I've had 2 trainers and never learned how to move the tandems. Every time I asked they just said "oh don't worry about it I'll check the weight" and then they would move so fast I didn't have a clue as to what they were doing. This has been very informative thank you so much.

You are literally the best teacher. Better than my whole CDL school I went to and trainers at work. Simple, understandable, and to the point 👌🏽

I watched your videos while I was in school 2 months ago learning to back up and now that I’m on my own had to watch this one to distribute my weight. I can finally leave now after weighing 3 times lol!! Your videos are so helpful! Thank you!

Tandems or 5th wheel, the rule is "move the box the way you need the weight to move". To move weight from drives to tandems, you move the box back (so tandems slide further forward in their frame). To move weight from drives to steers, you slide the box forward (5th wheel slides forward). You neglected a step in 5th wheel sliding, you have to take the weight off the 5th wheel. That means dropping your landing gear all the way, and then either cranking the gear down more (like 25 turns in low gear, maybe more), or, if equipped, dump the air bags. If you dont have a bag dump, drop the landing gear til it doesnt want to crank in high gear, hit the slide switch, then crank in low gear until you hear the "CLANK" of the 5th wheel pins retracting. For "reference points", I personally use the cab steps as the moving point, and a dropped glove as the fixed point. That way you're lining up points (eye, moving, fixed) in a straight line, nice and close... far more accurate. One more "cheat", get a box of blackboard chalk (cheap, like a buck, the box will last years). Once you "count off" your holes on the tandem frame, use the chalk to mark your "target hole" (circle, cross hairs, v arrow, whatever). After your slide gets your reference line up, when you go back to extend your pins, you will see which direction you have to move to "latch" in the right hole, or if you missed entirely. One last note, in my company 2018 cascadia, equipped with a bag dump, I have a bag pressure gauge. At 28,000 lbs or more drive weight, it functions well to give your drive weight. 2 lbs gauge pressure equals roughly 1000 lbs. So 62 psi is pretty close to 31000 drive weight. 64, 32000. I know an empty trailer and my cab with full fuel weigh about 34,500 lbs. I know my "normal" 5th wheel position usually gives 11,500 to 11,900 lbs on my steers under load. So let's say I picked up a 35,000 lb load headed to california. (Roughly 70k total weight). I subtract 11,800 steer weight, leaving 58,000 or so. Slide my tandems to the "cali line" (10 ft forward of the rear of my 53 ft trailer), then dump my bags, and reinflate them on level ground. Once the needle stops moving (it takes a full minute) I check the gauge. If it reads 60 psi, I have 30k roughly on my drives, so 28k on the tandems. If it shows less than 56 psi, my tandems could be overweight, because it gives no accuracy below 28k load. Then I'll put weight on the drives until i hit a stable 60 psi, and count holes to leave 34k or less on the tandems, and position the tandems there. Assuming i meet the bridge law positioning, i can confidently roll to a CAT scale assuming I'm reasonably legal for the whole trip. If not, I'm still legal to the scale, so I can get an accurate "rework weight" at the cali line.

I'm go start driving next week for a trucking company and this have shown me how to slide tandems best video I seen yet👍

This was an excellent video I just came back from Ohio and I had to do This exactly. My school never showed me how to do this God-bless you brother.

This dude needs to be a cdl instructor... Helped me out for sure thanks man

Thank you for a thoroughly well explained demonstration. There's a lot of very bad "trainers" who don't do anything close to this.

Went right into food distribution after CDL school (no need for any of this) got a drop/hook job last week. Covid is used an excuse for no training. This is by far one of the best trucking “how to” videos I’ve seen! Thank you so much!✌️ & ❤️

