The easiest way to see it is from behind
A trailer with axles out of square does not track straight behind the tractor. It runs slightly crabwise, offset to one side, which drivers call dog-tracking. From the cab it is hard to see. From behind it is often obvious.
That makes the simplest check free. Have someone follow the unit for a short distance on a straight road, or watch it pull away down a straight stretch of the yard. If the trailer's wheels are not following the tractor's, or the trailer sits visibly to one side of the tractor, the axles are worth measuring.
Other signs show up in the tires and the steering:
- Trailer tires wearing unevenly from one side to the other.
- A tractor that pulls when it is hooked to one particular trailer but not to others.
- Steer tire wear that comes back after the tractor has been aligned.
That last one is a common trap. A fleet aligns a tractor, the steer tires keep wearing, and the tractor gets aligned again, when the cause was the trailer behind it all along.
When to check
After a hard impact against a curb or dock, after any axle or suspension work, when a used trailer joins the fleet, and whenever a tractor's steer wear does not respond to its own alignment.
Plan the visit
The store opens at 8:00 AM and closes at 4:30 PM, so drop trailers early. Align the tractor at the same visit with heavy-duty truck alignment where it is due, and set it up through a fleet account if you run several. The national trailer alignment page covers what the measurement includes.
Other stores nearby
Fernley also aligns trailers, and so does North Las Vegas in the south.
About this store
The Reno store runs eighteen services and is managed by Fred Sinfellow.
See the national trailer alignment page for all 36 locations.