Trailer Loading Accident

[dgl24087]

From the Roanoke Times, Roanoke, VA.

Shawsville man dies after being pinned by a trailer

A Virginia Beach man was found dead at a Shawsville home Wednesday afternoon after an accident involving a trailer.
Joe Daniel Joyce of Virginia Beach was loading a tractor onto a trailer in the driveway of 1896 Willis Hollow Road in Shawsville when the truck started to roll, according to a news release from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.
Joyce attempted to stop the truck, and the trailer jackknifed. He was pinned between the truck and trailer.
The sheriff's office received a 911 call at 4:04 p.m. Joyce died at the scene, according to the release.

 

[groundcover]

All for want of a wheel chock,what a shame. Been there,done that, but got away with it but what a ride! He probably got away with it a hundred times and this one got him.

 

[Rara Avis]

From the Roanoke Times, Roanoke, VA.

Shawsville man dies after being pinned by a trailer

A Virginia Beach man was found dead at a Shawsville home Wednesday afternoon after an accident involving a trailer.
Joe Daniel Joyce of Virginia Beach was loading a tractor onto a trailer in the driveway of 1896 Willis Hollow Road in Shawsville when the truck started to roll, according to a news release from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.
Joyce attempted to stop the truck, and the trailer jackknifed. He was pinned between the truck and trailer.
The sheriff's office received a 911 call at 4:04 p.m. Joyce died at the scene, according to the release.

He is trying to push

 

[Renze]

A lot of these accidents, i think, are because the parking brake only works on the truck rear axle, which is being lifted off the ground when trying to load a fixed deck trailer on a slope.

There are three simple solutions to this:
A. trailer parking brakes (using a manual electric switch ?? air brakes makes it easier)
B. use folding or telescoping (jack)stands on the back of the trailer when (un)loading.
C. use tiltbeds instead


I buillt a tilt bed for my brother 3 years ago. He is so used to loading a 3 ton farm tractor on it, behind his Ford Mondeo, that he tried the same thing with his other fixed bed equipment trailer: The Mondeo wagon, loaded with plumbing tools and fittings, about 3 to 400kg, was lifted 40cm off the ground when the tractor rode the ramps, putting the rear of the trailer to the ground.

 

[Skyco]

Those who frequent Bob Is The Oil Guy forum may remember a very well known member there who somehow got caught up in his trailer on a steep drive. IIRC the trailer came loose and drug him down the drive under it killing him...I'm sure that wasn't pretty

 

[LBrown59]

A lot of these accidents, i think, are because the parking brake only works on the truck rear axle, which is being lifted off the ground when trying to load a fixed deck trailer on a slope.

There are three simple solutions to this:
1*. trailer parking brakes (using a manual electric switch ?? air brakes makes it easier)
2*. use folding or telescoping (jack)stands on the back of the trailer when (un)loading.
3*. use tiltbeds instead

4*Don't load on a slope incline or hill .

 

[Diamondpilot]

I always put my trucks in 4 wheel drive. This way when you go in park you are now locking both the rear and front axle. That is in addition to the parking break.

Chris

 

[radman1]

Renze

I think you have it right. The trailer lifted the rear of the truck up. I had a 30' GN on my pickup. Was loading a 14,000 lb (6300 kg) Genie manlift. Didn't put down the rear jackstands and lifted the truck rear end up in the air and was only partially loaded and didn't have the full weight on the ramps. Fortunately, I was on flat ground. It surprised me that a long, heavy trailer with tires relatively to the rear and being a GN, that could happen. After that I put it in 4 WD, used the stands and used wheel chocks.

For this guy to get pinned in the accident, I assume the truck/trailer was rolling backwards. Unfortunately, trying to stop a rolling vehicle is foolish, especially with a loaded trailer.

I never thought about a tilt bed as not rolling, but you are correct. I have a tilt bed but never looked at it that way.

 

[Dargo]

A lot of these accidents, i think, are because the parking brake only works on the truck rear axle, which is being lifted off the ground when trying to load a fixed deck trailer on a slope.

I think you are most likely right. I got away with a bonehead move with my very first tractor, a brand new 850 John Deere. At the time my driveway was only about 60 feet long and went up a bit of a hill to my home. For some reason I decided to load my tractor on my trailer when it was sitting in my driveway. I just had a 7k car trailer with slide out ramps and no stands under the rear of the trailer. about the time the rear wheels of the tractor got up on the trailer everything started slowly sliding down the driveway.

I was in a complete panic because not only did it catch me by surprise, but the trailer was heading off the side of the driveway towards a ditch that was about 3' deep. I couldn't decide quick enough if I wanted to go forward as fast as I could to put more weight on the rear of the truck or try to back off the trailer as fast as I could. Instead I did something that probably saved me. I didn't have my seatbelt on, so I grabbed it and put it on as fast as I could. About the time the belt clicked the back of the trailer went off into the ditch and I saw sky. The tractor flipped over backwards, bending the ROPS about a foot forwards, and then rolled over on it's side in the ditch - with me attached.

