• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Interesting Phone Call

ezstep

ezstep

Nov 25, 2004
2,251
3,718
73
north Louisiana
#1
We all arrive at the gig about 75 minutes before kickoff, all except the guy driving the music trailer. About 5 minutes later, we get a text that he is on his way (but late!!!). About 10 minutes later, we get another text. The trailer has become unhitched - can we come help him get it back together?

He crossed a railroad track, and the trailer bounced (naturally) and from what we saw, he had never locked the ball into place. The tongue was on top of the ball, but it was left unlocked. We got it back together in about five minutes, and there was absolutely no damage to any equipment inside. But, when I left today, I took ALL my equipment back home with me. It will be a l*o*n*g time before I let this guy have my subs, my speakers, my bass rig, my mixer, etc.

But, overall, no harm, no foul. Well, except for that long 125-150' new groove in the highway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: el jeffe bass, nixdad, Mr_Moo and 3 others
#3
Wow. Glad things were okay. Can’t blame you.

At first I just thought this was going to be a “*** are you?!? It’s a almost time to start!!” kind of story that went somewhere interesting, but that was a hell of a twist.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Moo
#4
I had this happen to me. I rented a trailer—not for hauling music equipment, just moving stuff— and the rental place tightened the coupler onto the ball too much, which caused the coupler to turn the ball every time I turned a corner. It unscrewed the ball from the hitch as I was driving. I hit a bump and the tongue, coupler and ball came loose from the hitch. A trailer dragging from the safety chains makes a terrible racket. Luckily I was able to find the nut laying in the road, and I had tools, so I put it back together and returned the trailer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MynameisMe, Mr_Moo, BassCliff and 2 others
#8
I know a truck driver who did regional drop and hook on rail containers. He said he picked up A container one morning and pulled it a couple hundred miles to a warehouse. When he turned off the highway in to the warehouse loading dock there was a dip where the curb served as a drain and when he went over it his trailer landing gear caught the edge of the curb and he drove right out from under his trailer. He apparently forgot to check his fifth wheel lock when he left the yard. He said the idea of that trailer letting go at seventy while he was on I20 between Birmingham and Atlanta haunts him to this day.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MynameisMe, ezstep, JRA and 3 others
#9
fhm555 said:
I know a truck driver who did regional drop and hook on rail containers. He said he picked up A container one morning and pulled it a couple hundred miles to a warehouse. When he turned off the highway in to the warehouse loading dock there was a dip where the curb served as a drain and when he went over it his trailer landing gear caught the edge of the curb and he drove right out from under his trailer. He apparently forgot to check his fifth wheel lock when he left the yard. He said the idea of that trailer letting go at seventy while he was on I20 between Birmingham and Atlanta haunts him to this day.
Click to expand...

That guy is so lucky. The one and only time I drove out from under a trailer was on the yard and thank God I noticed it before I drove completely out from under it. 42000lbs of groceries sitting on the tires. Lol it took me forever to get that thing jacked back up high enough to get under it with no help. And there was no freakin way I was gonna ask for help and suffer the ridicule. It taught me a valuable lesson though, always look to see that the kingpin is locked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MynameisMe, Mr_Moo and fhm555
#10
trailer said:
That guy is so lucky. The one and only time I drove out from under a trailer was on the yard and thank God I noticed it before I drove completely out from under it. 42000lbs of groceries sitting on the tires. Lol it took me forever to get that thing jacked back up high enough to get under it with no help. And there was no freakin way I was gonna ask for help and suffer the ridicule. It taught me a valuable lesson though, always look to see that the kingpin is locked.
Click to expand...
I can imagine how scary that could be. It certainly put some fear in my friend.
 
#12
I did that once. I was hooking up a boat trailer to my F150 and my brother abruptly interrupted me with something urgent. I had set the trailer on the ball but hadn't yet locked it or hooked up the chains. His business sidetracked me for about 30 minutes, and by that time, I'd forgotten that I hadn't finished the hookup job.

We left on our fishing trip shortly after. Our standard procedure is to fill up with gas a few miles from our departure point and do a "dummy check" to see if anything wasn't right before hitting the expressway. Fortunately, I saw the chains and ball lock weren't engaged and set them right. Couldn't believe we drove several miles at highway speed and didn't lose the trailer and boat.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Moo
#13
trailer said:
That guy is so lucky. The one and only time I drove out from under a trailer was on the yard and thank God I noticed it before I drove completely out from under it. 42000lbs of groceries sitting on the tires. Lol it took me forever to get that thing jacked back up high enough to get under it with no help. And there was no freakin way I was gonna ask for help and suffer the ridicule. It taught me a valuable lesson though, always look to see that the kingpin is locked.
Click to expand...


I work in a warehouse in an industrial park and one day a driver left the factory next door and the trailer fell off his semi right in front of our business. It was full of product and made a horrible racket.

The trailer tipped on its side and was resting against a power pole at about a 45 degree angle and the increased tension pulled one of the power lines down and it was laying in the road live.

The cops and fire department showed up, along with the power company. After awhile, a huge lift truck arrived to tip the trailer back upright. Except the trailer split down the middle when it was lifted, and all the cargo spilled out onto the road and shoulder. Five minutes later the trailer was completely demolished. Another truck with a bunch of workers showed up to salvage the cargo and it was several hours before a wrecker finally got all the pieces of the semi trailer hauled away.

My coworkers and I had front row seats for the whole show from our warehouse workstation. It's a lot funnier when it's happening to somebody else.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Moo, mexicant and CatchaCuda
#14
I was working construction years ago. Boss left us in East Conway, NH to finish up the building. Well, he also left his giant Chevy truck and a trailer full of tools and building materials.

My now brother in law got to drive it back to PA while I sat shotgun. He's good for driving like a nut, too fast, abruptly applying the brakes etc. Well, there are some twisty back roads near home. Sure enough, he took a right too quickly and the trailer flipped on its side while staying attached to the truck.

While he made a phone call to our boss, I stepped away and kicked debris off of the road. Our boss wanted me to drive his truck to his house, leave the trailer, it's off the road anyway. By the time he got to the trailer, it had been looted. Pneumatic Hilti nail guns, Bosch impactors, anything worth something- gone! Amazingly, my brother in law worked that job for 2 more years!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Moo
#16
MrLenny1 said:
We had a trailer break at the tongue years ago. We watched as it
tumbled down a city street and land upright.
It was so well packed that nothing was broken and we were very lucky.
Click to expand...

I had a similar instance happen. It's quite a site when your trailer passes you on the off ramp and proceedes to take out of the most of the road signage around. Luckily this was around 3am in BFE, so no one was around to see this spectacle unfold.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Moo

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back