Runaway truck and trailer with me driving the tractor on it!

[s219]

BTW, there are some drop leg jacks that you can weld to the rear corners of a trailer to quickly drop in place when loading. Various styles and types. Me, I keep a few chunks of 6x6 timbers on hand just for this purpose. My trailer takes two 6x6 and one 2x4 for proper blocking (this leaves just enough gap that I can slide them back out after the trailer is loaded and squats from the tractor weight). The blocks can be thrown in the tractor bucket for storage while transporting.

 

[kuboman]

A set of wheel chocks for trailer wheels is standard practice and recommended in these parts.

 

[kevinj]

Chocking the trailer wheels is a must.

 

[repete]

I have an 8x16 fifth wheel 2 5/16 ball flatbed with the deck over the tires. Decades ago I used to load it without blocks or jacks under the rear as was pointed out many times above. One day I got to looking at the actual fifth wheel attachment and realized it was a steel tube holding the ball receiver and that was held within the vertical portion of the trailer tongue. The whole adjustable assembly (guts of ball receiver) was held within the trailer by the crank handle and that was secured to the screw height adjustment with a 1/4" bolt. Basically when I was loading the tractor and the trailer was rear heavy, the only thing holding the trailer tongue was the 1/4" bolt through the crank handle.
After that I ALWAYS put blocks under the rear and I welded the safety chains to the trailer (not the adjustable portion of the tongue) and when loading I cranked the trailer up until there was no slack in the chains.
Follow the load path and you can find the weakest link.
Since then I have purchased a lower deck tilt trailer and it is much safer. The old flatbed trailer comes out to haul hay and then goes back under cover.

 

[Rock Crawler]

BTW, there are some drop leg jacks that you can weld to the rear corners of a trailer to quickly drop in place when loading. Various styles and types. Me, I keep a few chunks of 6x6 timbers on hand just for this purpose. My trailer takes two 6x6 and one 2x4 for proper blocking (this leaves just enough gap that I can slide them back out after the trailer is loaded and squats from the tractor weight). The blocks can be thrown in the tractor bucket for storage while transporting.

What he said.

Set your trailer up correctly and you will not lift the rear tires of the truck. Your rear tires lifted, not the front. This is the proper way to load a trailer.....

 

[Cataclysm]

Just get a 4x4 or 5x5 about 18" to 24" long, attach a piece of old serpentine belt to it for a handle. Set the choc under the center/rear of the trailer. Leave a couple of inches between the choc and the trailer. When you drive on ramps the trailer will press down onto the block and not only hold you it will keep the rear of the tow vehicle on the ground.

Choc's in the center rear are simple and cheap.

Try to find a level of a place as possible to unload.

Careful with the drop leg systems or anything attached to the rear of your trailer. Eventually one will be down or fall down while your moving and you will bend or break it.

Every attached rear system that I have seen has eventually been bent or they have broken them off. Plus the drop legs are in the way of loading/unloading wide stuff at the rear of the trailer.

 

[newbury]

Yesterday loaded my near new L3901 with grapple attached to front to take to Barlows for blowing front hydraulics fuse problem. Mechanic looked at it on trailer but asked me to leave it till they could get it in shop and find the short that kept blowing the fuse. Should be fixed today for pick up.
As I loaded my tractor on the trailer I noticed it started moving on me!!!! I thought earthquake!!! I'm on a hill and by the time I got the tractor in position on the trailer my truck had started going downhill and went about 10' till it ran into a big 6" high monster rock which stopped the front tire. Yep, in park and emergency brake on.
When I unloaded it at Barlows on near level gravel lot the trailer and truck slid about 2'!
I talked to Gary about it and also mentioned how trailer seemed to be swaying some while bringing tractor to shop. He reminded me of several years ago when I had an Avalanche and was loading or unloading a L3240 and the front tires of my truck lifted off the ground and started sliding until he got in the truck and mashed the brake pedal to keep the truck from moving.
I've been transporting BXs, Bs, Fs, ZDs and small Zs but this is only my second L which is much heavier than the others sooooo it is lifting the front end of the truck when it goes up the ramp onto the trailer which then has little to no real brake griping hold on the ground with just the two rear tires on the ground. I'm posting this as a warning to others with heavier equipment. Don't do it alone unless it's absolutely necessary or have the truck heading up hill. Or a monster truck with lots of front weight which isn't a Toyota Tacoma 4wd. Take someone with you to mash the brake pedal and a helper is handy to work the other side of the trailer when locking the tractor down to the trailer if you can get them out of the truck.:laughing:.

C'mon John, do it again and get someone to take a video!!

<snip>
Every attached rear system that I have seen has eventually been bent or they have broken them off. Plus the drop legs are in the way of loading/unloading wide stuff at the rear of the trailer.

My trailer has drop ramps.

They don't bend.

Still John should buy a set of 4 inexpensive plastic nesting wheel chocks, don't take up space or weight but good for ensuring the trailer doesn't move (unless you forget one and hook up and drive over it ).

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Guess (know) you guys are right. The back wheels lifted not the fronts. I knew that because I was thinking how secure the ball was holding that it would pick up the truck rear end. I see lots of trucks with dented tailgates where the ball wasn't the right size or secured down and when the tractor was driven on the trailer the attachment popped off the ball and the trailer rolled forward with the tongue high and into the tailgate. Seen it happen also. My nephew was borrowing my trailer and it was hitched loose. He picked it up off the ball. His ball was 2" and my hitch is 2 5/8" he being a retired Marine said it would be OK. I told him no he wasn't destroying my 16" Gatormade trailer with spring lift ramp that's near new. I later gave him a hitch with a 2 5/8" ball to keep for his very own. If I'd let him take it it would not have made it down the drive way before popping off the ball and ramming his truck.
I may be on the lookout for some chocks or see if a concrete block will stand up and hold the rear of my trailer up while I load it. Course I have a Kubota and may never have to transport it again.:laughing:
You guys are pretty quick on the spotting an error in reporting and thanks for it for others who follow behind me.
I didn't pull my tractor forward enough when I loaded it on the trailer and knew I hadn't when I did it after seeing my truck being relocated. Gary also suggested backing the tractor on the trailer. I'll ponder the best weight distribution of the tractor over the tires when I pick it up while he holds the brake pedal down. He was the one that also reminded me of the front end coming up on my Avalanche years ago and that's what set it in my mind it was the front end and not thinking about the real situation. Blaming it on Gary!!!!:cool2:

 

[roadhunter]

Many ramps have a leg built in to prevent what you are dealing with. As has been mentioned dding jacks to the rear or using wood/concrete blocks would be another option.

Something tells me there is more to this story since you have had issues before. Guessing with balance on the trailer. Sounds like you are getting it figured out though.

I can only imagine the feeling of riding the tractor on the trailer with the truck attached moving. Whoa nelly!

 

[9973720wb19]

Watch this....

Loading a Tractor on a Trailer Safely - YouTube