Other than smacking my head on the ground pretty hard I wasn't injured. My wife saw it happen from inside the house and thought she'd just witnessed her husband die. In retrospect, I now know how foolish that was and how lucky it turned out for me.

 

[Renze]

I always put my trucks in 4 wheel drive. This way when you go in park you are now locking both the rear and front axle. That is in addition to the parking break.

We rent a 10t dump trailer from a contractor to haul muck to the headland of our field at 1.5km distance, about every december/january when the muck silo is full. It also saves me from multiple trips with the 3t spreader through a bumpy sand road in spring time.

When braking that trailer on snow or ice, i allways engage the 4wd on my tractor, as well as when dumping in the field because the tipped back dumpbody lifts weight of the rear axle, and the flowing mass of muck pushes the trailer forward. But i hadnt thought of it in this situation... In my part of Holland we dont have hills anyways, and not much people have 4wd's to pull trailers.

 

[powerstroke444e]

We always chock the wheels but I did see a guy @ the rental yard the other day that didn't and he just about wrecked when he shoved the clutch and rolled off the trailer and the sales man came out with chocks and made sure to make an ***** out of the guy.

 

[JoelD]

Putting in 4 wheel drive is an excellent idea, I had never thought of it.

Joel

 

[Renze]

Putting in 4 wheel drive is an excellent idea, I had never thought of it.

Also if you have a manual, put it in gear. Parking brakes often dont have full hill holding capacity, so if it moves when the tractor is pushing up against the ramps, it has a little extra resistance.

At my former employer, we allways equipped 5th wheels with stands, as its not just safer but also better for the trailer frame: It gets quite a peak load when the full weight of the vehicle to be moved, is on the end of the trailer, instead of over the axles. Those trailers were allways air braked, so they have a full capacity parking brake.

 

[Scooby074]

He is so used to loading a 3 ton farm tractor on it, behind his Ford Mondeo,

3 ton tractor behind a Mondeo Estate Isnt their towing capacity something like 2000kg?

For us over here that would be like towing a tractor behind a Ford Contour, if you remember those.

But your right, alot of these runaway accidents could be prevented by the steps in your post. This happens all to frequently.

Heres an example. Unloading a Cat, took weight off the tractor's tires. Someones getting fired.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmPOQkr6i-0

 

[2manyrocks]

TBN is a lifesaver. I never realized how dangerous it is to load a tractor on a trailer until I started reading the safety posts.

 

[DanD78]

Another thing NOT to do is unload your tractor off the trailer when it is not hooked to the truck. I tried this once unloading a 6k tractor off my 20' goose neck. It had kickers on the ramps but still took the front of the trailer in the air. I was on flat ground so it didn't try to roll away.

Dan

 

[kevinj]

I always put my trucks in 4 wheel drive. This way when you go in park you are now locking both the rear and front axle. That is in addition to the parking break.

Chris

You still have the potential to jack knive if the rear is lifted. There is no substitute for either chocking the wheels or setting the brakes.

 

[Renze]

3 ton tractor behind a Mondeo Estate Isnt their towing capacity something like 2000kg?

...No its about 1400kg...

Yes 2000kg is quite safe behind a Mondeo, even for the non-experienced driver. But these ratings have to do with manufacturers warranty on the drivetrain, rather than safety. You easily bust up the homokinetic joints of front wheel drive cars. Mercedes went to front wheel drive on their Vito van (2 ton GVW) because its cheaper to build, but in the 2nd generation they already went back to rear wheel drive because the 1st generation kept busting joints.

 

[Scooby074]

Renze: I dont think id be pulling a 3000kg tractor behind a car rated for 1400kg. Even with trailer brakes id still be worried. Our f150 which is considerably heavier than a Mondeo, with a much higher towing rating, behaves noticeably different when towing around a b26 which is only about 5500 lbs (2500kg) including trailer.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Ive had runaways before like this, especially with my 12000 pound Komatsu excavator. Alot of time at the lake all the roads are on a fairly steep grade and too far to walk a machine in from flat ground. I usually place 2 oak blocks under the sides of my trailer if Im in the gooseneck. my ramps always flex out and the trailer squats lifting my drive wheels. most of the time I still have some sliding on the really steep hills even with the ties and I just walk off the dove tail to drop my trucks tires. I know a family that shares a 310 Case dozer beween them and they have a scary setup. They had a trailer my from 1 ton single wheel axles thats low to the ground with no springs and they tow it with a little Ford ranger with a flat dump. They just pull the 310 up to where the truck has enough weight and go. The dot even watch and dont say anything. Ive pulled the trailer empty with my 1 ton dodge nd it was heck to keep in control much less with a dozer on it.