I have been trailering all types of equipment,boats and livestock my whole life. Very good and thorough information. When you buy a trailer they should hand out a video like this.
I followed your instructions step by step. Towed my 763 bobcat for the first time. I never towed anything in my life. You made my day. Thorough and dramatic video . Thank you boss
One thing I would add is always make sure no one is talking to you or interrupt you when you were in the process of hooking up a trailer I’ve seen many people get distracted and forget a step when you start hooking up don’t stop until you’re done
Amen brother. I have been distracted by simply talking to someone next to Me or being on the phone. Always double check your hook ups especially if someone else did them.
One of my guys hooked up and loaded to leave town the next day. Over night the backhoe was needed for a fiber optic hit. They brought it back and loaded it back on the trailer but it was not balanced right on the way out of town it pushed the truck causing a smack into the guard rail. All I could do was watch in my semi’s rear view.
Yes, I have almost no experience with a trailer but this happened to me, while I was hooking it up. Coworker just had to point something else out to me on the other side of the shop. I asked if I could finish, he wasn't having it. Drove for 6 hours clearing snow before I remembered the Pinole was still open. I was so lucky.
This to me is probably the most important thing. Too many times, I’d say close to 90%, fellow employees are always cracking jokes, bitching, telling you why your doing it wrong, or intentionally making things extra difficult, and steps are overlooked or forgotten. Next thing you know your sitting at a red light and 20 seconds later your trailer rear ends you or possibly passes you and runs the red light.
I hope these young guys are taking advantage of these youtube videos, we didn't have anything like this when we were coming up. It was either trial and error or seek advice from the old timers! Thumbs UP!
Sometimes the old guys would tell you wrong just to open your thinking to larger truths. I asked a guy why he told me wrong and his answer was, "Trust is built on second opinions and the Second Amendment." So I ended up learning several things more important than the question I asked. Old guys are great.
Ur generation car manual comes with valve adjustments instructions. Now it says do not drink batter contents. Idk if you tube can save em. But there is a few of us.
Breakaway cable tip- I have an eye bolt installed in the trailer ball hole of the factory bumper and connect my breakaway cable to that eye bolt. That way if anything happens to where the receiver hitch breaks/falls off of the truck frame, the cable will still be attached to the truck and trip the breakaway switch. I also use a carabiner to secure the breakaway cable to the eye bolt- quick and easy.
Good idea. I was working for a landscape and irrigation company, and we had a skid steer and a lot of material on the trailer. Crew cab truck full of guys. I was sitting in the back at the driver's side window seat (yup, I had some seniority 😅). We were on a VERY busy elevated interstate section during morning rush hour. We hit a bump, and felt a jerk. The driver asked "what was that?". We were all looking around, and I guess that the driver had let off of the gas. I looked out my window, and our loaded trailer was in the next lane PASSING US! 😮 The entire hitch was sparking as it bumped up and down, digging big gouges in the road surface. Suddenly the trailer turned into us, and ran under my side of the truck. When we finally stopped, the tire under me was on the trailer, the passenger rear tire was in the air, and the front two tires were the only ones still on the ground. It seems like it happened in slow motion, but it probably happened in seconds. We made it past the overpass, but it still could have been bad if we ran completely off of the road (steep drop off). Thankfully, no one was hurt, and no other vehicles were involved. One of those safety brake systems would have been great.
I don’t care if you did this video 2 years ago. I never would’ve saw that video and it likely wouldn’t be recommended to me. I saw this one and learned a lot. Thanks for making this again Stan
@@positivelynegative9149 12:30 He was talking about side to side, but he called it porpoising. This is what happens when you have too much weight behind the axles. It's also called the tail wagging the dog.
This is a fantastic video. Bought a new 11k skid loader for my company and had the weight to far back. When I came off the ramp and entered the highway at about 50 mph my trailer started swinging and my truck started swinging with the trailer. I lightly hit my brakes and let the truck come to a stop on the side of the highway. I did some research after the fact and you are spot on. Can't begin to tell you how scary it is sitting in the truck almost at the mercy of the load behind you with the sense of dread not knowing how it will play out. Take the time to do everything Stanley says. This is a life and equipment savior and for the ten minutes it takes to do it right not one of us should care about that little bit of time. Thanks and again a fantastic video going to make my entire team watch this.
This probably educates the weekend warriors even more! Trades people usually are trained by experienced co-workers, but weekend warriors are on their own... Often thinking they know more than they really do know and are a hazard to themselves and others around them.... Who knew or stopped to think that dragging chains could cause forest fires? 💖🌞🌵😷
Prof. Stan, thank you! I'm the son of a contractor & been a builder all my adult life (+50yrs, yuck...) have seen too many funny stories, being most didn't get hurt too much (did see a smaller dump truck & an older 2wd loader, lift the back wheels of the truck & push the whole rig a couple hundred foot down an incline...). I got comp!scent for a couple of decades, only because my K30 had a 9' utility box & tools (+ 4-5000#)... Hauling with an empty truck can have its own issues, definitely will get pushed around by that heavy load if things ever go bad. Thanks for the content, definitely good to have someone teaching the right way to those who might not have the experience...
My dad did that unloading a skid loader with a porta potty on the forks in a high end lake community. During 4th of July. Here he goes sliding down the hill. truck, trailer, loader and Porta potty what a scene! He was pretty embarrassed
I always recommend to my anyone loading heavy equipment on a trailer, like a skidsteer, to not only put the truck in park but ALSO put the truck in 4wheel drive. Most pickups are real wheel drive, if the rear tires happen to lift off the ground and there is a small incline, the truck will roll forward or backwards because the trucks drive wheels are off the ground. If it's in 4wheel drive there are 4 drive wheels acting as breaks. This is especially important if you dont have a second person to actually stay in the truck to hold the breaks.
Great advice. I was loading a front end loaded this year on an incline, in a hurry, done it hundreds of times. The back tires slightly lifted and the trailer and truck took off down hill. I jumped, broke my arm, and bruised my ego. Truck, trailer, loader all stopped safely at the bottom of the hill. Yep stupid mistake on my part. Always, always use wheel stops amd never load going down hill.
If I load something heavy or if I’m at a boat ramp, I always put it in 4low. Hoping that low range will make the stress on the parking pawl less than 4hi
@@hambuga69 I do the same thing as well as chock the front tires. I have a manual transmission so I have ropes attached to the chocks so that I can pull them up and out of the way as I start to pull up the ramp.
@@hambuga69 4low will help if it's a manual and you leave it in gear, but it won't do anything to reduce pressure on the park pawl of an automatic. When in park it is essentially in neutral, as far as any gearing in the transmission or transfer case goes.
These types of videos are great. I can’t tell you how many people I see that don’t know how to properly load a trailer. You should always update these videos every year. Keep them fresh and always getting new views.
If your trailer is swaying or as we call "fishtailing" you hit the accelerator not the breaks if you do not have trailer breaks. Once your out of the sway you slow down. I have experienced this a few times due to early in my career not having the proper equipment ie trailer breaks or light duty trucks. I know it sounds crazy but my dad saved my life with that lesson. I lost a mini excavator one time because I hit the truck breaks. Thanks for sharing this vid!
Ive found if a trailer loaded too heavy to the back the trailer will start dancing around 45 mph. And materials want to become airborne by 80 mph. The latter applies more to ie plywood loaded ON a vehicle. As opposed to being IN it
And ill load that little case loader backwards so engine side is towards front of trailer and i dont have to worry about flipping over backwards loading and unloading it when the tires are low or flat. The one i use on occasion has crappy tires
Thank You for the baby step education. I've used equipment trailers for about 8 years. I'm always on the look out for safely to improve the load and harness. You made my day.
I think we went over a few things about loading a trailer but i a glad we’re going over this right before the season really gets to a start, always good to have safety reminders.
I’m a retired General Contractor and don't do much hauling any more but you never know when your tips might be helpful. I once observed a contractor with an imbalanced trailer, loaded up with lumber, doing 65 on the freeway. One, two, three and he was facing the wrong way right in front of me. Every one stopped in time and proceeded to go around this poor fellow who was as white as a ghost. This observation led me to ask, "Why did this happen?" Imbalanced load and traveling too fast was the answer. A lesson I never forgot. You may have saved someone's life with this video. Excellent job!
Only way to use them. Then they can move freely turning. If you don't have em crossed, and they're a little short, they bind up. Where the same length chain works fine crossed because, geometry. And the added benefit of helping to catch the tongue if it does come loose.
