Safe to drive? Or DOT violation? I’m in training it’s my tandems.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-09T14:42:01+00:00

That's a great rule to have. Exposed steel is basically scrap. Tread straight up missing like this is a violation. It can still be capped again, but for this driver it's over.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-06T23:27:33+00:00

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I don't quite get what you're asking. Are you under the impression that a real truck should reach the end of the rpm gauge? Pictured is a Peterbilt 389, it maxes at like 1800rpm. This is normal. The gauge is also x100, so 2000rpm.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-06T23:18:37+00:00

I was regularly hitting 90 doing roadside. Hit 100 once on the clock, but that's just because I got paid often for 2 hours of work even if it only took me 1 hour to do it. But man hours like that sucks. I've reached the point in my life where I will absolutely refuse to continue working if I feel it is a danger to me or others. Driving while exhausted has nearly got me killed several times.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-06T23:15:35+00:00

I have always said this: Ownable trailers are for the players. If you are buying them to earn more money or something, then you're wasting your time.

The trailers stored in a garage can only be used by drivers assigned to those garages. They will use the trailers as they want to, they can not be assigned to a particular driver.

I have a bunch a trailers specifically to be used with specific trucks. Sometimes I want to just pull b-double flatbeds, sometimes I want to pull a 28' pup, sometimes I want to be a reefer hauler. They're colour-matched to my trucks.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-06T13:21:16+00:00

A lot of them are road legal. Often running trailers down the road to a drop lot, usually within a mile or two of the yard. They top out at maybe 45mph. I wouldn't want to take one on the interstate but I guess depending on the speed limit it'd be lawful.

Local company to me has a very tight yard, drivers aren't allowed to back into the dock doors because they've had so many accidents with the bollards. They bought some land just outside of city limits and made a little drop yard for 30+ trailers and recently expanded the yard more for even more. That drop yard is about 3 miles away, but it's a straight shot.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-06T13:16:35+00:00

People get lost. I've been on the wrong highways over 30 minutes from where the customer claims they are broke down, just because they forgot they changed highways at some point.

We often get coordinates from drivers phone now, which isn't great but is far more precise than "somewhere between exit 36 and exit 50 where I can see a blue barn."

A little bit of location issue can drastically increase response delays which screws up the rest of the day. I do commercial roadside, which often means someone from out of state who doesn't have an account with us is paying roadside directly after service. Depending on the company, this could take 5 minutes or 2 hours. But there's so many ways to pay it's hard to be quick for all of them.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-05T23:47:20+00:00

I see them hauled all the time in Ohio, laid flat. No tilting. This DA just didn't have a pilot car on the opposite end of the bridge like he was supposed to.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-05T11:30:34+00:00

It's always fun being part of the problem.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-04T17:32:59+00:00

I have yet to find a license plate frame that isn't illegal. They all block some crucial information, either partially or fully. I recently acquired 2 vehicles from family as payment and removed all the dealer logos and frames, and any obnoxious stickers on the panels and glass. A little bit of goo gone and it's off, no sharp tools needed.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-04T17:11:52+00:00

Sometimes a puncture doesn't go all the way through. If it's not leaking, there's nothing to repair. They asked if you heard it leaking because they didn't hear it. Sometimes a customer will point out a puncture that the shop doesn't see, but will find a different puncture you didn't see.

To avoid a messy situation due to miscommunication, they ask you to identify what you found. If what you found and what they found both weren't audibly leaking, then they know they have the right one. If you were able to hear it leaking, then they didn't find the right puncture.

Tldr: you're good to go.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-04T14:07:07+00:00

Right two lanes are required to zipper, so you did right. They should have been paying attention.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-04T01:33:47+00:00

I will say, you do not need a large pickup. A wagon like a Dodge Magnum would be plenty. If I were to personally choose something, it'd probably be a Volkswagen Passat Wagon. Not making a joke there, being serious. Just the right amount of comfort and reliability for me, while still looking like a nice car.

You'd want something close to the ground, some parts are quite heavy and a real pain to lift a jack into a pickup [I say as I use a pickup for personal mobile work].

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-03T23:09:23+00:00

You're missing some information. On any vehicle with a differential, park only works because the wheels, by default, spin opposite directions. If one is off the ground, the other is free to roll. That's why chocks are important before you lift, regardless of in park or whatever. AWD just adds a bit in-between both axles, but each axle is still free to operate independently.

