Trailer Checklist Before You Haul: 15 Things to Check

What should you check before you pull away with a loaded trailer? Five minutes of walking around catches almost everything that turns into a roadside problem later. Here is the list, in the order that makes sense to actually do it.

At the hitch

1. Coupler fully seated and latched. The coupler should be all the way down over the ball with the latch closed. Look at it. Do not just feel it. A coupler that is only partly seated can look fine and let go at the first bump.

2. Pin or lock through the latch. The latch needs a pin or padlock through it. Otherwise road vibration can work it open.

3. Right ball size. A 2" ball under a 2-5/16" coupler will sometimes latch and will absolutely come off. Check the size stamped on the ball against the size stamped on the coupler.

4. Safety chains crossed under the coupler. Crossed, not straight back. Alabama law requires them. The cross makes a cradle that catches the tongue if the coupler lets go, instead of letting it dig into the road.

5. Right amount of chain slack. Enough to turn sharp without pulling tight. Not so much that they drag. If they scrape on a tight turn, shorten them.

6. Breakaway cable on the truck, not the chains. On a braked trailer, this cable puts the trailer brakes on if it comes loose. It has to go to a solid point on the truck. Hooked to a safety chain, it does nothing, because if the chains hold, the cable never pulls.

7. Jack all the way up and pinned. A jack left down catches on driveways and railroad crossings.

Lights and wiring

8. Plug seated and off the ground. Push it in firmly. Route the cord so it cannot drag or get pinched by the tongue on a turn.

9. Running lights, brake lights, and both turn signals. Have someone stand behind while you work the pedal and the signal. Alone, back up to a garage door at dusk and watch the reflection. Alabama requires lights visible from 500 feet.

10. Brake controller powered and set. If the trailer has electric brakes, make sure the controller shows a connection and the gain is set for the load. Test it with the manual lever at low speed before you hit traffic.

Tires and wheels

11. Tire pressure, cold, on every trailer tire. Use the pressure on the trailer tire sidewall, not your truck’s number. Trailer tires run high, often 50 to 65 psi. Low pressure is the number one cause of trailer tire failure. Check the spare too.

12. Lug nuts snug. A quick pass with a wrench. Trailer wheels can loosen, and checking now beats losing a wheel later.

13. Sidewalls and tread. Look for cracks, bulges, and uneven wear. Trailer tires usually age out before they wear out. A tire with good tread can still be too old and dry to trust.

The load

14. About 60 percent of the weight ahead of the axles. That gives you the right tongue weight and steady tracking. Too far back and the trailer sways. Too far forward and you overload the hitch. If your truck’s back end is squatting, move the load.

15. Every strap and chain tight, with the ends tied off. Tie-downs tensioned. Working load limits right for the load. Loose ends secured so nothing whips in the wind. Nothing loose on the deck either. A shovel that goes over the side at 60 mph is a real hazard.

The two checks people skip

Check again after the first few miles. Pull over somewhere safe after five or ten minutes and walk the trailer again. Loads settle. Straps that were tight in the driveway are often looser once the machine has shifted a fraction of an inch. This one check prevents more problems than anything else on the list.

Feel the hubs when you stop for fuel. Hold a hand near each hub. Warm is normal. Too hot to touch means a bearing problem or a brake dragging. Worth stopping for.

A few driving notes for around here

Shelby County has real hills. Highway 25 and the roads out toward Columbiana and Wilton will work a loaded truck harder than flat interstate.

Loaded, your stopping distance goes way up. Leave more room than feels necessary. Take turns wider than usual, because the trailer cuts inside your path. Slow down before a curve, not in the middle of it.

Print this list or keep it on your phone. It gets faster every time. Before long it stops being a checklist and just becomes habit.

If you rent from us, we will walk the trailer with you at pickup and go over anything you are unsure about. See how our rentals work or browse the trailers.

Serving Montevallo, Alabaster, Pelham, Calera, Helena, and the south Birmingham metro.