Smart solo loading and unloading habits for pulling vehicles

Loading and unloading a heavy puller on your own is one of those tasks that looks straightforward from the sideline, until the weight shifts, the ramp slides, and you suddenly realise there is no one holding the other end. Across regional competitions, sole operators regularly handle setup and pack-down for tractors, modified trucks, and full pulling sleds without a second set of hands nearby. It is a skill that separates the experienced puller from the weekend newcomer, and it relies entirely on preparation, the right gear, and disciplined habits.

Australia's pulling scene stretches over enormous distances. Competitors travel from Toowoomba down through the Newell Highway, or haul across the Hay Plains, just to reach a regional field day or a sanctioned pull at the local showgrounds. When you are covering those kilometres in a dual-cab ute with a gooseneck trailer behind you, the last thing you want is to be improvising under a hot afternoon sun with the wrong ramp angle or a loose tie-down. Solo work demands a routine that is repeatable from one event to the next.

Most injuries during loading and unloading happen when operators skip the basics. A wheel that lifts off a ramp, a deck plate that bows under load, or a tractor that creeps when the park brake is forgotten can turn a routine setup into an emergency. Treating every solo load as a deliberate sequence, with the same checks each time, removes the guesswork that leads to damage or harm.

This article pulls together the field-tested habits that Australian pullers use to load and unload their vehicles alone, from initial site assessment through to post-event clean-up. The aim is not to overcomplicate what is essentially a mechanical task, but to set out a clear, repeatable approach that keeps you, your machine, and bystanders safe on and off the showgrounds.

Ramp type	Best deck height	Typical solo-friendliness	Key drawback
Straight aluminium ramps	Up to 900 mm	High with grip tape and chocks	Slip on wet grass in winter
Arched steel ramps	Up to 1100 mm	Medium due to weight	Heavy to position without help
Hydraulic beavertail	800–1200 mm	Highest, with remote	Slow if hydraulic fluid is cold
Folding steel ramps	Up to 1000 mm	High, packs flat	Requires level pad for storage

Pre-departure checks and site assessment

Before you ever swing the ramps down, walk the ground you intend to load or unload on. A quick survey catches problems that no checklist can predict. In the Mallee or on a clay-pan oval after rain, the surface can be deceptive: firm to the eye, soft under a wheel. In the inland towns where pulls often run on former airstrips, the surface may be crowned, which means your trailer will not sit level no matter where you park.

Look for slope first, then surface. Anything more than a three-degree tilt makes solo unloading risky with a heavy modified, because the load will want to swing down-cam. If you have no choice but a sloped pad, plan to load facing uphill and unload facing downhill, reversing the direction of travel to use gravity in your favour. Mark the level spot with a cone or a strip of marker paint if you intend to use the same bay across a multi-day event.

Communication habits matter even when you are working alone. If you are driving long stretches between regional events, agree on check-in points with family or crew back home, particularly when crossing remote sections around the Strzelecki or the Anne Beadell routes. Run a quick pre-trip walkaround on the trailer as well: lights, brake lines, tyre pressure, and the hitch pin. Five minutes at the gate beats an afternoon on the side of the Stuart Highway waiting for a recovery truck.

Pack a kit that lives in the cab rather than in a toolbox that stays in the shed. A head torch, a pair of leather gloves, a 12-volt air compressor, a tyre gauge, a couple of ratchet straps rated well above your expected load, and a basic first-aid kit are non-negotiables. For events that run long arvos into the dusk, a clamp light or a battery-powered floodlight makes the difference between a controlled load and a rushed one.

Trailer and ramp selection for solo use

The right gear turns a difficult job into a manageable one. Arched ramps look impressive, but for regular solo loading the storage and positioning weight can be a deal-breaker. Folding steel ramps that store flat on the trailer deck, paired with a removable spare, give you the best of both worlds: enough width for a tracked machine, and the ability to deploy them without dragging them across loose gravel.

Hydraulic beavertails simplify the process further, especially for heavily modified trucks, because the deck tilts under load with the press of a button on a remote. They are not cheap, and they add weight to the towing rig, but for a full-time puller running a tight solo operation the time saved across a season is significant. Cold mornings affect hydraulic fluid, so warm the system before you rely on it to lift a seven-tonne tractor.

Whatever ramp setup you choose, check the working load limit stamped on it. Aluminium ramps marketed as "suit most utes" are often rated for cars and utes, not for a half-scale pulling tractor weighing in at four tonnes. Pairing undersized ramps with a heavy load is one of the fastest ways to fold a ramp in half and lose control of the machine on top of it. The deck height of your trailer and the track width of your machine dictate the minimum length of ramp you need to stay under a 15-degree approach angle.

Consider anti-slip measures as standard rather than as an upgrade. Grip tape wears out, so plan to replace it each season. Cross-strapping the ramps to the trailer with a rated chain before driving up gives you a second safety line in case the ramp foot slides on grass. A simple spreader bar at the top of the ramp prevents a tracked machine from "walking" sideways off the centreline, a common cause of solo mishaps.

Solo loading techniques and rigging

Once the trailer is parked level and the ramps are seated firmly, the loading sequence should follow a set order every time. First, chock the trailer wheels on both sides, even on flat bitumen. Second, line up the machine so it tracks straight onto the centreline of the trailer. Third, walk the path of travel once more for any obstacle you missed. Only then do you mount up.

