Trailer doors

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dun

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If your stock trailer has a safety chain for the doors, always use it, if it doesn;t have them use some sort of chain to rig one up.
Dropped off a load of calves at the salebarn yesterday and was walking inside. A trailer of calves came through the gate and as he made the turn to go around to the back the rear trailer door opened. A couple of calves (7&8 weights) fell out and took off running. Wife and I got to the gate going out in time to shuch them back inside the fence. Guy with the trailer just kept rolling. A couple of minutes later, here came about 1/2 a dozen more calves, got them turned and here came a whole bunch of them. Pretty quick the cowboys showed up and started herding them to the back of the property. Saw the guy with the trailer pull in to unload and there weren;t any calves in the trailer. Just glad they didn;t spill out 2 minutes before or they'ld still be running. Always hook your door chains
 
Good post. if you have a sliding door it can come open. i lost 10-800lb calves when I stopped at a stop sign. Someone, probably me, had not put the pin back in the sliding door and after several miles it vibrated open. One reason I got a roolup door on my last trailer, a Wilson.
 
kenny thomas":1tb3pla1 said:
Good post. if you have a sliding door it can come open. i lost 10-800lb calves when I stopped at a stop sign. Someone, probably me, had not put the pin back in the sliding door and after several miles it vibrated open. One reason I got a roolup door on my last trailer, a Wilson.

These were swingers. The doors not the poeple
 
Saw the same kind of thing happen when I was a kid; it made a huge impression on me.When we haul, I always check gates AND chains at least 3 time - when the loading's done, as we leave the barn/pens area and again when we pull through the gate. Don't forget to check the escape door at the front!
 
Added tip. When you double check your gate also double check to be sure your hitch is securely locked.
 
Good post dun. On our big trailer, we have a swing door plus a roll back. I always make sure both are secured when hauling cattle, or calves, just because of the reason you mentioned. Dont want a load of cattle dropping out onto the highway. I even take a piece of wire and wrap it around the locking mechanism to make double sure it doesnt happen to rattle its way open.
That also reminds me of something else to consider when hauling cattle. ALWAYS carry a spare. Monday before last, I had taken the spare out of the back of the 1 ton, and left it on the ground. Well, low and behold, one of the trailer tires blew out on route to the sale barn. Its a tandem trailer, and it was the back tire that blew. So I jacked up the wheel, took the wheel & tire off; secured the chain around the axle, and used the boom to hold the axle up. I also got as many of the calves up into the front end of the trailer, so most of the weight would be on the truck. It worked, and we got the calves unloaded, and back home with no other problems. But.. REMEMBER to carry your spare. :nod:
 
Things could have been a lot worse. A guy that I have used to gain test bulls and is also a fitter in the breed had been hauling some bulls and the slider came open. When it did, one bull's leg went out and was dragging along the road. Since he told me about that, I make DANG sure that in addition to everything being latched (which I had always done) I either use a chain or an old halter to tie the door as well.
 
I drilled a hole in the sliding pipe and put a lock in it. That way if I was parked somewhere no one could open it for me. Had a friend that had a bull turned out at the honky tonk one night :mad: (he did get him back in the trailer somehow)
 
jedstivers":2t06c51p said:
I drilled a hole in the sliding pipe and put a lock in it. That way if I was parked somewhere no one could open it for me. Had a friend that had a bull turned out at the honky tonk one night :mad: (he did get him back in the trailer somehow)

Why did he take the bull to the honkey tonk.
 
john250":p0po8xcb said:
jedstivers":p0po8xcb said:
I drilled a hole in the sliding pipe and put a lock in it. That way if I was parked somewhere no one could open it for me. Had a friend that had a bull turned out at the honky tonk one night :mad: (he did get him back in the trailer somehow)

Why did he take the bull to the honkey tonk.

In Cleburne there is a honkey tonk next to the sale barn! You don't even have to drive over there. It is right across the parking lot.
 
Lammie":3n7v1yih said:
john250":3n7v1yih said:
jedstivers":3n7v1yih said:
I drilled a hole in the sliding pipe and put a lock in it. That way if I was parked somewhere no one could open it for me. Had a friend that had a bull turned out at the honky tonk one night :mad: (he did get him back in the trailer somehow)

Why did he take the bull to the honkey tonk.

In Cleburne there is a honkey tonk next to the sale barn! You don't even have to drive over there. It is right across the parking lot.
Cuts the middleman (bank) out. Check is just put towards the tab at the honkey tonk. :p :lol2:
 
we have never had a trailer gate come open.but your post is a good reminder.ive always had to check the side exit door on the trailer.
 
john250":arb0f8ff said:
jedstivers":arb0f8ff said:
I drilled a hole in the sliding pipe and put a lock in it. That way if I was parked somewhere no one could open it for me. Had a friend that had a bull turned out at the honky tonk one night :mad: (he did get him back in the trailer somehow)

Why did he take the bull to the honkey tonk.

Some folks go catting around others go ............................................
 
Texas Gal":1pkyb9zo said:
Saw the same kind of thing happen when I was a kid; it made a huge impression on me.When we haul, I always check gates AND chains at least 3 time - when the loading's done, as we leave the barn/pens area and again when we pull through the gate. Don't forget to check the escape door at the front!

I have watch myself with that escape door, had a couple of close calls, I try not to use the thing because I'm afraid I'll forget to go back and close it .

Larry
 
Good post, good advice! We found out the hard way that our latch for the divider door in our trailer was weak. It has a post sticking out that catches the latch and luckily nobody was impaled with it before we made a rest stop and saw what had happened. Now we put a chain on it.
 
Reminded of my uncle joe who took off to iowa with a buddy in the early sixties to buy a prize boar , laid down the cash and loaded up and headed back to kansas. Joe was known to drink a bit of whiskey , well he drank a lot of whiskey , got back to kansas and guess what , no frigging boar , so hammered they had no idea where they lost it , My aunt wondered if they even made it to pick it up. A little family lore. so either chain up your doors or chain up your uncle , one of the two.
 
I bought a couple feet of that yellow plastic coated chain, probably 5/16" or better and use it around the back gate. The plastic coating keeps it quieter and is easier on the aluminum.
 
cfpinz":2f9sfpdx said:
I bought a couple feet of that yellow plastic coated chain, probably 5/16" or better and use it around the back gate. The plastic coating keeps it quieter and is easier on the aluminum.

I would have thought that used coated chain would have had all the coating worn off by the time you bought it.
 
I always tie the back gate with a good rope. My brother left out with a load of cows,looked back in his mirror, and said "Someone's cows are out on the road". He then realized the back gate wasn't latched and several head had gotten out.
 
john250":3orjtsv0 said:
jedstivers":3orjtsv0 said:
I drilled a hole in the sliding pipe and put a lock in it. That way if I was parked somewhere no one could open it for me. Had a friend that had a bull turned out at the honky tonk one night :mad: (he did get him back in the trailer somehow)

Why did he take the bull to the honkey tonk.
It was between the barn and home :lol2: and he always cut a wide circle.
 

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