Examining the differences between a ball hitch and a pintle hitch

2022-06-10 20:59:21 By : Ms. Susie Wang

Popular Posts How to prepare for 2022 CVSA roadcheck inspections Ford F-150 Lightning trucks charge into electrify vocational applications in California Thermo King aims to reduce environmental impact with Precedent Trailer Refrigeration Platform What does the heavy-duty repair industry look like? Producers Dairy, Volvo Trucks, Amply Power deploy electric trucks and manage charging in California’s Central Valley Connect with us advertise with us

How to prepare for 2022 CVSA roadcheck inspections

Ford F-150 Lightning trucks charge into electrify vocational applications in California

Thermo King aims to reduce environmental impact with Precedent Trailer Refrigeration Platform

What does the heavy-duty repair industry look like?

Producers Dairy, Volvo Trucks, Amply Power deploy electric trucks and manage charging in California’s Central Valley

Popular Posts How to prepare for 2022 CVSA roadcheck inspections Ford F-150 Lightning trucks charge into electrify vocational applications in California Thermo King aims to reduce environmental impact with Precedent Trailer Refrigeration Platform What does the heavy-duty repair industry look like? Producers Dairy, Volvo Trucks, Amply Power deploy electric trucks and manage charging in California’s Central Valley Connect with us advertise with us

How to prepare for 2022 CVSA roadcheck inspections

Ford F-150 Lightning trucks charge into electrify vocational applications in California

Thermo King aims to reduce environmental impact with Precedent Trailer Refrigeration Platform

What does the heavy-duty repair industry look like?

Producers Dairy, Volvo Trucks, Amply Power deploy electric trucks and manage charging in California’s Central Valley

Sponsored By D-A Lubricant Company, Inc.

Coolants: What You Need to Know to Prevent Downtime

Sponsored By D-A Lubricant Company, Inc.

Did you know coolant is just as important as your engine oil when it comes to your fleet? Coolant needs to be monitored and tested because mechanical and/or chemical reactions can take place hindering the performance of the coolant. Coolant can break down and become less effective over time. Not monitoring the coolant could result in corrosion and/or sludge, which can impact proper function of the cooling system. If the cooling system becomes damaged, you risk the possibility of the engine overheating causing downtime for your business.

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Speakers Emily Featherston, Product Application Supervisor, POLARIS Laboratories Joe Heitker, Senior Director of Strategic Sales, KOST USA, Inc. Jason Morgan, Editor, Fleet Equipment

Sponsored By D-A Lubricant Company, Inc.

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Fleet Equipment covers all the latest industry news and in-depth features related to trucks, tractors and trailers, including detailed information on the latest equipment components. Fleet Equipment tracks industry equipment trends, focusing on the issues that help fleets run the most efficient and productive trucks on the road. Fleet Equipment’s detailed editorial focused squarely on the equipment makes it an excellent resource for every fleet. The experienced editorial staff provides insights and solutions based on their many years in the trucking industry. Access to digital editions, contests, news, and more are ready for you today!

ByPremier Manufacturing Co. on Jun 10, 2022

ByFleet Equipment Staff on Jun 1, 2022

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Sponsored Content: Examining the differences between a ball hitch and a pintle hitch

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When it comes to connecting a truck to a light or medium-duty trailer, fleets have two primary options: a ball hitch or a pintle hitch. But how are they different, and what makes the most sense for your application?

A common ball hitch – as the name suggests – is a steel ball that accepts an appropriately-sized tongue, which is secured on top of the ball with a latch inside the tongue. It is safe when weight limits are within spec and the ball is properly secured but can also be very difficult to connect; lowering the tongue on top of the ball requires precision that can take time when an operator is alone. More importantly, a ball hitch has a much lower weight capacity rating (21,000 pounds GTW), making it irrelevant for the heavy-duty industry as well as many medium-duty applications.

A pintle hitch is a pincer-type device that closes around a lunette ring or drawbar eye mounted on a truck or trailer. Its larger weight capacity (up to 150,000 pounds GTW) is a tremendous edge, useful for even the most demanding loads. The large lunette ring/drawbar eye makes it ultra-easy to connect, giving a lone driver a more forgiving option.

The pintle hitch offers a much higher safety profile as well, allowing for more secure play over rough and uneven terrain. Its rugged construction can take a beating while making it easy to inspect for damage. Additionally, a quality pintle hitch offers a heavy-duty locking bolt, giving drivers extra safety and confidence down the road. The ball hitch may offer a basic cotter pin, but this lightweight part cannot compete with the strength of the pintle hitch’s locking bolt.

When selecting a pintle hitch, companies and fleets should be mindful of the choice they make. There are suppliers on the market that offer several unique latch designs, giving the end user valuable options for their specific application. It is also important to know the rating capacities of any pintle hitches you are considering.  Weight plays the biggest role in choosing an appropriate pintle hitch, so make sure you know how much you’re hauling before investigating potential options. Finally, choose a supplier that offers tremendous quality control. While some use untested parts coming from overseas, others have rigid testing standards for every single component. When a company spends countless hours inspecting each individual part, it greatly reduces the chances of coupling failure.

This article is sponsored by Premier Manufacturing Co. For more information, visit https://www.premier-mfg.com/

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