Trailer Safety before you haul
Daylight savings time and spring/summer is here. If you are not lucky enough to live in an area where you can ride your horses or haul out any time of year, then now is the time when you should be preparing for the spring riding season. Preparations for hauling and riding are important to the safety of your horse and yourself and these reviews and inspections should be done at least once of year.
Trailer safety is ultra-important, not only for you and your horse, but others that we share the road with as well. With social media and the internet there is no lack of accident pictures and videos these days as well as videos of people attempting to cause accidents for those of us who haul horses. I personally know of a friend who had a truck give her brake checks while hauling on a busy southern California freeway; yes, while her horse was on board. This wasn’t just any truck, it so happened to be a semi-truck driver working for a company. Luckily, she had dash cam video and was able to turn it over to the Highway Patrol and the company. Unfortunately, I don’t know if anything was ever done about this particular situation. My point is, that this was a professional driver and there are many more drivers who either have no idea what it takes to stop any vehicle towing a trailer or they just don’t care. I hope that the first issue is true and not the second.
Let’s start out with some maintenance items that need to be checked on an annual basis. If you cannot perform the repairs or inspections on your own, then seek the advice and knowledge of a professional.
Inspect the wheel bearings on your trailer. Your wheel bearings are a set of small steel balls which are held together in a metal ring called a race and help a wheel spin by reducing friction. Wheel bearings ride on a metal axle shaft and fits tightly inside the hub, a hollow piece of metal at the center of the wheel. As mentioned above, they help reduce friction when your wheels spin which also helps to reduce heat generated by your axels and tires. They should be inspected annually on your trailer and repacked when necessary.
Trailer brake pads should also be checked at the same time. Yes, they wear just like your vehicle, but not as fast. That doesn’t mean they should be overlooked when completing your safety inspection.
Trailer battery which will be anywhere within the front end of your trailer. This battery doesn’t just turn on your lights, it also is used if you have an electronic trailer hitch lift. Make sure it is free from corrosion and the positive and negative connectors should be clean. If you have any acid build-up you may want to replace it before your season gets started.
Check all your exterior lights, running lights, break lights and turn signals; rodents may have had a heyday with your wiring. You might be saying to yourself, but I do not haul at night. Even if you never haul at night, lights are important during the day too. Your flashers come in handy when traffic starts to slow down and you’re the last vehicle in the line, you have your lights on when hauling or you witness or are involved in an accident yourself. So yes, all lights need to be in working order and functional.
Your trailer tires need to be looked at as well for any damage and most of all aging. If you are not sure what to look for, we’ve included some informational pictures for you. Tires should be no more than 5 years old and yes, the tread looks great, no wear. However, even if they look great to the visual eye on the exterior, you may find visible cracks or breakdown when removed from the hub.
Do not be fooled just because all your tires have tread. Blow outs happen often and even when you install new tires, check the dates; some places have tires on the shelves that may be a year or more old and why settle for an outdated tire?
How is your floor? Have you inspected not only the floorboards, but what about the frame of your trailer? Have you turned it over or jacked it up to look underneath? Most of us have not. Your flooring can help to prevent a serious accident of a horses’ leg being injured and the frame of your trailer if weak could cause an even more serious situation when it’s holding a moving 1000 lb. animal in it while traveling. Replacement of your floorboards is often done by owners, but if you have an aluminum floor, then you might need to have your floor replaced by a professional.
If your frame is damaged and you are unable or unwilling to repair it properly, then find a professional who can complete the job for you. It is ultimately your safety, those on the road with you and the animals you haul or are in your care.
While checking the frame of your trailer, you should also do a visual inspection of the exterior of your trailer as well. Check for rust, cracks, broken weld. You should check the wheel wells, at doors, gates, ramps and all parts.
These are just our suggestions and something that often gets overlooked until an accident happens.
I hope you are not the one who calls for help in an emergency. Several years ago, I received a call “Can you help? I have 7 horses and a 5-horse trailer that has 4 flat tires.” Not a call anyone needs to receive if you prepare yourself today and have a plan in place to evacuate immediately for any reason. There’s more to this story, but please prepare yourself now.
Why not be prepared Before Emergencies Happen?
Authored by: Teresa Spencer
Owner, EquestriSafe, LLC
