid steer on a slight angle with one wheel sitting on top of the bar that the tail light is fastened to. Had it went and inch father the skid steer would have rolled off the side of the trailer. The problem was the trailer sat on hard snowpack and that is the reason it slid forward pushing the truck and all. Truck was a Super Duty so it wasn't a light truck.