Tractor loading revisited.

During my years farming, I have had 3 trailers geared up for amoung other things hauling tractors. The first was a 18' deck, bumper hitch, two 3,500 lb axles, pulled either by a C-20 or C-50 Chevy. The second was a 40' deck goose neck with air brakes and pulled by a single axle highway tractor. The one I currently have is just a light tandem car hauler, and really all I ever move with that is my SA, 130 or 140. When I bought the 40' trailer 100+ hp tractors were just coming on the market thus I found as well as my own tractors, I was being called on by two dealers to do a lot of deliveries for them. This became a commercial part of my farming operation.

First let me say that other than ice or snow just about the poorest place for a tractor to obtain traction is on a trailer deck. You can weld rebar, angle iron, etc on ramp portions of trailer. The deck however is something you keep smooth and free of such items. When you back a tractor up a ramp to trailer deck, at the point when your rear wheels hit that deck, the front end is still coming up the incline, thus the tractor is still pulling. In a position like this, if a tractor spins out it will most definately spin sideways. Such a drop if it happens will almost certainly result in upset. When you drive on, tractor is level when drive wheels hit the deck. I have loaded hundreds of tractors and never had one come up on the front end driving on foreward. Most of these were tractors I had driven for the first time heading for the back of the trailer. Contrary to what some of you said, you hit the back of the trailer at or near full throttle in 1st gear. Momentum is what makes the operation smooth. If a trailer deck is wet you should always use a drying agent. sand, cat litter, etc.

There are exceptions to this and every case must be judged individually. Mounted equipment behind is one of them. I will give you one tip, until you treat this as I'm driving from point A to point B you will have trouble. Moving a tractor inch by inch or foot by foot, onto or off a trailer will get you in trouble quickly.

One other item on truck trailer combinations, with the exception of your steering axle, all axles should carry the same weight or at least within 5%. Your driving axle should be the one 5% heavy. I don't care if that is an F-150 with a car hauler or a 10 axle, multi trailer set up hauling 140,000 lbs. If you want stability same rule applies. Safety experts today are watching driver fatigue closely. From experience I can tell you nothing will create driver fatigue any quicker than a poorly loaded truck.

The only time I load backwards is then I am hauling 2 tractors on by trailer and need to pull the fronts past each other to fit.

Another item some of these guys should try is loading a 1086 with cab and duals back on. They will soon change their minds, about backing on. On my 40' trailer many times I have loaded 1066 with cab, duals and 20' folding wing disk harrow behind, chained it down and had the operator disking 10 miles away in 45 min. Same with 5 bottom semi-mount plow, you have to load that one from an angle to make it backable coming off. You don't use side boards when the next load could be 12' wide. My trailers were all full width loading ramps thus narrow fronts were no problem. Keep the ramps long, steepness will not win you any awards.

I dont doubt what you say, but why would you load a 1066 and disk on a trailer to go to a field 10 miles away? I am sure you had your reasons, but around here we just drive it.

Mike

I will say the 10 miles is a toss up on just whether it is worth trucking or roading. I did a lot of custom work with my two largest tractors that quite often took them 60 miles away from home and there it did pay, to truck. I would guess that after 1970, I did no hauling of hay, silage or grain with tractors on public highways. Trucks are faster and more economical.

Another area we used trailer a lot was fertilizing or spraying, put supplies on front of trailer tractor behind and one guy could work all day moving when necessary, and have all supplies with him. with a single axle highway tractor, if he had a breakdown, he could unhook trailer and go for repairs or parts.

GM Hugh, I feel like I shouldnt even respond to this post with all you guys with 40 years experience, but I had to throw my 2 cents in. And I would like to add that this Snoco trailer that I rebuilt is my only trailer and all that I have towed is the A and the Super A ! The whole bed on that thing tilts, so as your driving up it seems like your at 45 degs and the next second your horizontal again, a little unerving for someone that has never loaded a tractor before. Whats this have to do with your statement, probablly nothing, but just had to throw my 2 cents in. Have a good day!

scotty

• 1942 Farmall A

My employer has a trailer like this he uses behind a farm tractor for moving a non neumatic forklift about a mile between ware houses. Of course the only way the fork lift will climb the ramp is with charger on a pallet on forks, and backing on. Even then full speed is necessary, and mesh welded to the deck. He doesn't have a loading dock at second warehouse, or we would just run it in one of the trucks to move.

I can't recall ever spinning a drive tire while loading forward or backwards. If that had ever happened to me, I would have put sides on the trailers, changed the deck somehow, or quit trailering. Successful bailouts on a tractor are a very rare occurance.

I never EVER use any throttle position higher than the absolute lowest possible idle. And I always use the TA if it is available.

I usually load going forward because most of my tractors that I move are trikes and I only have two ramps. First gear is usually slower than reverse. I haven't mastered the art of angle loading while in reverse. In fact, I have no need to. Backward loading is usually done when implements are attached. An old piece of 8" channel can handle one of the trike tires when the CG is near the rear axel.

I wonder if John Deere owners approach this subject differently.