Awsome video! I’ve towed so much stuff in my life and yet I’ve still learned a lot from your video! Thanks for sharing this with everyone...The whole trailer breaks before the truck breaks makes total sense! ...... I’ve seen a truck get just totaled from an out of control boat trailer that blew a tire! Watched the whole thing happen right in front of us driving down the highway! As soon as the driver hit the breaks the truck slid sideways while getting tangled up with the boat and trailer going into the median into a 5second junk pile... everyone walked away thankfully! Thanks again!
This is a phenomenal video! Thank you! Never would I see this anywhere else nor know where to get this knowledge as a weekend DIYer! Tremendous and you are a hero.
Came here to say this. Too many times I've seen someone pick up the back end of the truck and you better hope that's not where your only pair of chocks are lol. One time I was watching a guy load a wheel loader and picked up the back of the truck, no chocks and he kept going until he pushed the truck forward into another truck.
As always, very informative and a clear concise explanation Stan. I cannot begin to count how many priceless nuggets of information and experience I have gleaned from your videos over the years. Yours is easily one of my favorite channels on the tubes. And I'm not even a contractor. Keep it up Stan. You are changing lives with your videos and with this one, specifically, probably SAVING lives. Keep em comin brother!
Great video " visualizing " how to distribute weight load, And great refresher on loading trailers! Thanks! I believe we all need this from time to time.
Excellent video! Because I’m such a poor judge of what “looks right”, I use a yardstick (or any stick, really) leaned against the bumper and note the height BEFORE I load, and then seek to “squat” the bumper between 1/2” and 1” as I load, depending on how heavy my load is. This tells me I’m at least in the ballpark with most of the weight on the axles and some of it on the hitch, but most importantly not too far back. This method has worked well for me for many years - nice smooth and balanced ride, and I’ve never had a “death wobble” incident :)
An excellent video which should almost be compulsory viewing for any new driver before even thinking of pulling any trailer. I used to pull a 12' single axle caravan some 40 years ago and always checked the tow hitch height against my leg when lowering the front jockey wheel. I would then adjust my load in the caravan and recheck. I would then take it easy for the first 50 or so kilometres, stopping and re-adjusting as necessary until I was happy with the feel of the combination through my backside. I could then happily drive all day with a combination which would handle nearly as well as the to vehicle on it's own. I still don't understand why a new driver takes a test in a family car, but does not need to take a test before then pulling a tandem caravan with the same car.
Just got my first skid steer. Super stoked! Thanks a ton for these videos. I want to be as safe as possible and your making it easy to find the information I need to learn. Keep up the great work!
Here is an additional bit of information. On each of our trailers, we use a permanent marker to indicate where the centerline of each piece of equipment should be located for solo equipment loading. These are equipment trailers, not fancy car trailers. Therefore, we feel a few marker lines are much more valuable for everyone's safety than the looks of the trailer. Also, at the end of the video, you mention "if you are on the jobsite, and you need to get moving down the road." This happens to everyone. However, the moment you realize that you do NOT have the proper equipment to properly secure your load, text, call, etc. all crew members, or at least those in charge, to order/gather the correct items. Then restock the trailer as soon as possible. Making the entire crew aware of it will assure that you end up safer on subsequent towing situations. More safety is actually more cost effective in the long run.
I was just going to say the same thing. I only have one trailer for 3 different pieces of equipment, so I have 3 different color spray painted lines on my trailer to coincide with the corresponding equipment.
Outstanding video! Quite a few points you made i was familiar with, but the loading backwards of a machine with a turbo that could possibly spin unlubricated “NEVER” occurred to me. I totally agree with other comments in the fact that you are educating the young in a hurry folk as well as the seasoned peeps such as myself. Keep up the good/safe work!
Good information. I especially liked the advice on using the trailer brake control first in the event the trailer starts swaying out of control. Thanks for the valuable info.
Crazy true! I loaded a friends tractor on my trailer, he had a pinned on bucket so I couldn't drop it off to save room, didn't help that his brush cutter ate up the remaining room. I left in another truck to do another quick job. When I did he backwards loaded the tractor, overloaded the hitch and called me 20 minutes later after he wobbled off the road and flipped the truck and trailer. KTAC insurance did not payoff the claim. Ignorance ( not knowing better) kills. Great video!
Great video, but if I could add one more thing to do while loading something heavy like a Skid steer it would be to put Jack stands under the ends of the trailer both sides with about a 2" gap so it helps with the stress of loading and unloading the hitch and the rear axel. Take it or leave it for what it is worth but it is something I was taught by a very wise man when I was young.
The ramps on his trailer have kickstands built in. It prevents the weight of the equipment from lifting the truck axle off the ground and letting it walk away.
It is VERY important to make sure the chains DO NOT DRAG ON THE GROUND, twist the chains to shorten them if they need it. This will prevent the chains from sparking and causing wildfires, and wearing out your chains. I was taught to immediately accelerate firmly if the trailer started to fishtail. Fishtailing can happen even to a properly loaded trailer given certain road conditions, especially high winds. Our first instinct is to slam on the truck brakes, which is the worst thing to do. Nice instructional video.
I will never forget that snowy day about 6 years ago when I was driving a truck with a long trailer and while riding along listening to music I saw this shadow besides my passenger window that just kept going besides me at the same speed, when I turned around to see who was the driver I noticed it was my OWN trailer that had jackknifed and I was looking at the rear-end besides me going at 60 MPH.
That is a big no no. Do not twist chains. For one its illegal here because it seriously weakens them. Adjust them to be perfect length. Not tight but long enough to be able to turn.
@@davidjeffery9791 Wow! This took me down a rabbit hole about trailer chain safety. Seems like it is very state specific, but one should not twist chains if at all possible, and chains should be properly adjusted to prevent dragging and to be as tight as possible, and most safety chains are improperly used even if they comply with state laws.
Thanks for taking the time to preach a little roadway safety. I’m in south Florida and the loads running down the highway here are nightmares. Anyone can buy the heavier equipment but no one teaches them to haul it or load it.
This video is definitely worth watching. I am glad I saw this. Never thought of this at all. Glad someone else from Minnesota is an expert on this. Thanks Stanley. Cokato Minnesota.
Don't forget in your videos to talk about adjust your trailer brakes so that the trailer brake come on slightly harder then your car brakes as you test your brakes before your drive off. It help to keep the tailer straight with the car an trailer is the one doing slightly more braking. Hope that makes sense to you lol.
This is one reason I still use a Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller. The boost function is a very nice feature to have the trailer brakes lead. Can also be done with the older pendulum style brake controllers too. I haven't shopped for a brake controller in a long time, there's probably better models out there.
Very instructional . When you had the skid steer in the 4th position with it facing to the rear with it all the way on the rear of the trailer , you forgot to leave a half of a bucket full of gravel in it , this keeps people from tailgating you or riding your trailer bumper as the gravel shaking out prevents people from tailgating you . lol But really , it's a great video and will teach allot of people how it should be done correctly !!! Good Job !!
Nice! Good explaining. I pull a float with dozers and excavators now, but imagine having to learn this with 50k pound coils and a 5 axle ontario spread. Keep it up !!
Great video have trucked 51 years nothing is more scary than a small trailer loaded wrong or not properly secured . On top of all that cruising at 70 mph changing lanes every 500 feet. Thanks again Stanley
Stan in Minnesota legally you have to cross chains to create a basket for the hitch if it falls off which you did the second time and also legally the break away is supposed to be hooked somewhere other than the hitch in case the hitch falls off the break away will still work!
@@xenonram it can’t be hooked to the receiver it has to be hooked to a separate spot in case the receiver falls off the break away will not pull the plug!
Nice video! My input is that I'd rotate the chains around a few times so they don't hang as low. Ideally bird nesting them allows it to be caught before it's dragging on the ground
You just helped keep us all a bit safer. Thanks. Very much. I've been pulling a haul away trailer off and on in my carpentry business for years and still learned some live saving skills. Again. Thanks for your help.
Great video. Don't forget to stow your jack handle! Weight distribution looks pretty good. A good thing to know about skid steer loaders is, when unloaded, about 70% of the machine weight is on the rear tires (regular dirt bucket).
Nice, this is info that any person who might work physical labor, outdoors, construction, gardening, that kind of thing, should know. Or at least have a basic understanding of, and a lot of people don't have that knowledge. I didn't know any of this just a few years ago, and I'm glad that I do now. Excellent video, and nice trailer too by the way. 🤘
The various times I've hired earthmoving machinery, they came on custom trailers that just fit them neatly. Watching this, I'm very grateful for my local hire company's forethought.
On a dual axle trailer with leaf springs, where the leaf springs attach between the wheels, look at the center bar that the leaf's attach to, you want the bar almost level,, the rear of the bar should point up 1-3 degrees, your load is perfect! this is a better indicator than the tires... Your video is spot on, great info for the new trailer owner's,,,,I wish alot of people would see this video instead of me seeing them on either side of the roads...
