Do You Slide Your Tandems Back To Back Up?
Topic 33580 | Page 1
I always unlocked my tandems and backed in, then when straight with the dock I could easily slide them back. You can do it anyway that works for you. Some places required the tandems slid to rear before entering, doesn't mean you need to keep them that way, just make sure they end up that way.
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".
When I pull a box I determine how much room is available. If it’s tight I keep them forwsrd till I get in the dock, then slide them to the rear. If they have plenty of space then i don’t worry about it.
Many warehouses require tandems to be at the back, mainly to support the trailer as forklifts drive in and out. For you, it is easier to see and control the back end without any trailer overhang and swing as you might to an alley-dock style back. The downside is the longer wheelbase makes your backing skills more important. Moving the tandems forward will make the trailer more responsive to your steering, but if your backing turn is too tight, the tail end of the trailer might swing out and hit something. And the swinging will be out where you cannot see it in the mirrors.
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".
I actually think it's easier to back into a space with tandems all the way back for all the reasons Errol mentioned. If there is enough room to swing around and you're worried about backing into a difficult spot, you can slide the tandems back to make it easier to judge where the trailer is going.
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".
If you have to slide your tandems all the way back at a customer location, beware of how that changes your turning radius while you are moving around on their facility. Especially at night when it is always difficult to see the rear of your trailer, in particular, the passenger side.
This was one of my rookie mistakes. I went to a P&G DC one night where they required all drivers to slide tandems before entering the yard. This was the first time I had encountered this requirement. I had an empty trailer and was told where to park it. On my way to the empty lot, I had to take a tight right hand turn around a row of trailers. I neglected to take into consideration my altered turning radius and I clipped the end trailer of the row. Not much damage, but it was still a preventable incident that went on my record. If my tandems were up where they were at first, this wouldn’t have happened, but I did learn a valuable lesson from that.
When I back into a dock, I like to have my tandems in a forward position, normally where I put them when I weighed the load. This is because all my set up positions were learned with the tandems forward. I don’t even like to back in to a dock with my trailer doors open because it interferes with my ability to align the trailer to the dock. So I prefer to get all backed in just right and then to pull forward to open the doors and slide the tandems if necessary. Then it’s just a straight back to bump the dock. Other drivers develop their own preferences and what works best for them. Getting in some practice backing with the tandems all the way back will help a driver determine what to do at crunch time. But, again, be super careful when and if you have the tandems all the way back and you have to drive around like that. Don’t pull a BK like I did!
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".
I guage it by how much room I have as well. Most of the time, if I slid them back at the gatehouse, it's just simpler and more efficient for me to back up with them back rather than adding an extra step. But unless it's a really funky area, I'll just back up with them wherever they're at in favor of shortening my time at the shipper/reciever and slide them back when I get the doors or as needed. I'm comfortable at this point backing with them at any position. Just be mindful of trailer swing.
There's a couple stores I've delivered to that have such a tight access road in that I have to have them forward to make the corner.
I found it useful to back and maneuver with the tandems in a variety of positions to get used to how the trailer moves.
Shipper:
The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.
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".
Love this topic, Pelican. Lot's of insightful comments.
Personally, like RealDiehl, prefer backing with them all the way back anytime I have room. I find it easier to judge where my trailer is going to end up and I can make corrections on a dime with less reward travel of the trailer.
But, as Davy A mentioned, some of the place we frequent require your tandems to be forward or you will be unable to negotiate the turns and obstacles in the tards. Once in there though, those tandems go back of I have the operating room.
Also, it's easy on the forklift operator as the trailer will have less bounce to it when they load/unload.
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".
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
I like them all the way back, or PDC. That way backing the trailer is like pivoting a pencil, with the eraser end the pivot point. I guide on the tandems for spacing on sight side backs.
Just my $.02 worth
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".
Honestly, it doesn't matter to me any more. When I first started, I thought I needed them all the way back, but it somehow clicked faster for me to have that tail swing and the "faster" turn of the shorter wheelbase.
Some of our locations make you slide the tandems at the guard shack, and it seems like a month straight of those locations turned it into a moot point.
Each position has its advantages for different backing situations, so like everything, "it depends."
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".
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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Hello,
Our company policy is to always slide our tandems to the back when we get onto the dock. No issue there.
My question is, when you are actually backing in, are your tandems forward or all the way back. It seems like having them slid back might make it easier to back up, but I'm not sure.
For what it's worth, my trainer always had me back in normally, then open my doors and slide my tandems back after I was already in line for the door.
Pelican
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".