Advertisement
SECTION
7: LOADHNG
THE
TRAHLER
LOADING
THE CARGO
Improper t+ailev loading causes many accidents and deaths
To safely load a trailer,
_OU llaLISt
consider:
Overall load weight;
Load weight distribution;
Prope) tongue weight; and
Securing the load pioperly
?o determine that you have loaded the tlailer within its rating, you must consider
the distribution of weight, as welf as the totat weight of the trailer and its contents
the trailer axles cmry most of the total weight of the trailer and its contents (Gross
Vehicle Weight, or "GVW")
The remainde[ ot:the tolat weight is cmried by the tow
vehicle hitch For safi_ towing, it is essential that the trailer tongue and tow vehicle
hitch carry the prope_ amount ofthe loaded trailer weight, othelwise the traitel can
suddenly+ s_'ay _' 'ildty at towing speed
Read the "]_ngue Weight" section below
The ioad distribution must be such that no component part of the trailer is Ioaded
beyond its rating
This means that you must consider' the rating o1:the tires, wheels
and axles
For tandem and triple axle trailers, you must make sure that the fiont*to-
rear load distribution does not result in overloading any axle
rowing stability also depends on keeping the center' of gravity as low as possible
Load heavv items on the floor' and over the axIes
When loading additional items, be
sure to maintain even side-to+side weight dist+ibution and proper tongue weight
The
total weight of the trailer and its contents must never' exceed the total weight rating of
the tlailer (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, or "GVWR')
An overloaded trailer can result in loss ofcontroi of the trailer,
leading to death or serious injury
Do not toad a trailer' so that the weight on any tire exceeds its
rating
Do not exceed the trailer Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
or an axle Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)+
Tongue Weight
It is critical to have a portion of the trailer load carried by the tow vehicle
That is,
the trailer tongue must exert a dowmvard force on the hitch
lq_is is necessmy for two
reasons
First, the propel amount of tongue weight is necessary for the tow vehicle
to be able to maintain control of'the tow vehicle/trailer system
If, t:orexample, the
3.6
Advertisement