Excellent video! This information is SO important! Your exactly right, every trailer does have its own personality. None of them are made 100% exactly the same, and even sister trailers can act totally different from having different brand tires on them. Towing is like shooting, always stick to the fundamentals no matter how long you’ve been doing it and you’ll be good.
We all should watch this video 4 times a year!! We all get to complacent. At my main job right now we have to watch videos on how to drive, load, unload and way more. But over time we say I have done X and I know what I’m doing.
Solid advice but only thing I do different is chock the front wheels of the truck because the transmission and e brake only stop the rear wheels from spinning and while loading it is possible to take enough weight off the rear axle to cause the truck to roll. Again great video man
I dont own or use the equipment you do, professional homeowner here, though you give great sound advice and I very much appreciate it. This can apply to general safety protocols etc so thanks for the walk through from someone I can trust. God Bless brother, way to look out for the community and keep on teaching! If you don't put any money in your pocket that day or today, just know your walking with purpose and sharing with others is what counts.
Spray paint a mark on your trailer, for where the bucket edge goes, where ever it balances properly. If towing different items on the same trailer, make balancing marks accordingly. Can color code equipment edges, and trailer frame, accordingly.
"Cheat sheets" encourage ignorance on how or why the "cheat sheet" is the way it is meaning you go to something without the cheater marks and you are clueless, best to just know how to competently load a trailer or truck or whatever you are hauling on.
@@towtruckaj Love my little spray paint marks on my trailer. Tells me exactly where to put the bucket on my bobcat every time. I can get it real close without the marks , but even a carpenter uses a tape measure, after marking 4 ft for 20 yrs.
@@treeguyable Well one is a precise measurement that can't be wrong or its scraped and one has quite a bit of wiggle room, but so long as you know what you are doing before relying on the marks that's fine, but relying on the marks without knowing at all how to load a trailer properly without is bad.
@@treeguyable Like i said you can use cheaters if you know what you are doing already, but its dangerous to use a cheater on something so critical if you don't actually know the idea behind it, because then when left without a cheater you are clueless.
if you wanted to have even more protection from moving or rolling you can put the ''wedges'' and the ''X' between the trailer tires and pull the ''breakaway'' pin activating the trailer's brakes.
Great video Stan, many people can learn from this video I know for a fact there are people who don’t know how to load and position equipment safely on a trailer. Kept the videos coming. Stay safe .
Pro tip: if you have equipment that has dedicated trailers, or if you were a small operation that has say one skid steer and a single trailer … once you locate that sweet spot where the equipment needs to go on the trailer, you can simply put a mark on the fender and then put a mark on the piece of equipment with a piece of duck tape or a paint stencil. Then all you have to do is line up to that mark every time. You could also put a line across the floor of the trailer where you line up your bucket. In any event having a witness mark makes things a lot smoother.
I've always been taught that the bulk of the load should be over the axle(s). Some argue that most of the load should be close to the tongue. Awesome video!
Ut was really interesting to see how a trailer hooks up in the USA, here in Sweden we only have 2 inch ball and coupler on every light trailer. There is a really simple way to check if the ball has attached properly, just use the jack until you see the truck lift as well as the tung of the trailer.
I don’t have a ton of experience pulling trailers and I want to say this video was done very well. A ton of great points and most importantly an explanation behind those points. Thanks Stan! I appreciate the lesson and will apply in my business
I grew up on a farm - hauling equipment was a regular thing even at an earlier age, and always with a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. Around 19 I remember using a pretty large dual axle enclosed trailer to help my friend move. I used a Jeep Liberty as a tow vehicle. The trailer alone was probably pushing the limits of the rig. To top it off I loaded it completely randomly - I would have been fine most likely if I put some thought into it and took it slow - Anyways going down the highway at 65 and it starts whipping me back and forth, luckily my first instinct was to take the foot off the gas and coast but man was that a scary experience. I'm in my 30s now and what you said about always checking how your load is situated (regarding having a different rig) I'm finding is true for a lot of things in life. When you get comfortable because you've done a thing a 999 times its the 1000th time that wrecks your world. Simple things that add 5 minutes, such as one final walk around/inspection, are always worth it. No boss should be upset over 5 minutes, and you're getting paid for it while possibly saving your/someone's life.
It just happend to me earlier today. I did a second walk around and caught a mistake on my trailer. I practice what i preach becuase I have learned the hard way
Best video I have seen on trailer loading, ever! This is the highest stress activity I have, closely followed by backing a trailer up into a tight building. Thanks for the detail and real life examples! “Let’s make it worse….”
Thank you for this info. This should be mandatory watching for anyone in construction, or using any equipment big or small. I had a uhaul trailer and small pickup truck hauling it across country. It started "the tail wagging the dog". No trailer brakes, but I did the stomp hard on brake for just a second, then gassed it just to tug it straight. At that point, i slowed way down to get my oh s*** racing heart to slow.. Never drive faster than your guardian angels can fly! Be safe. Peace.
Again, a great video. A couple of things to think about as well is to temporarily pull the trailer emergency brake when loading or unloading the trailer, just remember to plug it back in before trying to pull out. It will remind you quickly that you forgot, but you won't feel as stupid if you remember.. The other is to make sure your trailer brakes are not set too aggressively, especially in wet weather. A trailer grabbing the brakes hard in a curve, like an interchange ramp with a tight radius can pull the back end of your truck hard towards the inside of the curve, losing traction and putting you at a control loss. When it's wet, I back off the trailer gain just a bit and reach down to manually apply more brake coming up to a stop condition if needed. I also always treat wet pavement like ice. Your videos are always great and you promote a good Samaritan effort with every one that I watch. Kudos!
I would like to add a few things. Wheel chock both front wheels, not the rear ones. Here's why, if you load something heavy, the weight can push the rear of the trailer down. The trailer will then pick up the rear of the truck. I've seen it many times. That brings up the next point. Block/support the rear of the trailer. Not all ramps are the wedge style and only touch the ground at one spot.
Well done video with a lot of good information. I have pulled enough heavy equipment to know a lot, while not having pulled enough to know "everything". I have nothing to add to this information except that I have had two incidents of truck/trailer units coming towards me on the highway when they have swayed to the point of losing absolute control. It wasn't only the trailer hauler's pants that got filled one of those times. The only thing that saved me is that I managed to time his swing to the ditch with the moment that I passed him, then he passed behind me into my ditch. Scary stuff!!
One thing I've done is measure my truck sag with various known tongue weights attached. I then recorded my distance from the wheel well lip to the ground at each loading (500 lbs, 750 lbs, 1000 lbs). Moving forward, I have a rough idea of what my rear wheel well measurement should be based on what tongue weight I'm targeting. I typically like to calculate out my loads (compact utility tractor + implements). Of course you still do a visual inspection each time to make sure it looks the way it should.
Proper weight distribution is key when it comes to pulling a trailer also the proper height for the ball when it's connected and properly securing a load so it don't shift keep the good stuff coming
Great tutorial. I really wish all the “landscapers” around my area would watch it. It would be nice not to get a windshield full of pieces of sod and rocks for a change.
You always want ur safety brake emergency pull cable tighter than the safety chain slack, you want the emergency safety brake cable to pull the cable out before the slack fully extends on the safety chain connection, if the safety chains fully stretch out and the emergeny safety brake cable does not pull the the emergency safety brake cable wire it is rendered useless.
I disagree. If the trailer brakes lock up while still attached to the tow vehicle the results could be disastrous. The emergency brakes on the trailer are a last resort in the event of a catastrophic hitch failure causing the trailer and tow vehicle to part company; whereas the chains will (should) "cradle" the A-frame of the trailer allowing for a safe stop. Also, the emergency brake cable must be attached to a frame member away from and independent of the hitch assembly...not to the same place the safety chains are attached.
@@ericf8453 do you have a DOT #? I do and I have had to go thru scales wile pulling loads, the state trooper will look at ur emergency brake cable wire and make u correct the slack if they see too much slack in the emergency brake cable wire, the slack in the emergency brake cable wire must be tighter than the safety chains as you want the brakes to apply the second the trailer come off the hitch wile still attached to the safety chains to maintain control of the trailer as the trailer will violently begin to fishtail other wise, the emergency brake cable wire is designed to stop the violent fishtailing from happening in order to stop the trailer and vehicle wile still being attached to the tow vehicle. Don't belive me as a state trooper...
@@MrBigblueford I have been doing this since 1978, and have had a CDL (or equivalent) since then as well. A DOT # does not make you an expert. Check the rating on your safety chains and tell me if they will hold your trailer at an instant full stop. The reason you cross the chains is so the a-frame falls into them and they "cradle" the trailer as you come to a stop. Also, from a MCSAP officer, "I've never seen anything that specifies the length of the break away cable. It does specify that the breakaway must be hooked directly to the power unit and not the chains".
