Icy equipment trailers

[DKinWA]

I was outside today and decided to unload my New Holland tractor and do a couple of things around the house. The trailer I was unloading it off of has a wood deck with a 5' beavertail. The ramps that extend from the beavertail are made of angle iron. So where am I going with this.......

For whatever reason, I usually don't wear my seat belt when loading or unloading the tractor. Well, today it never got above freezing and there was ice on the beaver tail that I didn't see. When I started backing down the beaver tail, the tractor started to slide without my approval:eek: Fortunately it was a short distance and I hit the ramps square with the tires and the tractor stopped sliding. It was a rather humbling experience that I do not wish to repeat. My little sledding trip easily could've resulted in a roll over if the tires wouldn't have landed square on the ramps.

The moral of the story........I will now wear my seatbelt all the time...... even when loading or unloading equipment. I'm sure a lot of you probably already know this, but I thought I'd pass it along for those that might not. Happy New Year everyone!

[Pop]

It only takes a few seconds to fasten that seat belt and it may save your life.

Been There Done That

http://craneaccidents.com/drp.htm

[Pop]

Man loses arm in tractor accident, drives for help. (http://www.baxterbulletin.com/news/stories/20031224/localnews/97566.html)

[dozerman]

Around here I have heard of 2 rollovers, both due to a slippery and tilting (side to side) deck.

I leave gravel on the deck (wood) and load level....no problem.

Seat belts go on whenever there is a chance of rollover.
..B

[DKinWA]

Dozerman,

I'm almost due south of you in Elma....it's about 30 minutes west of Olympia. This weather were having is something else! I got up this morning to 4 - 6 inches of snow and 8 degrees. That's nothing compared to a lot of the country, but it sure is weird for around here. It sure is pretty out, but it ought to be real wicked heading to work tomorrow.

To get back on topic.......
My cousin used to haul around a 160 Hitachi Excavator on a tilt deck behind a Kenworth tri-axle dump. Whenever he was loading or unloading, he said he always had to be ready to set the boom on the ground if he started slipping. He had a couple of close calls on steel decks, but he said the wood was always "stickier". Now he runs a crane in the puget sound area. I think I would've stuck with the excavator and dump truck, since I can't imagine driving a big crane on I-5:(

[dozerman]

DKinWA,
Yeah, its slippery out there. Just as well, the shop needed a cleanin bad.
Been to Oly many times, have friends that live there, nice area.

Putting the boom down is a good trick, I do this at every move because the shock absorber is shot and banging the tilt down is hard on it. Also parking to minimize the tilt is helpful.

The dozer and hoe don't have that luxery.

[coopers]

Whenever we load our 450 dozers or 120 excavators and such, we deal with sliding issues. Quite a bit of our dozers tend to slide at and angle down the trailer. At least with an excavator you have the hoe to help stop you, none of that with a dozer! lol. I actually followed my driver after hours today to keep an eye on him unloading the dozer and the trailer due to all of the snow. As soon as he'd tap his brakes when driving, the trailer would jacknife sideways. Don't have any problems with our 121's going up the 1-ton's trailer deck though.

Blake
WA

[will_gurt]

This will definately get the old pucker factor up! I usually will use some sort of ice melt coupled with sand and/or whatever stoney agregate that is handy. Ask Digger242J about his two wheel backhoe stand he did one day!!

[woberlin]

It's not only the snow and ice that we have to worry about, but any precipitation combined with even a slight tilt of the trailer can be dangerous. I slid a brand new Komatsu dozer off the trailer several years ago during a light misting rain. The trailer was tilting, but it was very slight. Got the machine on ok, but when I started to move it forward, It started sliding sideways and right over the edge. Thank god I had the seatbelt on, my only injuries were to my pride, and a bunch of cuts from the patch of pricker bushes it fell into. Did'nt hurt the dozer at all, not a single scratch. So from that day forth, before a machine goes in gear, my seat belt is on-no exceptions. And I still dread loading the trailer to this day!

[coopers]

Yeah, loading and unloading trailers isn't my favorite either. The smaller machiens aren't so bad, but when you get into the bigger machines it can be a white knuckle experience. I don't like how today's backhoes are built as far as what you can see from the cab. Seems that you can't see anything off to your side and in the front with the 580SL's compared to loading a 580C. Loading and unloading the 120's is the same way, but they're so wide that any wrong turn means going over the edge. It sucks. :spaz

Blake
WA

[LandscapeMan]

Hmnn,
Kind of reminds me of the first time I took my Gehl 362 Mini Excavator out on a hard road with ice under the snow on the side of a hill. Started sliding down the hill side ways. Lucky there were no cars around for me to slide into.
Rubber tracks + hills + ice, no go.
Charlie

[nobull1]

Hmnn,
Kind of reminds me of the first time I took my Gehl 362 Mini Excavator out on a hard road with ice under the snow on the side of a hill. Started sliding down the hill side ways. Lucky there were no cars around for me to slide into.
Rubber tracks + hills + ice, no go.
Charlie
Steel tracks work the same going sideways. Just like having a dozen pairs of skates on each side. Don't ask how I know.