Trailer jacks are essential tools for raising and lowering the tongue on a trailer. Having a smoothly operating jack makes positioning the tongue for towing or parking much easier. Installing a new jack onto a trailer is not too difficult as long as you purchase the right size jack for…

Your truck cannot operate properly without a healthy, functioning battery beneath the hood. In order to ensure that the battery sustains a full charge and remains useful, you must perform regular maintenance. A poorly maintained battery will repeatedly lose its charge, which leads to corrosion and deterioration within the battery….

Driving with a trailer increases your risk factors, due in part to the reduced braking and cornering of your vehicle. One way to mitigate this risk is to always ensure your trailer is operating in proper mechanical order. A regular requirement for maintaining your trailer is to inspect and lubricate…

A utility trailer is a non-motorized apparatus that attaches to another vehicle to move heavy cargo from one location to another. As with any device with moving parts, regular maintenance, including proper lubrication of the wheel bearings, is imperative. Greasing the bearings must be done at regular intervals for proper…

Whether you have a travel trailer or one that just carries cargo, adding electric brakes to it will give you quicker stopping power and control. Properly wiring the trailer’s electric brakes is critical but not difficult. The color of the wires is what they will usually be, but occasionally the…

The electric brakes on your trailer are similar to the drum brakes on your automobile. The basic difference is that your automotive brakes are actuated by an electromagnet. Trailer brakes are designed to work in synchronization with tow vehicle brakes. Never use tow vehicle or trailer brakes alone to stop…

Trailers are a useful and economical way of hauling a variety of cargo. However, as with every vehicle, parts can wear out or break. Either due to excessive wear or to having a blow out, the trailer tires will eventually need to be changed. Changing these mid-sized tires is not…

Properly working trailer lights bulbs is crucial to maintaining road safety. If both bulbs are not functioning or even one is burned out, motorists behind you may not be aware when you are slowing down or planning to turn. Checking your trailer’s light bulbs and replacing them when necessary is…

Trailer lights are installed on trailers to provide breaking, turn signal and caution lights on a trailer. Trailer lights must be connected to the wiring harness of the tow vehicle so that the control functions of the tow vehicle are connected to it. Many vehicles have a wiring harness already…

Aligning Trailer Tongue to an Axle There is virtually no tolerance for misalignment. If the tongue is not mounted properly to the frame, the trailer will not track properly behind the tow vehicle. The further the attachment point is off-center from the axle, the more the trailer will sway while…

Trailer Axles: An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at…

Vehicle manufacturers in the United States categorize trucks by gross vehicle weight rating, defined as the combined weight of the truck and its maximum cargo. The Federal Highway Administration categorizes them by their configuration, including the total number of axles and tires and whether the truck typically pulls a trailer….

Truck dispatching is a rapidly growing business. Many companies hire their own dispatcher, but other companies and some individuals who own and operate their own trucks hire the services of a dispatching company. Before the Internet, truck dispatchers kept charts to keep track of drivers and loads. Today, with high…

If you are considering joining the trucking industry it is smart to become familiar with the different  trailer categories and types that can be found on the roads throughout the United States. In order to become a truck driver, there are several factors to consider, including what type of trailer…

Surety Bond is a bond issued by an entity on behalf of a second party, guaranteeing that the second party will fulfill an obligation or series of obligations to a third party. In the event that the obligations are not met, the third party will recover its losses via the…