If you’re familiar with heavy duty trucks, you’re probably familiar with the importance of maintaining your semi's fifth wheel. Designed to allow your trailer to slide easily as you turn, fifth wheels play an essential role in ensuring you can safely and comfortably drive your truck at proper speeds. There are two different kinds of fifth wheels you should be familiar with:

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• Sliding fifth wheels - Designed to be able to handle a variety of loads. They slide forward and backward so that the load can be adjusted over the axles. When adjusted forward or backward, the load can be properly spread out among the axles so you're legal to haul.

• Fixed fifth wheels - Situated on the vehicle and remains locked in place. It is commonly used in semi-trucks that haul approximately the same size of load. As the load is typically the same for the majority of trips, there is no need to modify the fifth wheel for a wide range of load types.

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The fifth wheel is the plate located above the rear wheels of a semi-trailer. This plate is used to secure the kingpin of the trailer to the tractor, allowing the tractor to rotate while the trailer is still attached. Additionally, the fifth wheel is designed to distribute the load of the trailer evenly across both the tractor and the trailer, thus allowing the operator to maneuver safely.