Critical safety and maintenance for jacks when shifting from cold to high seasons

April 19, 2021

Critical safety and maintenance for jacks when shifting from cold to high seasons

Jacks keep your unit stable and firmly in place when deployed. During the winter months, with frequent buildup of both ice and sludge at the roadside, you need to make sure that your jacks are in good working condition and securely anchored when you deploy your equipment. Otherwise, the jacks can give way, causing the unit to fall.

It is essential that you check your jacks for the following EIGHT ISSUES every time you are preparing to deploy.

1. Make sure your jacks are not bent. Never deploy a bent jack. Any bent, structurally weakened or otherwise damaged jacks must be replaced before you deploy the unit.

2. Check that your trailer is level. Never deploy the unit on a steep slope (more than 15°).

trailer

3. Ensure that jacks are all on solid ground (no mud, slush or ice), with outriggers fully engaged (optional). Particularly in the cold season, make sure that you are not deploying onto ice where the jacks can slip, or into sludge where they can sink.

jacks

4. Make sure snap rings are solidly in place.

5. Verify that each jack foot deployed is straight.

6. Check that jacks are deployed straight down, and that all four jacks are resting solidly on the ground. Properly deployed jacks should look like this:

jacks deployed

7. Ensure that all jack pins snap into position. You should be able to hear the pins click when engaged.

jack pins

8. All wheels should be lifted off the ground when the unit is deployed. Verify that no wheels are in contact with the ground.

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Critical safety and maintenance for jacks when shifting from cold to high seasons