Good explanation! However, to make the adjustment, all you need to do is to first count how many holes are before the hole where the pin is before making the adjustment. In your case, the pin was on the very first hole relative to the front of the vehicle. There were no holes before the pin. Since you want to move 9 holes towards the tractor unit (driving the vehicle forward) to make the necessary adjustment, all you need is to drive forward until you get nine holes PAST the original pin position, which was hole number 1. After the adjustment, you will see the pin inside the 10th hole counting the pins from the front towards the rear side of the combination vehicle. In addition, you need to state the fact that the gross weight to be distributed should not exceed 80,000 lbs, which is 12,000+34,000+34,000=80,000. Moving tractor fifth-wheel tandems or trailer tandems won't resolve the weight distribution issue if the gross weight exceeds 80,000 lbs. You would only need to move the the tractor tandems (if the vehicle is equiped since not all tractors come configured with adjustable fith-wheel tandems) only if the legal weight distribution could not be resolved by moving the trailer tandems even if the declared gross weight is 80,000 lbs or less. This can happen when the shipper wrongly arranged the load inside the trailer when loading by putting way too much heavy weight to the front or to the rear of the trailer making it impossible to correct the distribution by moving the tandems. This can only be resolved by taking the load back to the shipper and asking them to rearrange the load correctly.

One of the best videos on explaining the movements on the pins for your trailer thank you it was helpful especially the part where you explain how even the fifth wheel pins can be moved fortunately I know not every truck has that option but it was really nice that you talked about it thank you and God bless

Man best advice and video on how to slide tandems you put it where the goats 🐐 can get it like my uncle always says in other word simple not hard for some of us who take a bit to catch on I am so glad to have found your channel bravo love and peace

Thank you for such an easy to follow video. Been trucking for almost 2 years but mostly flatbed. I am going to be driving dry van and wondered about the trailer tandems. This really was simple and couldn't have asked for a better tutorial. Thank you and have a blessed day.

You have been so specific. Very helpful. Thank you for this explanatory video 🙏🏽 You just became my new best friend on the road.

Im a new driver just finished my mentorship but I just couldn’t do OTR so I’m looking for a local job and this is great information you make it sound so easy you’re a great teacher

Excellent video my brother from Africa 🌍🌍🌍

Very well explained brother. Better than a lot of videos I’ve seen. Keep up the good work and god bless you

Thank you for this video, it gave me a better understanding of how to slide the tandems. I just got done with training and been on my own for one week. I trained with a trainer for about a month but he really didn't explain it that well. This video cleared some things up. Thanks again 🙏

I never plan on becoming a trucker but even I understood your explanation perfectly! You’re a great teacher especially by actually showing how it’s done. Amazing job!

I'm moving and stationary reference point or on point that is so helpful thank you very much

Love the detail . Thank you brother. I now understand the tandems weight etc. I have yet to start school yet now feel a bit more condident that I can do this! Please keep making these videos. I am your number one follower sir.

Mr. Moses , You are the Best instructor i may say Sir, Thank you so much for sharing . God bless you ,

Very good video. Very easy to understand! Thank you!

🌴☀️thanks bro I’ll never forget this now ☀️🌴

Thank you so much!! You are greatly appreciated.. this helped me so much. I was used to doing teams and never learned the whole concept of sliding the tandems and weight distribution, now I am solo and you totally fixed that problem for me! I’m forever grateful. Feeling much more confident OTR

Nice and clear directions. Thanks much

Thank you so much for this video. I was so confused when it came to anything regarding tandems but not anymore. You explained everything so thoroughly!

My company’s trucks don’t have the adjustable 5th wheel. My last company’s trucks do and drivers were constantly adjusting the 5th wheel to be California legal. They also have tandem stoppers for the trailer. It makes adjusting much easier.

Those two references points for sliding the tandems was brilliant thank you

You explained this in a way that makes sense. Thank you.

Great video brother. I like how you give details and repeat information for any student to understand, which is a very good teaching technique. 🙏

I normally have post its to mark the hole. Sometimes is good to ask the yard if they have scales. If they do I would set the scales and adjust while the scale is on

Seripusly bro you have the best video on KZfaq thanks so much

Excellent!! THANK YOU for sharing your knowledge with us.

I like how you explain and demonstrate in the video. You are a perfect teacher

Im in cdl a school right now and inkeept failing the questions for these type of questions the school doesn't teach this but brother you just explained it to me so easily i get it now thankyou so much you just got a newsubscriber

the best ever who explained how to do it. thanks man

Sir, I salute you thank you so much my trainer sucks

The best clearly detailed video ive seen on this . Good job my man This will help many people.

