Re: [MV] A safety warning for loading trailers

From: Cliff Smith (mtnbikinssgt@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed Feb 26 2003 - 16:12:39 PST

Just one more on this and I think it should cover the entire gamet. 

PUT THE CHOCKS ON THE DOWNHILL SIDE OF THE WHEELS

Sorry I had yet to see someone say this............watched many a Marines NOT do this and chased trucks DOWN hill........chocks still behind them on the ground.

Cliff Smith
'70 Tan USMC M151A2
From: "GOTAM35"
To: (Military Vehicles Mailing List)
Subject: Re: [MV] A safety warning for loading trailers
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:36:51 -0500
----- Original Message -----
From: "Everette" <194cbteng@pchnet.com>
> My .02 -- NOT A FLAME JUST A COMMENT
>
> I have seen similar things happen and chocks on truck - unless they were
on
> front wheels - even then I have doubts - would have prevented what
happened
> to Joe. I put wooden block at back of trailer, right at end by ramps -
both
> sides - if I loading something heavy - yes sometimes load mashes trailer
> down on blocks, but just pull up slow and they will roll out.
I just wanted to share one more little piece of info because several folks
have replied to me and the list about putting blocks under the back of the
trailer. This is advice well given. If you don't have a way of keeping the
back of the trailer from squatting down you are in real trouble. The
trailer I was using, which I now use several days a week to haul the 8500
pound Kubota around, has legs on the ramps. These legs have always stayed
put and kept the trailer up in the back.
As the trailer was pushing the truck down the hill it was able to move just
a little without much resistance. As the legs where sitting on the pavement
they remained stationary. As the trailer moved forward this allowed the
ramps to start to fold up, as they folded up the back of the trailer moved
down reducing traction on the truck. This could not have happened if the
truck was parked level or on a slight incline. The hill changed a situation
that normally works well.
Lessons I learned that I will use from now on:
1. Park on level ground.
2. Chock the front wheels of the truck or trailer wheels.
3. Make sure the back of the trailer is supported.
On a similar note, I learned a long time ago to use park brakes instead of
the transition's "park". If you have a vehicle in park, or the park brake
locks the axle (like on my Deuce) you only have to lose traction on one side
and the vehicle will role. I too keep a wheel chock in the old deuce. It's
just too easy for a kid to release the park brake. I might have to crank th
e vehicle and pull up a little to get it out sometimes, but that's nothing
compared to backing it off of another vehicle or neighbors shed (that
happened to my Falcon once, it's not limited to MV's).
Think before do anything, that increases my odds to 50/50,
Joe Trapp
===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
To unsubscribe, send e-mail to:
To switch to the DIGEST mode, send e-mail to
To reach a human, contact

MSN 8 helps ELIMINATE E-MAIL VIRUSES. Get 2 months FREE*.

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Wed Apr 23 2003 - 13:25:34 PDT