Pull tests
In another thread there was a lot of talk about pull tests. In 1997 we got our first 5th wheel and a Hijacker 16k Ultra sliding bar hitch. We never did pull tests. The hitch in 2001 moved two a se...
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SabreCanuck wrote:
Never hauled hazardous materials so never did stop at RR crossings when trucking.
BUT - When pulling trailer, I do admit to putting flashers on and slowing down to 40 mph for a lot of the RR crossings. Especially the ones that are at a 45 degree to the highway and rough as **explative**. So Yeah, I do generally slow down for RR crossings, traffic permitting (example: I'm not slowing to 20 mph on an interstate with busy traffic behind me).
There are a lot of things that I learned over the road that I continue to practice and observe today. Like being able to tell when the person in the car ahead of me is going to change lanes even before they indicate said change with blinker (or not). Generally, they will slow slightly and you can see their head turning to view the lane. DW has often wondered how I know these things. :)
Trust those Truckers, they know more than most on the road :)
Of course I agree! I did haul hazmat for 17 years.
My problem with doing the pull test is most do not realize how hard you have to pull to actually pull out from under your trailer. If you think I am wrong, hitch up, raise your landing gear so it is just loose on the ground, not actually lifted, and then unhook your hitch and pull out. If you haven't ever done it, you will be surprised at how much throttle it takes to do a proper pull test.
And for the record, yes I have done it, both professionally and with our 5er.
What most call a pull test is actually a brake test, and there is sure nothing wrong with that. I do that every time I am leaving before I get to the highway to make sure they work properly.
