In the trucking industry, most drivers know and would agree that the best (and worst) workout they’ll ever get while on the job involves manually cranking the landing gear of a loaded trailer. As much as the activity might be a great way to get some exercise and stretch the muscles, it can be one of the most frustrating experiences to go through, especially in the Texas heat.
Practically everyone who’s been in the driver’s seat of a semi-truck has encountered a time when they needed to use the manual crank on their trailer’s landing gear legs. A few of these people may have even been lucky enough to work with a crank mechanism that was well-greased and given proper maintenance recently.
At SOS Truck and Trailer Repair in Fort Worth, TX, our team understands how frustrating this kind of situation can be, and that it isn’t always possible to have landing gear legs that have been properly greased and cared for. We’re always ready to help drivers deal with the frustrating challenges that come with a malfunctioning or broken set of landing gear legs.
Even though they’re easy to forget about, these systems are an important component of a trailer, and a loose or broken mechanism could be severely damaging to your trailer or your cargo, and even pose a threat of bodily harm to you, the driver.
Preventative Maintenance is Better Than Repairing Damage
Keeping your trailer and its systems in good working condition might seem like a troublesome expense of time and money, but it can make a dramatic difference over time. Regular maintenance can mean the difference between delivering your cargo on schedule, and being forced to deal with expensive delays and costly repair work while on the road.
Forgetting to perform preventative maintenance on your trailer’s landing gear legs is the biggest reason why the system can suddenly stop working correctly, and this can be as simple as remembering to keep the system properly lubricated in some cases.
The landing gear system should be greased at least every three to four months, and along with this, it is always a good idea to have a skilled technician check over the system to make sure that everything is working the way it should so that any early signs of damage can be taken care of before it gets any worse.
Another major reason why landing gear leg systems get damaged or even fail completely is because of improper use. To save time or a little bit of energy, some drivers will stop cranking the legs when there is still a gap between the legs and the ground. Doing this, and then dropping the trailer, puts a great deal of pressure on the legs, and can strip the screws or even buckle the legs themselves.
Landing gear legs are heavy, but the weight they’re supporting is much heavier, so it is always important to remember that it’s better to be safe than sorry. To give drivers the confidence of knowing that their landing gear legs are in good working order, we provide a variety of services for these systems, including:
- Lubrication gearbox inspection and repair
- Landing gear assembly repair and replacement
- Landing gear crank repair and replacement
Let us Handle the Heavy Lifting!
As a family-owned and operated business, SOS Truck and Trailer Repairs in Fort Worth, TX understands how important it is to take care of your own equipment so you can keep doing your job safely and efficiently. At the same time, we also appreciate how easy it can be to overlook small maintenance issues until they become bigger problems.
The good news is, our team has the skills and experience needed to help with all kinds of landing gear system problems, and we’re open 24/7, 365 days a year!
To find out more about our services, or to get help with your landing gear legs, be sure to contact our office today.
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