First time swinging doors, what do I need?
Posted by JesusCPenney@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 18 comments
Hi everyone, I've been a flatbedder for most of my career but I just bought my first truck and I need to run dry van for a while to save up the cash for a headache rack and securement equipment without chewing into my emergency fund. What equipment will I need? What are your favorite techniques for weight distribution and sliding the tandems? When I was a new flatbedder I always panicked when a shipper asked me "how do you want it loaded?" and now I'm worried about the same thing with a van. What else would I need to know? Thank you
wh0andwhy@reddit
Vise grip to grasp the tandem handle if it doesn't wanna stay open. Hammer to hit the tandem pins if it's stuck. Bungee and zip ties for broken mudflaps or low hanging airlines.
FishermanFabulous605@reddit
Also useful to drive over if you pick up a box with broken hinges or bent doors that wont latch.
NefariousnessNo7951@reddit
ball peen hammer to be exact driver when i first started i just got a mallet and that shit did not help with stuck tandems
jacklisterr@reddit
A BROOM!! some places are so damn picky that you might even need a toothpick
Financial-Prize9691@reddit
Dude, you are so 1980's, Battery powered leaf blower. No more spending 30 mins trying to get the bed perfect. Nah I still have a broom.
jacklisterr@reddit
lol i’m 22. i tried a leaf blower but only good for the dust and stuff. a broom is faster for me
TheJuggernaut043@reddit
While laying in bed say the numbers 13' 6" until you drift off to sleep...
DrSideShowbob@reddit
Leaf blower is amazing, and a cutoff wheel. Them deadbolt style seals suck and some shippers do not have good boltcutters if they have any at all.
I use Milwaukee brand stuff and the M12 battery series. The M12 leaf blower is half the size of the M18 and does just fine blowing trailer out. The 3" grinder is more than enough for any stubborn seal.
Other than that just remember your not in a midroof sleeper with a flatbed. Trailer tall lol.
tgpsrad@reddit
Don't forget to have fifth wheel pin Puller. Leaf blower. Shovel, gloves, cb radio, trash bags, big broom for trailer. It's suggested to also have bolt cutters on hand if you need to bust a seal for a customer. The electric bolt cutter is nice.
Present-Ambition6309@reddit
Ya need a door to swing on. Wait there, someone will tell ya which door number, probably after these station identification messages, don’t touch that dial!
Cfwydirk@reddit
OP: “What are your favorite techniques for weight distribution and sliding the tandems?“
If the lock works and releases well, lube the track and release mechanism for trouble free use.
Your trailer should have e-track. Depending on what you haul, 2 or more load bars for securement and 2 or more load straps.
Load no more than 4000# on the pin. Generally 1000# per foot = 24,000 at the 24’ mark. If the weight gets up to 45,000# no freight or very light freight past the 48’ mark.
I carry 2 extra airline springs and 2-4 spring clips. An assortment of zip ties including a few 2’ long ones. However, I drive LTL and not all trailter I pull are as well maintained as they should be.
If this will be your own trailer, or you pull the same trailer every day, you may need to carry less misc. repair parts.
Ich_mag_Kartoffeln@reddit
Stainless steel cable ties are a valuable addition to any toolkit.
ComprehensiveDark814@reddit
Depending on how far apart the pin holes are, sliding the tandems moves either 250lbs or 500lbs per hole. Every trailer I've ever used at two different megas and 5 different Walmarts was always 250lbs. So if you need to move 1,000lbs forward you would slide the tandems 4+1 holes back. 4 holes for 1,000lbs plus one just to be safe.
deezkeys098@reddit
Electric leaf blower and a battery charger saves so much time just blow your trailer clean takes me literally 4 minutes
MostOriginalNameEver@reddit
Keep a few bungees to hold doors
scottiethegoonie@reddit
Hammer, 21" rubber straps w/ hooks, alum pipe breaker bar for handles
CookieConscious4213@reddit
Aside from the weight, a few pair of bungee cords and use them to secure the swinging doors to the trailer. I used to be a yard dog, bungee cords were mandatory for us. So many trailers with different holdback designs, some with the first bounce the door would release its holdback and go swinging. Just a suggestion driver - it’s a cost effective damage preventive system.
RJ_JO@reddit
1,2,1,2 rest of the way.