Linehaul/Sliding tandems question
 

I'm starting a linehaul job in a week.
Previously all I have ever done was flatbed with spread axle trailers, though I have pulled a tandem trailer while I was learning.

With this new linehaul job, it will be 100% drop&hook. I was told the toughest thing about the job is getting in and out of the truck.
So like I said, I have always pulled spread axles, and I have never had to slide a set of axels.
WHat I'm wondering is, since the trailers are already preloaded, will they more than likely already have the axles set in the right place, or is that my responsibility....Yeah, thats what Im figuring.. :roll:

By the way, how hard/stressful really is it to get to and out of Staten Island (sp?), Long Island and the such?
I've had a TON of experience in inner-city Pittsburgh, I was thrown into it like a jar of honey to a pack of bears, and though it did stress me out a little bit at first, after a month or so, I kinda got used to it and got to the point where I didnt worry about the people around me (in a "Am I doing something bad" kind of way. I've done alot of D.C. too. We delivered a bunch of loads to "L Street", which is just a few streets away from the white house, and thats didnt really bother me too much, though I beat all of the traffic by leaving Pittsburgh (Irwin) by 1:30am. The D.C. nuts were just comming out of the woodwork when I was just about there, and all I had to do was have the load picked off, and had a nice easy shot home. Kinda hoping linehaul works out the same way since it seems to have the night hours...Well Ok, time to quit rambling.

Thanks in advance for your help guys.
Have fun, be safe, spread the word.

More likely than not, you will have to slide tandems. Depending on who you haul for. A lot of places will slide tandems to the rear when loading and then drop the trailer for you to use the bridge law to figure out where you need to put the tandems at. It takes a bit getting use to but if you have been flat bedding then tandems will be nothing for you. I almost always set them to california settings and went with that. But we took a lot of loads there. My rule of thumb was to try to have a little more weight in back than in front withing state guidelines. As far as long Island? I have no idea. I have heard horror stories but I would say it can't be as bad or worse than Newark.

for NEMF you shouldn't have to slide tandems all that much for linehaul. just if you get a 53 with it slide all the way back, but by the time you hook to it, the local guy should've already slide it.

as for getting off long island, it all depends on what time you're coming west. if you can make it to the clearview by say 6 you might be allright. anything too much later than that and you're going to sit. as for coming west off staten island, the only thing you have to worry about is staying out of the buses way. :shock: what i do is go different ways up to the cross bronx (i'm assuming that's the way you'll go to go back to pa) to check which is better for you, for the time you're getting out. try going up the van wyck to the whitestone if the LIE is clear at the grand central, to cut off some traffic if the cross bronx is backed up. the last resort is the BQE up to the major degan. that's the long about way, but if there's something major going on the cross bronx, that'll put you up right at the GW. but like i said it all depends on what time and what direction you're going. :wink:

if you are doing LTL, which is what is sounds like for the linehaul gig, always slide your tandems as far back as possible. Since you are dealing with LTL and not truckload stuff, they always go for load average and see how full they can get a trailer at your hub. Many times they are not as concerned about axle weights as loading a trailer to maximize the cubic capacity. The majority of the time you are heavier on the tail of the trailer. Also, the 250 or 500 pounds per hole on sliding that is a general rule of thumb, you can throw it out the window doing LTL. Your trailer may have 40 or more shipments on it, from 40 different shippers and of course weights will vary with every pallet. Also find out about their overweight ticket policy. Most LTL's pay the tickets for linehaul, since there is no way to know what is on the trailer and most hubs don't have a scale. It is also not economically feasible to run every load over a cat scale every night. If you are pulling LTL you will get your share of tickets. If you're pulling doubles, then you can't even slide nothing.

if you listen to nothing else listen to this:ASSUME EVERY TRAILER IS EXTREMELY TOP HEAVY AND THE LOAD WILL SHIFT IN THE CORNERS!!!!! You will have guys at your hub loading the trailers, that know nothing of driving a truck. I have seen our dockworkers load stuff that a driver knows better. You will have reels of cable/wire, not chalked down, that will roll side to side in the trailer, tote tanks sloshing, etc. Take corners and ramps slower than you normally would, especially with doubles. Linehaul is the easiest money in trucking i think. All you do is go hub to hub drop/hook, the hardest thing is the night time driving. I've been doing it for several years now, and you never get used to it. DOn't be a hero, pull over and take you a 20 minute nap. It will save your life or somebody elses. Best of luck to you.

where are you running on you line haul job? i go from ohio to jersey (right off staten island) twice a week. look for me. fed ex ground truck.

Jedfxg,
They told for as a new guy, I'll be doing alot of Bethpage, NY, and alot of other NJ & NY.

I'll be in the NEMF truck....Hopefully a frieghtliner! They can have the brand new Macks & Volvos.

Oh goodie, someone new to torture. You know what I drive and I run a radio, let me know you times :wink:

on a 53 foot, this will make you over length

well double r, i can't think what you drive. me fed ex ground, t-600, got a little blue led light on the dash. i go by jed on the radio, and i tend to be very talkative. i usually around 79 split around 630am or so tues and thur morn. and around 5 or 6 wed and fri morn going west. that depends if i stop in somerset and wait on a counterpart. look for me i'll be on the radio.

Sorry, that was for JIM :twisted:
As for your times, I miss you by a few hours. Come back the pike from VA tuedays AM and from Baltimore Thursday EARLY AM(Usally back in Cranberyy by 1AM :D ) Just look for the PAPA JOHNS truck in the right lane doing 65(stupid goverened trucks)