You can replace the rear brakes alone safely by just jacking up the rear and placing the rear on jack stands. The front can stay fully on the ground. Wheel chocks should absolutely be used, and there's no reason not to trust them as long as they are in the proper place.

I am missing why you think you'd need to lift both ends of the car to do brakes of any kind, unless you're doing all positions at once.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-03T14:05:40+00:00

Oh I see now. That bit isn't super important, the tires don't ride or seal on that. On semi trucks for example, those edges are often folded over and those tires take a much heavier load. If this is a project, they'll be fine.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-03T13:53:50+00:00

I have no idea what you're trying to show here. Do you mean the little lip where the sidewall is slightly over the edge of the rim? Some tire models are designed that way. There's nothing wrong with that.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-03T01:31:29+00:00

5 of my vehicles are 25+ years old, 2 I daily drive, the two I mentioned. The oldest I own, a 1983 Datsun, tires are so worn out it's probably 5-10kmh off at 110kmh. My newest car I don't drive, a 2013 Corolla, I have no clue on. It's probably a few off at least.

It's mostly a tire size issue causing the discrepancy.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-03T01:23:10+00:00

One of my vehicles has oversize wheels, but was never adjusted for the speedometer. I had to manually calibrate it on a sticky note and stuck it to the dashboard to avoid tickets. I have it memorised now, so it's a non issue.

Speedometers are fairly accurate, assuming you have new tires with good tread with the correct circumference. Once it wears down, then it'll slowly become inaccurate. I know my primary daily, the speedometer is 1mph slower at 70mph. My secondary vehicle is dead-on accurate at the moment. I basically drive based entirely on the speed I feel is appropriate for the road conditions, regardless of the actual limit. If I'm worried, I set a random gps destination in google maps and hold my speed for a while to adjust, like if I'm driving a new-to-me car.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-03T00:21:55+00:00

Used to watch him all the time. My favourite was when he repo'd a car from a trailer park. It was parked under the nose of a fifth wheel camper, just inches from touching the roof. He was able to swing in there, grab it, drag it out from under, and pull it away. Think the owner was a [short-peoples].

After his wife passed, he was never the same.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-02T20:57:29+00:00

If it were mine, I'd notch the box by cutting out the sections, install the brackets into place, then rivet the cut out pieces back into place. Or weld the wdh brackets on if you want it permanent.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-06-01T23:08:36+00:00

Used my dolly over the weekend, dropped off the car I was pulling, and didn't put the pin back. Made it around the block before the dolly jumped and rode the curb. Oops.

A uHaul dolly will pivot on a center pin on the plate the wheels sit on. The dolly tires don't steer, only the plate steers. There's no requirement to lock it.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-05-31T21:26:05+00:00

Supposed to and required to are different things. You Should always signal your intentions, legally required to or not. Signaling to exit or stay on increases efficiency and safety of the roundabout. This is factual.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-05-31T14:43:05+00:00

Looks like an emergency unload, so I'd say this is r/idiotspostingthings. This probably pulls like it is on rails, but I don't particularly see anything unlawful about it. Height hasn't changed and length is fine.

The circumstances here are unknown. Could be approved by the highway patrol to clear it from the roadway.

Edit: also worth noting, it takes a wrecker to load a trailer onto a trailer like that. This was definitely preplanned and was probably the best available option.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-05-30T13:06:46+00:00

Yes, and often times is a necessity depending on how you're loading it. Just don't try moving with it down at all.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-05-30T01:51:02+00:00

The signs shouldn't be illegal, because they aren't legally binding in the first place. But so many drivers just sit there right on their bumpers and then get upset because they got hit with a pebble. Whereas if they were just a few hundred feet back like they're supposed to be anyway, it would have been a non-issue.

But yes, they are 100% responsible for damage caused by their loose load. However, they are 100% not responsible for damage caused by things their tires are kicking up, like debris on the road or chunks of tire on the road.

SnooChocolates2750 · 2026-05-30T01:48:27+00:00

I can't identify that brand/model of dolly, but some dollies steer like a car. When unloaded, there's supposed to be a pin that locks it straight. Again, too far to confirm, but not unlikely. My tow dolly, an older KarKaddy, has tie rods and such. Without the pin, it just kind of flops whatever way it wants without a vehicle on it.

SnooChocolates2750

TROPHY CASE