Trailers are great all-purpose haulers, but just like any other vehicle, they need maintenance. A trailer can end up with a broken or worn-out leaf spring. The leaf springs on a trailer are an important part of the suspension, holding the axle straight and also supporting the trailer and the…
Trailer jacks are essential tools for raising and lowering the tongue on a trailer. Having a smoothly operating jack makes positioning the tongue for towing or parking much easier. Installing a new jack onto a trailer is not too difficult as long as you purchase the right size jack for…
Your truck cannot operate properly without a healthy, functioning battery beneath the hood. In order to ensure that the battery sustains a full charge and remains useful, you must perform regular maintenance. A poorly maintained battery will repeatedly lose its charge, which leads to corrosion and deterioration within the battery….
Driving with a trailer increases your risk factors, due in part to the reduced braking and cornering of your vehicle. One way to mitigate this risk is to always ensure your trailer is operating in proper mechanical order. A regular requirement for maintaining your trailer is to inspect and lubricate…
A utility trailer is a non-motorized apparatus that attaches to another vehicle to move heavy cargo from one location to another. As with any device with moving parts, regular maintenance, including proper lubrication of the wheel bearings, is imperative. Greasing the bearings must be done at regular intervals for proper…
Whether you have a travel trailer or one that just carries cargo, adding electric brakes to it will give you quicker stopping power and control. Properly wiring the trailer’s electric brakes is critical but not difficult. The color of the wires is what they will usually be, but occasionally the…
The electric brakes on your trailer are similar to the drum brakes on your automobile. The basic difference is that your automotive brakes are actuated by an electromagnet. Trailer brakes are designed to work in synchronization with tow vehicle brakes. Never use tow vehicle or trailer brakes alone to stop…
Trailers are a useful and economical way of hauling a variety of cargo. However, as with every vehicle, parts can wear out or break. Either due to excessive wear or to having a blow out, the trailer tires will eventually need to be changed. Changing these mid-sized tires is not…
Properly working trailer lights bulbs is crucial to maintaining road safety. If both bulbs are not functioning or even one is burned out, motorists behind you may not be aware when you are slowing down or planning to turn. Checking your trailer’s light bulbs and replacing them when necessary is…
Trailer lights are installed on trailers to provide breaking, turn signal and caution lights on a trailer. Trailer lights must be connected to the wiring harness of the tow vehicle so that the control functions of the tow vehicle are connected to it. Many vehicles have a wiring harness already…
Aligning Trailer Tongue to an Axle There is virtually no tolerance for misalignment. If the tongue is not mounted properly to the frame, the trailer will not track properly behind the tow vehicle. The further the attachment point is off-center from the axle, the more the trailer will sway while…
Trailer Axles: An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at…
Vehicle manufacturers in the United States categorize trucks by gross vehicle weight rating, defined as the combined weight of the truck and its maximum cargo. The Federal Highway Administration categorizes them by their configuration, including the total number of axles and tires and whether the truck typically pulls a trailer….
Truck dispatching is a rapidly growing business. Many companies hire their own dispatcher, but other companies and some individuals who own and operate their own trucks hire the services of a dispatching company. Before the Internet, truck dispatchers kept charts to keep track of drivers and loads. Today, with high…
If you are considering joining the trucking industry it is smart to become familiar with the different trailer categories and types that can be found on the roads throughout the United States. In order to become a truck driver, there are several factors to consider, including what type of trailer…
Surety Bond is a bond issued by an entity on behalf of a second party, guaranteeing that the second party will fulfill an obligation or series of obligations to a third party. In the event that the obligations are not met, the third party will recover its losses via the…
Commercial truck insurance is a necessity for many businesses. Commercial truck insurance is designed to protect vehicles used for business. Though commercial truck insurance can be more complex than regular vehicle insurance, the process is fundamentally similar. Commercial insurance for your truck can be purchased directly from an insurance company…
Trucking companies throughout the United States have installed Global Positioning Systems in their trucks, which allow companies to monitor their fleets and keep better track of customer goods. Also, GPS monitoring allows companies to keep track of employees who are driving recklessly. GPS trucking software enables you to have better…
Logistics officers handle the distribution of a company’s merchandise. They work for retailers, manufacturers and many other industries, loading and unloading packages and sometimes even equipment. Most logistics officers are employed in warehouses, although some work on putting loads on docks, where they remove or place items on large trucks,…
Your truck is both a tool and an investment. Protect it with regular maintenance to ensure it will function without complications and last a long time. While people use their trucks for a variety of duties, the maintenance checklist is typically the same. There are a few parts in the…
Vehicle inspection is a procedure mandated by national or subnational governments in many countries, in which a vehicle is inspected to ensure that it conforms to regulations governing safety, emissions, or both. Inspection can be required at various times. Trucks weighing tens of thousands of lbs. barrel along on highways…
**How to Write Truckload Bidding Bid When bidding a contract for freight transportation you must take into account that you are competing with other companies. You want to set yourself apart from that competition in order to give yourself an edge on the competition. Every government agency or company that…
Freight forwarding, or third-party logistics providers, are the single most effective way to transport goods. Many top companies, such as United Parcel Service and FedEx, act as freight forwarders. U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk says, “More than a quarter of a million U.S. firms export goods. Ninety-seven percent of…
The trucking industry has one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the United States. There are close to 3 million commercial truck drivers in the United States, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor counts, and the figure continues to rise. If you are considering a career change and want…
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was created to minimize the amount of commercial motor vehicle-related injuries and deaths. To hold or obtain a commercial driver’s license , CDL, a driver must pass drug and alcohol tests periodically. Drug and Alcohol Testing • FMCSA regulations require CDL holders to pass…
