Panther 2 with a Sterling Class 8 question?

[robh2]

I saw a Panther 2 with a Sterling Class 8 straight truck with single axle and underneath it was landing gear right behind the tires. Why would a straight truck have landing gear under it?

Thanks.

Robert

 

[jaminjim]

It keeps the truck from bottoming out on the suspension when a fork lift goes on it. It also save ware and tear on your air bags.

Also more stable when a lift truck is on the truck.

 

[LDB]

Dolly legs are mandatory on straight trucks although some/many docks will ignore them. I won't let a fork lift into the truck without having them set. Replacement air bags are too expensive.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
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Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
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[riverrat2000]

thats why they make dump valves, roflmao

 

[Dreamer]

riverrat,
Not all trucks have dump valves, or are air ride. Either way, it can be dangerous to have a forklift go on a straight truck without legs down... especially single axle.

I once had a forklift get stuck in my truck because he went before I dropped the legs, and the box instantly dipped below dock level. They had to get a heavy duty lift to get him out.


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[robh2]

Thank you everyone. That makes sense. It was a nice truck, Panther truck 5000 was the number running team with a very attractive lady at the wheel.

They also had lettering on both sides of the truck that said it was a team truck and to look in sleeper for co-driver. I guess thats in case they are in an accident, they want to make sure everyone gets pulled out. Smart thinking.

Thanks again.

Robert

 

[pelicn]

Leo, you said dolly legs are mandatory on a straight truck. Is this just for single axle straight trucks? We had them on previous trucks that were single axle but this new one is tandem axle. We now dump the air when we are being loaded or unloaded.

 

[greg334]

Dollies?

I have been to a few docks where they came out and made sure I have them and they were down. My last run a the nice Spanish speaking guy went out and actually grabbed the crank gave a turn to make sure and chocked the wheel. The only English speaking guy there told me straight trucks without dollies will not be loaded or unloaded.

 

[LDB]

The dollies are to keep the nose of the truck from doing a wheelie in a worst case scenario and to keep from dropping low enough to get stuck like in Dale's case. You can just drop the air but that won't prevent the above possibilities. That also doesn't guarantee the sometimes very rough treatment by the Mark Martin wannabe on the forklift won't damage the suspension even with the air dumped. I've been told of a couple of cases of that. I lower the legs to about an inch off the pavement and then drop the air. The suspension isn't bottomed to allow that damage and even when loaded the air lifts it enough to make raising the legs easy.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
OOIDA Life Member 677319, JOIN NOW
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
EO Forum Moderator
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Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[Booker]

Our carrier required us to install dolly-legs even though we had tandem axles.

 

[pelicn]

Very interesting....we don't have the room to install dollies because we have the liftgate back there. Me thinks we are going to have to be very careful.

 

[Booker]

We also have a liftgate back there. They were able to install the dolly-legs and it looks real nice.