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ODFL | Dollies

I have always wondered the same thing, because all the years I've pulled them they have never had turn signals just tail lights. I have tagged my fair share of gear behind a set of doubles and never been bothered. The problem we have is having the right gear for the job. I work in a state where we pull triples, but we have strict length laws and mud flap laws. When we got our new Cascadias a few years ago, the triple bids were not able to use them, to long. They had to develop a shorter frame with a sliding fifth wheel for us. We still have to use 843's or 845 to 846 gear or we are to long. Especially with the older trailers. I have had to refuse to pull triples due to the proper gear not being available or at least being delayed while they brought gear from the street for us. Another problem is mud flaps. Used to be the Northbounds out of California would bring whatever, but my two meet driver's are good, if the gear isn't correct they will change it out in CIC and bring the correct gear north. Pretty good team of driver's, we always try to help each other. Now don't get me started about axle weights.
 
some of the older dollies only have one taillight. i've pulled one pup and a dolly, didnt seem like a big deal because you can see the lights on the trailer, but i've also bobtailed with a dolly, no brake lights or signals showing. not sure what the rules are
 
Ive bobtailed dollies as far as 330mi and haven't had one flip yet,as long as you have it chained up and plugged in you're good to go.You're being a little overly paranoid(or overly cautious)of the possibility of dollies coming loose or flipping over bobtailing,or being pulled behind a pup.30 years of experience of pulling these things and I've yet to see a dolly flip or come loose properly hooked,it just doesnt happen,the pintle doesn't give it enough play to flip(bobtailing)and the plunger prevents it from happening behind a pup,assuming You've engaged the emergency air to the dolly,Never turn on the service air without being hooked to another trailer though..
 
You said it.Thank You.I have never used any air to dolly pulling behind single pup.Working P/D I have pull'd alot of them bobtailing.Never had a problem.I drive the speed limit.55-65&never see a difference in the way they act.Just part of the job.I don't worry about thing's like that.If it is chain'd&light cord is plug'd in.Good to go.The only thing you have to be careful with is when the road is wet.I have had one go sideway's when I hit the brake's bobtailing when it was wet.Just part of the job.
DayliteDean said:
Ive bobtailed dollies as far as 330mi and haven't had one flip yet,as long as you have it chained up and plugged in you're good to go.You're being a little overly paranoid(or overly cautious)of the possibility of dollies coming loose or flipping over bobtailing,or being pulled behind a pup.30 years of experience of pulling these things and I've yet to see a dolly flip or come loose properly hooked,it just doesnt happen,the pintle doesn't give it enough play to flip(bobtailing)and the plunger prevents it from happening behind a pup,assuming You've engaged the emergency air to the dolly,Never turn on the service air without being hooked to another trailer though..
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Yeah I know I'm paranoid... It keeps the voices inside my head happy... For the record the one about the guy flipping a dolly came from a Con-way driver. They don't have that nifty little pintle hook lock that engages when you push on the red button like we do. It's so much easier wih that, and it keeps your back box from wiggling so much. Another example of how we do it better.
 
Songremainsthesame said:
Yeah I know I'm paranoid... It keeps the voices inside my head happy... For the record the one about the guy flipping a dolly came from a Con-way driver. They don't have that nifty little pintle hook lock that engages when you push on the red button like we do. It's so much easier wih that, and it keeps your back box from wiggling so much. Another example of how we do it better.
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CF had those air pistons, I can't image CCX would be so stupid to not have them also. But then again . . .We're talking Conway.
 
larmar said:
CF had those air pistons, I can't image CCX would be so stupid to not have them also. But then again . . .We're talking Conway.
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Yes we have the dolly plungers on our dollies at Conway. I've pulled many dollies as my rear unit in my 20 years and I've never had any problems.

Sent from my Cascadia Evolution
 
gomer67 said:
Yes we have the dolly plungers on our dollies at Conway. I've pulled many dollies as my rear unit in my 20 years and I've never had any problems.

Sent from my Cascadia Evolution
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???? Must be a ccx thing, we didn't have them down south, just the manual pintle hook latch, and a rear flopping in the breeze.
 
Freightshaker23 said:
Dont the dollies have to have turn signals on them
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About 20 years ago I volunteered for a DOT inspection to answer this very question. In short I was told any trailing unit must have 2 tail lights, 2 brake lights and turn signals.
If you can incorporate that within 2 lights , fine. I was told to fix it or leave the dolly at the scale. My company kept saying 1 tail/brake light was legal, I found out otherwise.
 
Been tagging gear behind a set for many years. If we have 3 trailers that are too heavy to pull as triples, our dispatch will have us bring back a set and tag a gear, keeps the pool in order. Sometimes, we will pull a empty back behind a loaded set. When I tag, I have a dummy emergency glad hand. I put that on my trailer on open the emergency valve, that sets the plunger on the pintel hook, connect the light cord and service line without opening it. Also I open the petcock or air release on the gear, reason is if there is any leftover air in the tank it could accidentally set the brakes while you are driving causing them to smoke and possibly catch fire. Trust me, I learned the hard way. You can get a dummy glad hand from your shop. That's where I got mine.
 
flybynite said:
Been tagging gear behind a set for many years. If we have 3 trailers that are too heavy to pull as triples, our dispatch will have us bring back a set and tag a gear, keeps the pool in order. Sometimes, we will pull a empty back behind a loaded set. When I tag, I have a dummy emergency glad hand. I put that on my trailer on open the emergency valve, that sets the plunger on the pintel hook, connect the light cord and service line without opening it. Also I open the petcock or air release on the gear, reason is if there is any leftover air in the tank it could accidentally set the brakes while you are driving causing them to smoke and possibly catch fire. Trust me, I learned the hard way. You can get a dummy glad hand from your shop. That's where I got mine.
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Or just use a quarter.
 
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