Figure 7-31.—Loading crawler equipment using blocks.CAUTIONUsing a tilt-bed trailer in damp or wet con-ditions is extremely dangerous and can causeuncontrollable sliding of equipment off thetrailer during loading and unloading operations.DETACHABLE GOOSENECK TRAILER.—Detachable gooseneck trailers are designed so when thegooseneck is detached you can load a machine from thefront without any ramps or tilting of the deck at thebalance point.The gooseneck and frame are held together inalignment by removable pins or safety locks. Removingor releasing the pins or safety locks and disconnectingthe brake and electrical lines, the two units are loweredto the ground by a hydraulic jack in the gooseneck or bya line from a winch mounted on the tractor. Thegooseneck is then detached from the frame and carriedor dragged a short distance by the tractor.Ramps are flipped over to rest on the ground, andthe equipment is driven up onto the trailer. Thegooseneck is backed into place, attached, lifted, andlocked. The brake and electrical line are reconnected,and the ramps are folded onto the deck of the trailer.You can also load from the rear, like a regularlow-bed trailer. Before you operate this type of trailer,read and understand the operator’s manual. Thesetrailers have low ground clearance, so take extreme carewhen crossing any high point in the roadway, such asrailroad tracks, speed bumps, and dips.Securing CargoRegardless of what type of truck you are operating,material you are hauling, or how far you are hauling it,your load must be secure from falling or shifting. Whena load shifts, the weight of the load has moved also. Thiscould cause an axle to be overloaded and mechanicalfailure to occur.Certain conditions can cause cargo being trans-ported to shift; however, almost all cargo movement canbe controlled with the use of proper blocking andbracing. Blocking is used in the front, back, and/or sidesof a piece of cargo to keep it from sliding. BlockingFigure 7-32.—Tilt-bed trailer with bed in the tilt position.7-27
Integrated Publishing, Inc. - A (SDVOSB) Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business