A New Run of Prairie Shadows Trainworx Kenworths and Semi-Tractor Trailer Sets

[cfritschle]

The first time I remember seeing Canadian trucks in Idaho was in the 1990s.  Possibly after NAFTA?

Also, I believe the Canadian trailers were some of the first dry vans and reefers with tridem (tri-axle) trailers.  At least I remember a friend telling me that.

[bman]

Also, I believe the Canadian trailers were some of the first dry vans and reefers with tridem (tri-axle) trailers.  At least I remember a friend telling me that.

Bit of a drift here, but ABF experimented with a 3 axle 45' dry van in the mid-eighties.  The idea was to be able to pull it with a single axle linehaul tractor instead of needing a twin screw. There was a little drop down post/stand? at the rear corner of the trailer that had to be dropped down to make contact with the ground.  This was so when a fork lift went into one from the dock, the weight of the fork lift on the rear of the trailer behind the axles would cause the rear of the trailer to crash to the ground and the nose to be up in the air.  I'm sure there are some cool physics terms for this. I know at the ABF break bulk in Springfield IL this was a common occurrence and one could drive by and see the nose of a 45' trailer up in the air often.  I would guess this is what resulted in this idea being dropped. 

[nkalanaga]

bman:  One of the best truck pictures I ever saw was years ago, and just the opposite of your story.  Someone was loading a flatbed with rolls of roofing paper, using a forklift with a "roll clamp", from a dock.  They started at the front, naturally, loading towards the rear, and after getting enough weight ahead of the dolly, when the forklift backed off the trailer, the front end dropped to the ground.  That sent the rear up in the air, and since the forklift was on the dock, there was no way to get it onto the trailer to unload it.  It probably could have been unloaded from the side, while sitting at an angle, using a clamp, but instead they got a big wrecker, hoisted the front end up, and held it with blocking long enough to load the trailer.  Then, the blocking was removed, and a tractor attached.

I suspect that, the next time, they left the tractor attached while loading the trailer!

The factory I work at has clamps at the loading bays that fit into the trailer bumpers.  They both lock the trailer to the dock, and prevent the rear from dropping when the forklift drives in.  Those were added when they rebuilt the dock area shortly after I started working there.  I wonder if they had an incident similar to yours before my time?

[Missaberoad]

The first time I remember seeing Canadian trucks in Idaho was in the 1990s.  Possibly after NAFTA?

Also, I believe the Canadian trailers were some of the first dry vans and reefers with tridem (tri-axle) trailers.  At least I remember a friend telling me that.

1970's iirc... Mike @Puddington said he saw them in the paper industry all the time...

Will try to find some photos...

[bman]

bman:  One of the best truck pictures I ever saw was years ago, and just the opposite of your story.  Someone was loading a flatbed with rolls of roofing paper, using a forklift with a "roll clamp", from a dock.  They started at the front, naturally, loading towards the rear, and after getting enough weight ahead of the dolly, when the forklift backed off the trailer, the front end dropped to the ground.  That sent the rear up in the air, and since the forklift was on the dock, there was no way to get it onto the trailer to unload it.  It probably could have been unloaded from the side, while sitting at an angle, using a clamp, but instead they got a big wrecker, hoisted the front end up, and held it with blocking long enough to load the trailer.  Then, the blocking was removed, and a tractor attached.

I suspect that, the next time, they left the tractor attached while loading the trailer!

The factory I work at has clamps at the loading bays that fit into the trailer bumpers.  They both lock the trailer to the dock, and prevent the rear from dropping when the forklift drives in.  Those were added when they rebuilt the dock area shortly after I started working there.  I wonder if they had an incident similar to yours before my time?

 28' pups do the same nose dive.  I've taken that ride.  Not fun.  A fork lift and a come-a-long work just fine for pulling the rear of a pup down. And magically the trailer roof misses the dock roof overhang.  I will venture to say that wouldn't work with the amount of weight needed to drop a 45' or longer trailer in it's nose. 

[nkalanaga]

I also once saw, personally, a flatbed with its nose on the ground, for an entirely different reason.  This was in eastern WV, as we were driving to Cass, somewhere between Elkins and Cass.  The driver had left his trailer, (over)loaded with logs, parked on bare ground in his(?) front yard.  The ground, being quite wet, wasn't very solid, and the dolly had sunk into it.  I bet he had a time getting that one out, especially with the mud probably flowing around the dolly legs and braces!

I don't know that the trailer was legally overweight, but it was certainly piled higher than looked safe.