Putting aside the cable length issue, your attachment of the emergency cable, as well as running it (and the electric cable) through the pintle lock pin is flat out wrong.
I was about to say you forgot to mention putting on the e-brake but you beat me to it by mentioning to put it in neutral and to have your foot on the brake which I never considered before. I'm always very conscious of transmissions when towing things and never considered that. Good info in this video.
Thanks for sharing this video. As an ex big rig semi truck driver of 25+ yrs as well as being born & raised into the trucking profession, theres always alot to learn. Even if ya've done the same truck & trailer combo & the load, whatever it may be, a 1,000 times, it's always a constant learning experiance for sure! And yes, every semi truck & trailer/even pickup trucks & trailers will handle differently. I've always taking my big rig trucking experances & tried my best to include them with the smaller pickup/trailer/load combos! Additional safety precautions as ya would do just like in the big semi trucks is check your tires for proper air inflation during both warm & cooler tryps of the years. Also after double checking that all is properly hooked up, check all your lights for proper working condition. . . .head, tail, brake, turns, hazards & running lights of both connected vehicles. Check for cracked wheels & check for proper tightened lugnuts. . . . no loose ones. be safe out there. . . .seeya
Be sure to check your trailer lights (and truck lights) after hooking up. There is always a chance you didn't really get wire harness into the plug well enough.
Don’t run your safety brake wire through that hitch pin clip. They are there to do one job, secure the hitch. If that cable gets snagged (unlikely I know) then it could pull out the pin. It’s a pedantic point, but the principle is that Safety systems must never interfere which each other.
The ramp holders shouldn't be sticking up you can stab the skid steer tire 200.00 ,or flip backwards and they shouldn't be on the ground either so they don't bend and then you have to search for tools to bend back. Also those type of ramps will not go all the way down so in stead of jumping up and down on ramps we keep 2of those rubbers from the bottom of the tall traffic cones to back up on before we let ramps down.
It is perfectly fine to run the brake wire through the hitch pin, though we don't use cotter pins. we use the ones with flip over safety catch. It helps to retain the brake wire as well as the electrical cord. Our state police even tells you to secure them like that as do the trailer dealers. You aren't going to pull out the pin.
I have often seen trailers on the road where the 'Tail wags the Dog' as it were and it's scary as crap. Thank you for some REALLY good information here. Most people do not realize how important the correct balance is with a trailer.
I agree with most of what has been said here. Personally I always load my skid steer back and first, there was the safety concern with trying to climb onto the trailer but there is also the broken glass issue. If a rock or debris kicks up off the road, the back window is a much smaller target and about 100 bucks to replace. Door glass can be $500 to $1000 depending on your machine. Yes safety comes first but money is a close second.
Most machines that aren’t brand new don’t have a window that slide overhead. And I can only speak from my part of the country, but in the dead of winter, in North Dakota, your cab would be full of ice, snow, rain or slush before you got to a job site.
Good video. Very informative. You sir are correct. Ideally you want 19 to 24% percent of tongue weight. I spent many years running flatbed long haul trucking. This demonstrates perfect balancing of your load. No matter what you haul, the same rules should apply
Excellent video, very informative for beginners. I've always used the 'speed up' tactic to regain control if the trailer starts to fishtail. Speed up to get straight, then apply trailer brakes, then vehicle brakes. I've also seen several 'hot-shot' truckers that use the speed up before braking technique. I sell boats for a living and always caution the driver to cradle his/her safety chains, the KYDOT troopers will cite you if they catch you towing without the cradle. Sometimes we have to twist each chain to take up slack before we make the cradle. Great channel!
Awsome videos Stan, I recently did a small grading job I probably wouldn't have taken on or certainly would've taken longer or not been as nice if I hadn't seen your vids.
I watch your channel because I like to see big equipment (big to me anyhow) run by someone who knows what they are doing. I am extremely unlikely to ever run or own any of the equipment you feature. Before I retired one of the hats I wore was a Technical Writer/Technical Editor. I know good directions when I see them. As far as educational types of videos I’ve seen on UA-cam . . . this was probably the most comprehensive I’ve seen. Showing what not to do and showing what it looks like when things are done wrong is so important to get a full understanding. Seriously amazing video probably the best job I’ve seen fully explaining something on UA-cam.
Excellent video, I hope everyone can see this video that hauls and trailers equipment. People are being killed around America because of poor equipment hookups. 👍
You present some good information for inexperienced or untrained folks. CDL manuals are available online without cost. Even if you don't plan to get a CDL, you will find valuable information that is applicable to towing heavy loads. I will have to comment on the turbo. For the compressor to spin with any speed requires a huge volume of air flowing across it. Wind speed behind a tow vehicle, through a muffler, several bends in exhaust pipe, past a turbo compressor, into and engine with pistons at various locations, and likely closed intake and/or exhaust valves, back through the intake and out air filter will never provide enough air flow to spin that compressor. Just my long winded two cents, sir.
Thanks for the video! More people should see these videos. I've seen so many trailers loaded wrong. An out-of-control load is terrifying to witness, especially when you are following it. I never saw a rollover but I've heard of them. One thing for certain, check and double check your chain downs! A shifting load can scare the crap out of you! I almost lost a car off my trailer because I didn't double check the noob that loaded the car onto the trailer. A few extra minutes before hitting the road can save a lifetime of regrets!
I've had a commercial driver's license for 28 years. 14 of those years have been spent driving a 16 tire Cozad, and then a 9-axle. Today I move much smaller equipment for my own business. The biggest thing I move anymore only weighs 28,000 pounds. The advice given in this video is very, very good. Pay Attention!
Very informative video! I just wanted to point out that the emergency brake away cable should be connected to a separate connection point on the vehicle other then where the safety chains connect.
I have been trailering all types of equipment,boats and livestock my whole life. Very good and thorough information. When you buy a trailer they should hand out a video like this.
Better yet, pulling a trailer should be tested and require an endorsement on a driver's license.
I followed your instructions step by step. Towed my 763 bobcat for the first time. I never towed anything in my life. You made my day. Thorough and dramatic video . Thank you boss
You never towed before then went straight to a bobcat? Dumb
One thing I would add is always make sure no one is talking to you or interrupt you when you were in the process of hooking up a trailer I’ve seen many people get distracted and forget a step when you start hooking up don’t stop until you’re done
Amen brother. I have been distracted by simply talking to someone next to Me or being on the phone. Always double check your hook ups especially if someone else did them.
One of my guys hooked up and loaded to leave town the next day. Over night the backhoe was needed for a fiber optic hit. They brought it back and loaded it back on the trailer but it was not balanced right on the way out of town it pushed the truck causing a smack into the guard rail. All I could do was watch in my semi’s rear view.
Yes, I have almost no experience with a trailer but this happened to me, while I was hooking it up. Coworker just had to point something else out to me on the other side of the shop. I asked if I could finish, he wasn't having it. Drove for 6 hours clearing snow before I remembered the Pinole was still open. I was so lucky.
This to me is probably the most important thing. Too many times, I’d say close to 90%, fellow employees are always cracking jokes, bitching, telling you why your doing it wrong, or intentionally making things extra difficult, and steps are overlooked or forgotten. Next thing you know your sitting at a red light and 20 seconds later your trailer rear ends you or possibly passes you and runs the red light.
@@DARTDOBBER and they were hanging out for being so he can't help it was just a
I hope these young guys are taking advantage of these youtube videos, we didn't have anything like this when we were coming up. It was either trial and error or seek advice from the old timers! Thumbs UP!
Sometimes the old guys would tell you wrong just to open your thinking to larger truths.
I asked a guy why he told me wrong and his answer was, "Trust is built on second opinions and the Second Amendment." So I ended up learning several things more important than the question I asked. Old guys are great.
Oh we are. Stanleys videos taught me how to build a retaining wall and has got me through tons of landscape jobs.
Ur generation car manual comes with valve adjustments instructions. Now it says do not drink batter contents. Idk if you tube can save em. But there is a few of us.
@@andrewfay5253 Great Point!!
Just bought a trailer and truck next is time to load equipment and this video is the best thing I ever came across !
Breakaway cable tip- I have an eye bolt installed in the trailer ball hole of the factory bumper and connect my breakaway cable to that eye bolt. That way if anything happens to where the receiver hitch breaks/falls off of the truck frame, the cable will still be attached to the truck and trip the breakaway switch. I also use a carabiner to secure the breakaway cable to the eye bolt- quick and easy.
Good idea. I was working for a landscape and irrigation company, and we had a skid steer and a lot of material on the trailer.
