First 3 Days Have Given Me A Meets Breakdown
Topic 14839 | Page 1
Get ready for a lot more days/weeks like this. It'll slowly get better as you get more experience, but issues never disappear completely. With that said, it is a little odd that you had three bad trailers in a row. It could have just been a stroke of bad luck, but are you sure you're not being overly picky about the condition of the trailers?
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
Well, if I can't slide my tandems , I can't scale the load correctly, if the wheel seal is busted, probably shouldn't drive the trailer 2k miles. This current trailer stop bar is hanging down close to the ground and it swings back and forth. So I don't wanna risk it snapping off and hitting a car. Overly picky... No. Overly cautious... Yes.
Get ready for a lot more days/weeks like this. It'll slowly get better as you get more experience, but issues never disappear completely. With that said, it is a little odd that you had three bad trailers in a row. It could have just been a stroke of bad luck, but are you sure you're not being overly picky about the condition of the trailers?
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
Well, if I can't slide my tandems , I can't scale the load correctly
Sure, but it's pretty rare to have tandems that will not slide at all. Not saying yours weren't or that it never happens, but given that you're new it's a possibility that they just needed some tough love.
What was the first trailer in the shop for? Anyways, sounds like you've had a tough but rather typical newbie week. Get ready for a lot more like it, but like I said it'll get better with time.
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Sounds like my last 2 months. Well sorta. I did have a few good runs.
I also had a trailer that the tandems wouldn't slide on. I never did figure out what was wrong with it. But did you check all 4 tandem pins?? I was never told there were 4. But there are. 2 in the front and 2 close to the bumper.
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Yes, sometimes you need to really hit those pins with a two pound hammer (the only application I have found thus far where loosing my temper actually helped), then rock the trailer back and forth, wiggle that handle a bunch. Rinse and repeat as needed.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
Look at getting a STA RAT it's a tool for tandems that don't like their handle being pulled
https://youtu.be/h5ZjU2lVYf0
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Look at getting a STA RAT it's a tool for tandems that don't like their handle being pulled
You have better things to use your $130 on than a sta rat. Don't waste your money.
A two pound hammer, and vice grips are all you need. The sta rat only pulls the release out, it won't unstick the pins.
Like Deb says, with the tandem brakes on, move forward then back once or twice and all four pins should release.
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
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My first trailer spend 9 hours in the shop so my first load was late, 2nd trailer tandems won't slide. Waiting on road assist to come fix them, then I'll be into my 14 so I won't even be able to scale this damn thing till AFTER my 10 hour break. :( I can't even drive. Ugh. Now there is a wheel seal leak. Bad Can't drive it. And all of road assist is on "lunch" So now they are off loading the trailer, and I'm at my 14. So I bob tailed somewhere to sleep. And the dispatch lady was rude as all get out. Made me feel like it's all my fault. Ugh. Now my current trailer stop bar for the tandems is broke so they have to send road assist out here again. AHAHHAGEHEIHEHDIFUHRBFIF
Tandems:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".