Very detailed great video this video will be very helpful for new drivers.

Very good explanation

brother your English similar to mine I'm getting it clearly thanks for the help

Great videos and very helpful, Moses! Thank you!

Thanks, work for sysco. Didn't know how to move 5th wheel slide so this helped.

This is the best explanation so far. Thank you so much.

You are really a good hearted person my friend......its the nice way to explain everything to the new drivers...every experienced person was one of the new ones before ......nd they should teach the new one like this brother...great job ...keep it up...👍🙏

Thank you so much!!!!! I’m with swift rn and my mentor did not teach me this at all!!!! But I now i have somewhat of a better understanding thank u again!!!

Very helpful video! Thanks!

Love your videos ! As new driver here I value your advise and information greatly ! Praise

VERY GOOD TEACHER A1.

Love your technique, it's genius, I'll try with tape, and chalk

When it comes to detailed information, this channel is where I check. BTW, chalk is excellent to use for the reference points mention in the video. Can you believe my trainer told me each hold is about 1,500 pounds!!! Thanks for the videos, keep up the good work

This is brilliant

thanks bro you explained this so very very well

Thank you for everything you do. The BEST

Thank u sir... very good illustration. God bless you

I love your videos. You always give me the right information at the right time! Thank you for helping me!!

Definitely helped me thanks dude I really appreciate this

Great video! Im studying for the test and now I feel I got a good grip on this part! I kept getting these questions with moving x amount of holes to transfer weight wrong! Thank you for your video!

God Bless you my brother

Great info! Thank You! Love how detailed you were.

Very awesome teacher your videos are amazing and also you are explaining step by step be blessed very soon I hope I will be truck woman

Great video thank you so much…👍Truck driver from Southern California….🚛. 🚛

You are the best

Whacko, Texas. You pronounced that just right! Just kidding, thank you for the video, my friend!

Thank you it was very informative

Nice reference point trick. Safe driving. 👍

Great Video!! Learned a lot watching your video! Thank you for making it so simple.

Thank you so much, especially with the mark the hole where you want to end up.

Very thorough and helpful explanation, I was impressed.

Sweet video 👍🏽👍🏽

Golden!

So informative. Thank you Man.

Remeber if it gets stuck, try driving or reversing in the opposite direction of where you plan on moving them.

Thank you for this video 👍🏻 You offered great explanations!

I’m new driver this helped a lot thank you so much brother

Excellent video !! You have a new subscriber. I look forward to more videos from you !!

Thanks for the helpful tip driver, god bliss u and stay safe

💪🏾You're the best. Thank you 🤲🏽

Thank you very much my friend really helped me out.

Good information, thanks for the demonstration.

Nice , very good explanation, thank you

Thanks bro for the info. Well done

This was a great tutorial !

Who else is watching this because your trainer isn’t explaining this to you clearly? 😂😂

Bro excellent job keep up with videos

The simple way is to scale your truck find out what it is then you take the heavy weight minus the lower weight then divide it by 2 then then divide that number by 250 that will give you how many holes you need to slide your axle. Always move it towards the heavy weight side . Simple

Great explanation! Great video. 💯

Love your videos man I’m learning from them

Thank you so much for this video god bless your brother, keep safe and keep up the wonderful work you are doing.

Hi Moses, good job on the video, and what a nice looking refrigerated container. I mean man, it looks really great. Plus too, that is a cool t-shirt that you had. I like it. Hey Moses, it looks like UPS and FedEx are getting involved with the vaccine distribution. I wish that J B Hunt could do the same thing.

Appreciate it this definitely very helpful

Very nice trick , it helps a lot Thanks you for sharing

Great training video!

Thsnk you so much for explaining

Really great explaining keep it up brother. .

Thank you so much sir

Thank you for this informative video.

I can't get jiggy with this ish😂

Great video. Explained perfectly and in great detail. Well done Sir. Thank you.