Crew cab truck full of guys. I was sitting in the back at the driver's side window seat (yup, I had some seniority 😅).
We were on a VERY busy elevated interstate section during morning rush hour.
We hit a bump, and felt a jerk.
The driver asked "what was that?".
We were all looking around, and I guess that the driver had let off of the gas.
I looked out my window, and our loaded trailer was in the next lane PASSING US! 😮
The entire hitch was sparking as it bumped up and down, digging big gouges in the road surface.
Suddenly the trailer turned into us, and ran under my side of the truck.
When we finally stopped, the tire under me was on the trailer, the passenger rear tire was in the air, and the front two tires were the only ones still on the ground.
It seems like it happened in slow motion, but it probably happened in seconds.
We made it past the overpass, but it still could have been bad if we ran completely off of the road (steep drop off).
Thankfully, no one was hurt, and no other vehicles were involved.
One of those safety brake systems would have been great.
I don’t care if you did this video 2 years ago. I never would’ve saw that video and it likely wouldn’t be recommended to me. I saw this one and learned a lot. Thanks for making this again Stan
He just got that trailer this year. 2021
ua-cam.com/video/mWLJOeW5p18/v-deo.html check this one too. The beginning is a good time
That trailer sway you were talking about, my dad has always called it fish tailing. So I've just always known it as that. XD
Fishtailing is side-to-side motion. He was talking about the trailer bouncing up & down.
Fishtailing would be biologically correct as it's side-to-side. A porpoise moves up and down.
@@positivelynegative9149 12:30 He was talking about side to side, but he called it porpoising. This is what happens when you have too much weight behind the axles. It's also called the tail wagging the dog.
My dad always called it fish tailing also.
This is a fantastic video. Bought a new 11k skid loader for my company and had the weight to far back. When I came off the ramp and entered the highway at about 50 mph my trailer started swinging and my truck started swinging with the trailer. I lightly hit my brakes and let the truck come to a stop on the side of the highway. I did some research after the fact and you are spot on. Can't begin to tell you how scary it is sitting in the truck almost at the mercy of the load behind you with the sense of dread not knowing how it will play out. Take the time to do everything Stanley says. This is a life and equipment savior and for the ten minutes it takes to do it right not one of us should care about that little bit of time. Thanks and again a fantastic video going to make my entire team watch this.
If this video saves 1 life it was worth it Stan. Well done. You helping educate others in the “trades” is peak Dirt Monkey at its finest.
I Soooo Hope it Does!!!👍
This probably educates the weekend warriors even more! Trades people usually are trained by experienced co-workers, but weekend warriors are on their own... Often thinking they know more than they really do know and are a hazard to themselves and others around them.... Who knew or stopped to think that dragging chains could cause forest fires? 💖🌞🌵😷
@@Dirtmonkey?lll
Lll
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@@Dirtmonkey Regular cab, for the most towing pay load. Most people don't understand that.
Prof. Stan, thank you! I'm the son of a contractor & been a builder all my adult life (+50yrs, yuck...) have seen too many funny stories, being most didn't get hurt too much (did see a smaller dump truck & an older 2wd loader, lift the back wheels of the truck & push the whole rig a couple hundred foot down an incline...).
I got comp!scent for a couple of decades, only because my K30 had a 9' utility box & tools (+ 4-5000#)... Hauling with an empty truck can have its own issues, definitely will get pushed around by that heavy load if things ever go bad.
Thanks for the content, definitely good to have someone teaching the right way to those who might not have the experience...
My dad did that unloading a skid loader with a porta potty on the forks in a high end lake community. During 4th of July. Here he goes sliding down the hill. truck, trailer, loader and Porta potty what a scene! He was pretty embarrassed
I always recommend to my anyone loading heavy equipment on a trailer, like a skidsteer, to not only put the truck in park but ALSO put the truck in 4wheel drive. Most pickups are real wheel drive, if the rear tires happen to lift off the ground and there is a small incline, the truck will roll forward or backwards because the trucks drive wheels are off the ground. If it's in 4wheel drive there are 4 drive wheels acting as breaks. This is especially important if you dont have a second person to actually stay in the truck to hold the breaks.
Great advice. I was loading a front end loaded this year on an incline, in a hurry, done it hundreds of times. The back tires slightly lifted and the trailer and truck took off down hill. I jumped, broke my arm, and bruised my ego. Truck, trailer, loader all stopped safely at the bottom of the hill. Yep stupid mistake on my part. Always, always use wheel stops amd never load going down hill.
If I load something heavy or if I’m at a boat ramp, I always put it in 4low. Hoping that low range will make the stress on the parking pawl less than 4hi
@@hambuga69 I do the same thing as well as chock the front tires. I have a manual transmission so I have ropes attached to the chocks so that I can pull them up and out of the way as I start to pull up the ramp.
You can't even spell "brakes" but you want us to take your advice seriously? LOL One word: chocks
@@hambuga69 4low will help if it's a manual and you leave it in gear, but it won't do anything to reduce pressure on the park pawl of an automatic. When in park it is essentially in neutral, as far as any gearing in the transmission or transfer case goes.
These types of videos are great. I can’t tell you how many people I see that don’t know how to properly load a trailer.
You should always update these videos every year. Keep them fresh and always getting new views.
You might have just saved someone's life with that video well done 👍🏼
I just feel good hoping it could somehow help.
If your trailer is swaying or as we call "fishtailing" you hit the accelerator not the breaks if you do not have trailer breaks. Once your out of the sway you slow down. I have experienced this a few times due to early in my career not having the proper equipment ie trailer breaks or light duty trucks. I know it sounds crazy but my dad saved my life with that lesson. I lost a mini excavator one time because I hit the truck breaks. Thanks for sharing this vid!
Ive found if a trailer loaded too heavy to the back the trailer will start dancing around 45 mph. And materials want to become airborne by 80 mph. The latter applies more to ie plywood loaded ON a vehicle. As opposed to being IN it
And ill load that little case loader backwards so engine side is towards front of trailer and i dont have to worry about flipping over backwards loading and unloading it when the tires are low or flat. The one i use on occasion has crappy tires
@@Dirtmonkey awesome video. First and last stop for newbys unless they want more. Well done is an understatement 👍👍
Thank You for the baby step education. I've used equipment trailers for about 8 years. I'm always on the look out for safely to improve the load and harness. You made my day.
Super glad it was helpful for ya! Go get em 👊
I think we went over a few things about loading a trailer but i a glad we’re going over this right before the season really gets to a start, always good to have safety reminders.
I’m a retired General Contractor and don't do much hauling any more but you never know when your tips might be helpful.
I once observed a contractor with an imbalanced trailer, loaded up with lumber, doing 65 on the freeway. One, two, three and he was facing the wrong way right in front of me. Every one stopped in time and proceeded to go around this poor fellow who was as white as a ghost. This observation led me to ask, "Why did this happen?" Imbalanced load and traveling too fast was the answer. A lesson I never forgot.
You may have saved someone's life with this video. Excellent job!
The swaying trailer sparked a healthy dose of terror in my heart lol.
Everyone who tows equipment should watch this video. Very informative, thank you.
In Pennsylvania, chains are required to be crossed on trailers. Maybe the last ten years or so. Thank you for this video! Even things I didn't know.
Only way to use them. Then they can move freely turning. If you don't have em crossed, and they're a little short, they bind up. Where the same length chain works fine crossed because, geometry. And the added benefit of helping to catch the tongue if it does come loose.
Very true Charles. In addition to that no chain twisting to take out slack as that will reduce the strength.
Awsome video! I’ve towed so much stuff in my life and yet I’ve still learned a lot from your video! Thanks for sharing this with everyone...The whole trailer breaks before the truck breaks makes total sense! ...... I’ve seen a truck get just totaled from an out of control boat trailer that blew a tire! Watched the whole thing happen right in front of us driving down the highway! As soon as the driver hit the breaks the truck slid sideways while getting tangled up with the boat and trailer going into the median into a 5second junk pile... everyone walked away thankfully! Thanks again!
This is a phenomenal video! Thank you! Never would I see this anywhere else nor know where to get this knowledge as a weekend DIYer! Tremendous and you are a hero.
I have had the rear tires jump out of blocks when loading once, that is why I block my front tires when loading.
Nice and informative video.
Came here to say this. Too many times I've seen someone pick up the back end of the truck and you better hope that's not where your only pair of chocks are lol. One time I was watching a guy load a wheel loader and picked up the back of the truck, no chocks and he kept going until he pushed the truck forward into another truck.
As always, very informative and a clear concise explanation Stan.
I cannot begin to count how many priceless nuggets of information and experience I have gleaned from your videos over the years.
Yours is easily one of my favorite channels on the tubes. And I'm not even a contractor.