For tracked or heavily modified tractors, the throttle response of the machine is your main control. Idle the machine onto the trailer, do not use full rpm. If the engine is governed and you cannot idle low enough, use the creep gear or work the clutch to keep the revs gentle. Solo loading is the wrong time to be testing the limits of a freshly tuned engine. Make sure the parking brake is tested before you approach the trailer, so you know it will hold the machine on the ramp if you need to stop partway.

Rigging the load is where most operators cut corners when working alone. A single strap over the top of the machine is not enough. Use a minimum of four rated tie-downs, two pulling forward and two pulling rearward, plus a wheel chock or a chain tensioned across the rear tyres. Tension each strap until the ratchet clicks twice more than feels necessary. On corrugated roads like the Plenty or the Tanami, a soft strap will work itself loose, so revisit tension after the first 50 kilometres of travel.

When you are loading a pulling sled or a heavy drawbar implement, balance the load across the axles of the trailer. Too far forward and the tow vehicle steers light; too far back and the trailer will sway. A simple rule of thumb is to place the centre of gravity slightly ahead of the trailer's midpoint, then adjust based on how the rig handles at low speed through a quiet section of road.

Working on sloping and uneven ground

Sloped ground is the solo operator's hardest challenge. A two-degree tilt that you barely notice walking around the rig will push a heavy modified sideways as soon as you release the park brake. If the showground only offers a slope, choose your loading direction deliberately. Face uphill when driving on, so the engine compression holds the load against gravity. Face downhill when driving off, so the machine rolls under control rather than away from you.

On badly uneven ground, build your own level pad before the trailer arrives. A pair of 50-millimetre composite levellers rated for the wheel load will give you a stable base in seconds, and they pack flat in the side tray of a dual cab. Carry a short length of thick plywood as well, to bridge soft spots where the ramp foot wants to dig in. In winter conditions at events further south, frozen ground can be just as slippery as mud, so plan for that.

Set the park brake on the trailer before the machine comes off, and never trust the parking brake of the loaded machine alone. If the machine has wheel chocks rated to the load, position them the moment the wheels clear the ramp, then stand clear while you release the parking brake on the machine itself. Reverse the order on loading: chocks out, machine moves, parking brake off, ramps up. The sequence keeps control with you at every step.

If a helper turns up last minute, accept the offer but keep the same sequence. Let them chock or strap while you stay at the controls, and brief them clearly using the how to talk guide so the person beside the load knows exactly when to step back and when to step in. A short, rehearsed call-and-response avoids the yelling and confusion that goes wrong at the worst moment.

Handling tractors and heavy machinery solo

Track-mounted machines behave differently to wheeled loaders. Tracks grip, then they release suddenly when the load shifts. Always approach the trailer square, never at an angle, because an angled track can lever the rear of the machine sideways off the ramp. On compact tractors, the wide stance tends to be forgiving, but the short wheelbase can porpoise on a flexible ramp, so work the throttle gently through the transition.

For wheeled tractors and trucks, the main risk is brake fade. A heavy modified with runaway hydraulics will keep rolling even with the brakes fully applied if the system is hot or has a leak. Test the brakes at low speed on flat ground before you approach the trailer. If the pedal feels soft, bleed the system. Carrying a small bottle of brake fluid and a basic bleeder kit means you can top up on site rather than aborting the load.

Engine start and warm-up routines matter in cooler parts of the country. A diesel left overnight at a Mildura winter pull will be sluggish to respond when you first engage the hydraulics. Idle for at least five minutes before steering under load, and check that the steering responds both directions. Cold oil is the silent reason many solo operators stall halfway up a ramp.

Keep the area around the trailer clear of spectators during loading and unloading, even at family-friendly events. Solo work means you are paying attention to the machine, the ramp, and the surface at the same time. A bystander stepping into the line of travel is the kind of mistake you cannot undo. Cones or a simple flag line set up before you mount the ramp keeps curious kids at a safe distance.

Communication, contingency planning, and post-event checks

A solo run through a regional event rarely goes exactly as planned. Mechanical issues, weather changes, or a missed start time can all force decisions on the spot. Decide in advance how you will handle them. If the ramp fails partway through a load, the safe option is always to abort, chock, and call for assistance rather than improvise. Carry a printed checklist of who to call locally for crane hire or tilt-tray recovery so you are not searching for a number when you should be securing the load.

After every event, walk around the trailer and the loaded machine before you leave the showground. Inspect straps, check tyre pressures, look for any fresh leaks or cracked welds, and confirm lights and brake lines are still seated. A short post-event check often catches a loose strap that would have cost you a machine on the road. The same check before you unload is your last chance to confirm nothing has shifted in transit.

Hydrate and rest before you unload. Heat stress dulls judgement, and the worst loading decisions are made by tired operators at the end of a long arvo. Keep water on hand, take a break between driving and unloading, and avoid rushing because you want to beat the dark. The same habits you set up at the start of the day should carry you through to pack-down.

For a deeper look at how experienced operators prepare their gear, the how to keep page outlines the storage and maintenance routines worth copying. Pair that approach with the solo habits above, and you will turn up to the next pull with fewer incidents, a cleaner setup, and a longer working life for your rig.

If you are heading to an OTTPA-sanctioned event this season, take ten minutes before you leave home to walk through the loading sequence in your head. Park level, chock, line up, mount gently, strap four ways, check tension, drive carefully. The repetition becomes habit, the habit prevents the mishap, and the mishap is what every puller is trying to avoid when they have no one else in the pit with them.