Keep it up Stan. You are changing lives with your videos and with this one, specifically, probably SAVING lives.
Keep em comin brother!
Great video " visualizing " how to distribute weight load, And great refresher on loading trailers! Thanks! I believe we all need this from time to time.
Fishtail to a jackknife.
Excellent video! Because I’m such a poor judge of what “looks right”, I use a yardstick (or any stick, really) leaned against the bumper and note the height BEFORE I load, and then seek to “squat” the bumper between 1/2” and 1” as I load, depending on how heavy my load is. This tells me I’m at least in the ballpark with most of the weight on the axles and some of it on the hitch, but most importantly not too far back. This method has worked well for me for many years - nice smooth and balanced ride, and I’ve never had a “death wobble” incident :)
An excellent video which should almost be compulsory viewing for any new driver before even thinking of pulling any trailer. I used to pull a 12' single axle caravan some 40 years ago and always checked the tow hitch height against my leg when lowering the front jockey wheel. I would then adjust my load in the caravan and recheck. I would then take it easy for the first 50 or so kilometres, stopping and re-adjusting as necessary until I was happy with the feel of the combination through my backside. I could then happily drive all day with a combination which would handle nearly as well as the to vehicle on it's own.
I still don't understand why a new driver takes a test in a family car, but does not need to take a test before then pulling a tandem caravan with the same car.
Just got my first skid steer. Super stoked! Thanks a ton for these videos. I want to be as safe as possible and your making it easy to find the information I need to learn. Keep up the great work!
Here is an additional bit of information. On each of our trailers, we use a permanent marker to indicate where the centerline of each piece of equipment should be located for solo equipment loading. These are equipment trailers, not fancy car trailers. Therefore, we feel a few marker lines are much more valuable for everyone's safety than the looks of the trailer. Also, at the end of the video, you mention "if you are on the jobsite, and you need to get moving down the road." This happens to everyone. However, the moment you realize that you do NOT have the proper equipment to properly secure your load, text, call, etc. all crew members, or at least those in charge, to order/gather the correct items. Then restock the trailer as soon as possible. Making the entire crew aware of it will assure that you end up safer on subsequent towing situations. More safety is actually more cost effective in the long run.
I was just going to say the same thing. I only have one trailer for 3 different pieces of equipment, so I have 3 different color spray painted lines on my trailer to coincide with the corresponding equipment.
Knowing which machine weighs an wear to put it for proper tung weight
I use larger ball on pintail hitches so there’s minimal slack
Over 25 years in construction and still learned alot. Your a solid asset and thanks.
Outstanding video! Quite a few points you made i was familiar with, but the loading backwards of a machine with a turbo that could possibly spin unlubricated “NEVER” occurred to me. I totally agree with other comments in the fact that you are educating the young in a hurry folk as well as the seasoned peeps such as myself. Keep up the good/safe work!
Good information. I especially liked the advice on using the trailer brake control first in the event the trailer starts swaying out of control. Thanks for the valuable info.
It's good to see someone train their crew properly!
Kcalkkr
Crazy true! I loaded a friends tractor on my trailer, he had a pinned on bucket so I couldn't drop it off to save room, didn't help that his brush cutter ate up the remaining room. I left in another truck to do another quick job. When I did he backwards loaded the tractor, overloaded the hitch and called me 20 minutes later after he wobbled off the road and flipped the truck and trailer. KTAC insurance did not payoff the claim. Ignorance ( not knowing better) kills. Great video!
Great video, but if I could add one more thing to do while loading something heavy like a Skid steer it would be to put Jack stands under the ends of the trailer both sides with about a 2" gap so it helps with the stress of loading and unloading the hitch and the rear axel.
Take it or leave it for what it is worth but it is something I was taught by a very wise man when I was young.
The ramps on his trailer have kickstands built in. It prevents the weight of the equipment from lifting the truck axle off the ground and letting it walk away.
Thanks for making this video!
Most people Don't know how to do it properly and this way it could save lifes!
That's what matters to me
It is VERY important to make sure the chains DO NOT DRAG ON THE GROUND, twist the chains to shorten them if they need it. This will prevent the chains from sparking and causing wildfires, and wearing out your chains. I was taught to immediately accelerate firmly if the trailer started to fishtail. Fishtailing can happen even to a properly loaded trailer given certain road conditions, especially high winds. Our first instinct is to slam on the truck brakes, which is the worst thing to do. Nice instructional video.
I will never forget that snowy day about 6 years ago when I was driving a truck with a long trailer and while riding along listening to music I saw this shadow besides my passenger window that just kept going besides me at the same speed, when I turned around to see who was the driver I noticed it was my OWN trailer that had jackknifed and I was looking at the rear-end besides me going at 60 MPH.
That is a big no no. Do not twist chains. For one its illegal here because it seriously weakens them. Adjust them to be perfect length. Not tight but long enough to be able to turn.
Twisting chains violates dot in minnesota
@@davidjeffery9791
Wow! This took me down a rabbit hole about trailer chain safety. Seems like it is very state specific, but one should not twist chains if at all possible, and chains should be properly adjusted to prevent dragging and to be as tight as possible, and most safety chains are improperly used even if they comply with state laws.
I logged in on youtube app just to watch an ad, leave a comment and like. Awesome tutorial and you are a cool person.
Thanks for taking the time to preach a little roadway safety. I’m in south Florida and the loads running down the highway here are nightmares. Anyone can buy the heavier equipment but no one teaches them to haul it or load it.
This video is definitely worth watching. I am glad I saw this. Never thought of this at all. Glad someone else from Minnesota is an expert on this. Thanks Stanley. Cokato Minnesota.
Don't forget in your videos to talk about adjust your trailer brakes so that the trailer brake come on slightly harder then your car brakes as you test your brakes before your drive off. It help to keep the tailer straight with the car an trailer is the one doing slightly more braking. Hope that makes sense to you lol.
This is one reason I still use a Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller. The boost function is a very nice feature to have the trailer brakes lead. Can also be done with the older pendulum style brake controllers too. I haven't shopped for a brake controller in a long time, there's probably better models out there.
Very instructional . When you had the skid steer in the 4th position with it facing to the rear with it all the way on the rear of the trailer , you forgot to leave a half of a bucket full of gravel in it , this keeps people from tailgating you or riding your trailer bumper as the gravel shaking out prevents people from tailgating you . lol But really , it's a great video and will teach allot of people how it should be done correctly !!! Good Job !!
Nice! Good explaining. I pull a float with dozers and excavators now, but imagine having to learn this with 50k pound coils and a 5 axle ontario spread. Keep it up !!
Glad to help and thank you for the feedback.
Great video have trucked 51 years nothing is more scary than a small trailer loaded wrong or not properly secured . On top of all that cruising at 70 mph changing lanes every 500 feet. Thanks again Stanley
Stan in Minnesota legally you have to cross chains to create a basket for the hitch if it falls off which you did the second time and also legally the break away is supposed to be hooked somewhere other than the hitch in case the hitch falls off the break away will still work!
Great catch! Thank you!
No problem great video though and nice new trailer!
@@alexfischer9410 the brake cable was hooked to "something other than the hitch." It was connected to the hitch receiver.
@@xenonram it can’t be hooked to the receiver it has to be hooked to a separate spot in case the receiver falls off the break away will not pull the plug!
I believe them 2 will be pretty much nationwide too and will be for just about everyone running a trailer.
Good job. You are precise and clear. Enjoy working with people like you.
Nice video! My input is that I'd rotate the chains around a few times so they don't hang as low. Ideally bird nesting them allows it to be caught before it's dragging on the ground
You just helped keep us all a bit safer. Thanks. Very much. I've been pulling a haul away trailer off and on in my carpentry business for years and still learned some live saving skills. Again. Thanks for your help.
Great video. Don't forget to stow your jack handle!
Weight distribution looks pretty good. A good thing to know about skid steer loaders is, when unloaded, about 70% of the machine weight is on the rear tires (regular dirt bucket).
Nice, this is info that any person who might work physical labor, outdoors, construction, gardening, that kind of thing, should know. Or at least have a basic understanding of, and a lot of people don't have that knowledge. I didn't know any of this just a few years ago, and I'm glad that I do now. Excellent video, and nice trailer too by the way. 🤘
The various times I've hired earthmoving machinery, they came on custom trailers that just fit them neatly. Watching this, I'm very grateful for my local hire company's forethought.
On a dual axle trailer with leaf springs, where the leaf springs attach between the wheels, look at the center bar that the leaf's attach to, you want the bar almost level,, the rear of the bar should point up 1-3 degrees, your load is perfect! this is a better indicator than the tires... Your video is spot on, great info for the new trailer owner's,,,,I wish alot of people would see this video instead of me seeing them on either side of the roads...
Excellent video! This information is SO important! Your exactly right, every trailer does have its own personality. None of them are made 100% exactly the same, and even sister trailers can act totally different from having different brand tires on them. Towing is like shooting, always stick to the fundamentals no matter how long you’ve been doing it and you’ll be good.
We all should watch this video 4 times a year!! We all get to complacent. At my main job right now we have to watch videos on how to drive, load, unload and way more. But over time we say I have done X and I know what I’m doing.
Solid advice but only thing I do different is chock the front wheels of the truck because the transmission and e brake only stop the rear wheels from spinning and while loading it is possible to take enough weight off the rear axle to cause the truck to roll. Again great video man
I think he said that at the 7 min mark
I dont own or use the equipment you do, professional homeowner here, though you give great sound advice and I very much appreciate it. This can apply to general safety protocols etc so thanks for the walk through from someone I can trust. God Bless brother, way to look out for the community and keep on teaching! If you don't put any money in your pocket that day or today, just know your walking with purpose and sharing with others is what counts.
Spray paint a mark on your trailer, for where the bucket edge goes, where ever it balances properly. If towing different items on the same trailer, make balancing marks accordingly. Can color code equipment edges, and trailer frame, accordingly.
"Cheat sheets" encourage ignorance on how or why the "cheat sheet" is the way it is meaning you go to something without the cheater marks and you are clueless, best to just know how to competently load a trailer or truck or whatever you are hauling on.
@@towtruckaj Love my little spray paint marks on my trailer. Tells me exactly where to put the bucket on my bobcat every time. I can get it real close without the marks , but even a carpenter uses a tape measure, after marking 4 ft for 20 yrs.
@@treeguyable Well one is a precise measurement that can't be wrong or its scraped and one has quite a bit of wiggle room, but so long as you know what you are doing before relying on the marks that's fine, but relying on the marks without knowing at all how to load a trailer properly without is bad.
@@towtruckaj Well, it's like filling a jug with a certain amount, why not just mark it if you do it quite often, fill it to it.
@@treeguyable Like i said you can use cheaters if you know what you are doing already, but its dangerous to use a cheater on something so critical if you don't actually know the idea behind it, because then when left without a cheater you are clueless.
if you wanted to have even more protection from moving or rolling you can put the ''wedges'' and the ''X' between the trailer tires and pull the ''breakaway'' pin activating the trailer's brakes.
This is Experience and Wisdom talking on this video. Thank you for sharing it.
Not good idea to back feed brake controller
You pulled safety when 7 pin was plugged in
Not all controllers like to be backfed
Great video Stan, many people can learn from this video I know for a fact there are people who don’t know how to load and position equipment safely on a trailer. Kept the videos coming. Stay safe .
Pro tip: if you have equipment that has dedicated trailers, or if you were a small operation that has say one skid steer and a single trailer … once you locate that sweet spot where the equipment needs to go on the trailer, you can simply put a mark on the fender and then put a mark on the piece of equipment with a piece of duck tape or a paint stencil. Then all you have to do is line up to that mark every time. You could also put a line across the floor of the trailer where you line up your bucket. In any event having a witness mark makes things a lot smoother.
Why I like my kodiak and gooseneck, and air ride on both. makes most of this information irrelevant
I've always been taught that the bulk of the load should be over the axle(s).
Some argue that most of the load should be close to the tongue.
Awesome video!
You're supposed to have 10-20% of the weight on the tongue.
Ut was really interesting to see how a trailer hooks up in the USA, here in Sweden we only have 2 inch ball and coupler on every light trailer.
There is a really simple way to check if the ball has attached properly, just use the jack until you see the truck lift as well as the tung of the trailer.
very grateful for the service you provide on this channel.
I don’t have a ton of experience pulling trailers and I want to say this video was done very well. A ton of great points and most importantly an explanation behind those points. Thanks Stan! I appreciate the lesson and will apply in my business
I had no idea. I started a small farm and am picking up equipment soon as well as a trailer. This is great, much needed education.
I grew up on a farm - hauling equipment was a regular thing even at an earlier age, and always with a 3/4 or 1 ton truck. Around 19 I remember using a pretty large dual axle enclosed trailer to help my friend move. I used a Jeep Liberty as a tow vehicle. The trailer alone was probably pushing the limits of the rig. To top it off I loaded it completely randomly - I would have been fine most likely if I put some thought into it and took it slow - Anyways going down the highway at 65 and it starts whipping me back and forth, luckily my first instinct was to take the foot off the gas and coast but man was that a scary experience. I'm in my 30s now and what you said about always checking how your load is situated (regarding having a different rig) I'm finding is true for a lot of things in life. When you get comfortable because you've done a thing a 999 times its the 1000th time that wrecks your world. Simple things that add 5 minutes, such as one final walk around/inspection, are always worth it. No boss should be upset over 5 minutes, and you're getting paid for it while possibly saving your/someone's life.
It just happend to me earlier today. I did a second walk around and caught a mistake on my trailer. I practice what i preach becuase I have learned the hard way
Never, Never, EVER, let someone else dictate YOUR safety!!!
Foot OFF the gas? I guess that might work if the trailer isn't already wagging the power unit...? Or if trailer brake engages automatically?
@@benkenobi671 are you referring to osah
Best video I have seen on trailer loading, ever! This is the highest stress activity I have, closely followed by backing a trailer up into a tight building. Thanks for the detail and real life examples! “Let’s make it worse….”
Thank you for this info. This should be mandatory watching for anyone in construction, or using any equipment big or small. I had a uhaul trailer and small pickup truck hauling it across country. It started "the tail wagging the dog". No trailer brakes, but I did the stomp hard on brake for just a second, then gassed it just to tug it straight. At that point, i slowed way down to get my oh s*** racing heart to slow.. Never drive faster than your guardian angels can fly! Be safe. Peace.
Again, a great video. A couple of things to think about as well is to temporarily pull the trailer emergency brake when loading or unloading the trailer, just remember to plug it back in before trying to pull out. It will remind you quickly that you forgot, but you won't feel as stupid if you remember.. The other is to make sure your trailer brakes are not set too aggressively, especially in wet weather. A trailer grabbing the brakes hard in a curve, like an interchange ramp with a tight radius can pull the back end of your truck hard towards the inside of the curve, losing traction and putting you at a control loss. When it's wet, I back off the trailer gain just a bit and reach down to manually apply more brake coming up to a stop condition if needed. I also always treat wet pavement like ice.
Your videos are always great and you promote a good Samaritan effort with every one that I watch. Kudos!
I would like to add a few things. Wheel chock both front wheels, not the rear ones. Here's why, if you load something heavy, the weight can push the rear of the trailer down. The trailer will then pick up the rear of the truck. I've seen it many times. That brings up the next point. Block/support the rear of the trailer. Not all ramps are the wedge style and only touch the ground at one spot.
Well done video with a lot of good information. I have pulled enough heavy equipment to know a lot, while not having pulled enough to know "everything". I have nothing to add to this information except that I have had two incidents of truck/trailer units coming towards me on the highway when they have swayed to the point of losing absolute control. It wasn't only the trailer hauler's pants that got filled one of those times. The only thing that saved me is that I managed to time his swing to the ditch with the moment that I passed him, then he passed behind me into my ditch. Scary stuff!!
One thing I've done is measure my truck sag with various known tongue weights attached. I then recorded my distance from the wheel well lip to the ground at each loading (500 lbs, 750 lbs, 1000 lbs). Moving forward, I have a rough idea of what my rear wheel well measurement should be based on what tongue weight I'm targeting. I typically like to calculate out my loads (compact utility tractor + implements).
Of course you still do a visual inspection each time to make sure it looks the way it should.
Proper weight distribution is key when it comes to pulling a trailer also the proper height for the ball when it's connected and properly securing a load so it don't shift keep the good stuff coming
Great tutorial. I really wish all the “landscapers” around my area would watch it. It would be nice not to get a windshield full of pieces of sod and rocks for a change.
And the ceremonious declaration decal that states......”Not responsible for objects that come from road”
Excellent, Stan. Thank you for upping my trailer loading/pulling knowledge!
You always want ur safety brake emergency pull cable tighter than the safety chain slack, you want the emergency safety brake cable to pull the cable out before the slack fully extends on the safety chain connection, if the safety chains fully stretch out and the emergeny safety brake cable does not pull the the emergency safety brake cable wire it is rendered useless.
good point. Thank you.
I disagree. If the trailer brakes lock up while still attached to the tow vehicle the results could be disastrous. The emergency brakes on the trailer are a last resort in the event of a catastrophic hitch failure causing the trailer and tow vehicle to part company; whereas the chains will (should) "cradle" the A-frame of the trailer allowing for a safe stop. Also, the emergency brake cable must be attached to a frame member away from and independent of the hitch assembly...not to the same place the safety chains are attached.
@@ericf8453 do you have a DOT #? I do and I have had to go thru scales wile pulling loads, the state trooper will look at ur emergency brake cable wire and make u correct the slack if they see too much slack in the emergency brake cable wire, the slack in the emergency brake cable wire must be tighter than the safety chains as you want the brakes to apply the second the trailer come off the hitch wile still attached to the safety chains to maintain control of the trailer as the trailer will violently begin to fishtail other wise, the emergency brake cable wire is designed to stop the violent fishtailing from happening in order to stop the trailer and vehicle wile still being attached to the tow vehicle. Don't belive me as a state trooper...
@@MrBigblueford I have been doing this since 1978, and have had a CDL (or equivalent) since then as well. A DOT # does not make you an expert. Check the rating on your safety chains and tell me if they will hold your trailer at an instant full stop. The reason you cross the chains is so the a-frame falls into them and they "cradle" the trailer as you come to a stop.
Also, from a MCSAP officer, "I've never seen anything that specifies the length of the break away cable. It does specify that the breakaway must be hooked directly to the power unit and not the chains".
Putting aside the cable length issue, your attachment of the emergency cable, as well as running it (and the electric cable) through the pintle lock pin is flat out wrong.
I was about to say you forgot to mention putting on the e-brake but you beat me to it by mentioning to put it in neutral and to have your foot on the brake which I never considered before. I'm always very conscious of transmissions when towing things and never considered that. Good info in this video.
Thanks for sharing this video. As an ex big rig semi truck driver of 25+ yrs as well as being born & raised into the trucking profession, theres always alot to learn. Even if ya've done the same truck & trailer combo & the load, whatever it may be, a 1,000 times, it's always a constant learning experiance for sure! And yes, every semi truck & trailer/even pickup trucks & trailers will handle differently. I've always taking my big rig trucking experances & tried my best to include them with the smaller pickup/trailer/load combos! Additional safety precautions as ya would do just like in the big semi trucks is check your tires for proper air inflation during both warm & cooler tryps of the years. Also after double checking that all is properly hooked up, check all your lights for proper working condition. . . .head, tail, brake, turns, hazards & running lights of both connected vehicles. Check for cracked wheels & check for proper tightened lugnuts. . . . no loose ones. be safe out there. . . .seeya
Be sure to check your trailer lights (and truck lights) after hooking up. There is always a chance you didn't really get wire harness into the plug well enough.
The RV plugs have a little bitch then hook onto in the plug doors. Hard to mess that up, but a lot of people have.
I load and drive trailers every day. This is good information.
Don’t run your safety brake wire through that hitch pin clip. They are there to do one job, secure the hitch. If that cable gets snagged (unlikely I know) then it could pull out the pin. It’s a pedantic point, but the principle is that Safety systems must never interfere which each other.
The ramp holders shouldn't be sticking up you can stab the skid steer tire 200.00 ,or flip backwards and they shouldn't be on the ground either so they don't bend and then you have to search for tools to bend back. Also those type of ramps will not go all the way down so in stead of jumping up and down on ramps we keep 2of those rubbers from the bottom of the tall traffic cones to back up on before we let ramps down.
It is perfectly fine to run the brake wire through the hitch pin, though we don't use cotter pins. we use the ones with flip over safety catch. It helps to retain the brake wire as well as the electrical cord. Our state police even tells you to secure them like that as do the trailer dealers. You aren't going to pull out the pin.
@@mikel9567 but that's doing something because they're a handy clip there, rather than doing something because it's the correct way to do it?
I have often seen trailers on the road where the 'Tail wags the Dog' as it were and it's scary as crap. Thank you for some REALLY good information here. Most people do not realize how important the correct balance is with a trailer.
I agree with most of what has been said here. Personally I always load my skid steer back and first, there was the safety concern with trying to climb onto the trailer but there is also the broken glass issue.
If a rock or debris kicks up off the road, the back window is a much smaller target and about 100 bucks to replace. Door glass can be $500 to $1000 depending on your machine. Yes safety comes first but money is a close second.
Yes sir 👍
i was told to drive with the window up to prevent that
@@dietmarhansen7568 not all windows go up
Most machines that aren’t brand new don’t have a window that slide overhead. And I can only speak from my part of the country, but in the dead of winter, in North Dakota, your cab would be full of ice, snow, rain or slush before you got to a job site.
Great video and the trailer brake tip is invaluable. Had to use that once to save a big trailer swing on the freeway.
Loved the 'mamma kitty' coming in at the end to say 'hi'. 🐱
It's a " T h e y "
I’m new to towing a tractor, awesome video. Thanks
putting the truck in 4x4 helps to lock in the front wheels also with the driveline. I do that on hills. good info Stan, love your videos.
I agree. Putting it in 4x4 does help a lot. I use it when I load my trailers and many times it has save my bacon.
Good video. Very informative. You sir are correct. Ideally you want 19 to 24% percent of tongue weight. I spent many years running flatbed long haul trucking. This demonstrates perfect balancing of your load. No matter what you haul, the same rules should apply
TRAILER LEVEL IS SOOO IMPORTANT
I SEE MIS-ALIGNED TRAILERS DAILY!
Excellent video, very informative for beginners. I've always used the 'speed up' tactic to regain control if the trailer starts to fishtail. Speed up to get straight, then apply trailer brakes, then vehicle brakes. I've also seen several 'hot-shot' truckers that use the speed up before braking technique. I sell boats for a living and always caution the driver to cradle his/her safety chains, the KYDOT troopers will cite you if they catch you towing without the cradle. Sometimes we have to twist each chain to take up slack before we make the cradle. Great channel!
I haven't personally tried the speed up technique biut know about it. I just instinctivley grab those trailer brakes. Glad your enjoying the channel!
Never twist chain to make it shorter. Put under tension, twisted chain will break at much less than rated working load limit. Shorten the chain.
Awsome videos Stan, I recently did a small grading job I probably wouldn't have taken on or certainly would've taken longer or not been as nice if I hadn't seen your vids.
Nice!!! Score👍
I watch your channel because I like to see big equipment (big to me anyhow) run by someone who knows what they are doing. I am extremely unlikely to ever run or own any of the equipment you feature.
Before I retired one of the hats I wore was a Technical Writer/Technical Editor. I know good directions when I see them.
As far as educational types of videos I’ve seen on UA-cam . . . this was probably the most comprehensive I’ve seen. Showing what not to do and showing what it looks like when things are done wrong is so important to get a full understanding.
Seriously amazing video probably the best job I’ve seen fully explaining something on UA-cam.
Excellent video, I hope everyone can see this video that hauls and trailers equipment. People are being killed around America because of poor equipment hookups. 👍
You present some good information for inexperienced or untrained folks. CDL manuals are available online without cost. Even if you don't plan to get a CDL, you will find valuable information that is applicable to towing heavy loads. I will have to comment on the turbo. For the compressor to spin with any speed requires a huge volume of air flowing across it. Wind speed behind a tow vehicle, through a muffler, several bends in exhaust pipe, past a turbo compressor, into and engine with pistons at various locations, and likely closed intake and/or exhaust valves, back through the intake and out air filter will never provide enough air flow to spin that compressor. Just my long winded two cents, sir.
Porpoising is actually up and down-this is fishtailing before you flip
Thanks for the video! More people should see these videos. I've seen so many trailers loaded wrong. An out-of-control load is terrifying to witness, especially when you are following it. I never saw a rollover but I've heard of them. One thing for certain, check and double check your chain downs! A shifting load can scare the crap out of you! I almost lost a car off my trailer because I didn't double check the noob that loaded the car onto the trailer. A few extra minutes before hitting the road can save a lifetime of regrets!
Connect the trailer pull trailer brake pin to have wheels locked when loading alone
I've had a commercial driver's license for 28 years. 14 of those years have been spent driving a 16 tire Cozad, and then a 9-axle. Today I move much smaller equipment for my own business. The biggest thing I move anymore only weighs 28,000 pounds. The advice given in this video is very, very good. Pay Attention!
Very informative video! I just wanted to point out that the emergency brake away cable should be connected to a separate connection point on the vehicle other then where the safety chains connect.
Great video, I always check to make sure the lights are all working before taking off.
stan can't you pull the emergency brake cable to lock the breaks on the trailer to help with loading the trailer ???
I would trust that more than firewood for wheel chocks! I can't believe he used firewood as serious as this video is!
@@iminkredabill firewood for wheel chocks is better than no wheel chocks!
@@benkenobi671 duh. You missed the point in your efforts to be a smarty pants.
Electric trailer brakes do next to nothing at zero wheel speed.