Emergency Guide
Trailer Emergency Guide: What to Do When Things Go Wrong
Most trailer trips are uneventful. But when something does go wrong, the difference between a minor inconvenience and a serious incident is knowing what to do in the first few seconds. This page is the reference.
Tire blowout
- Don’t slam the brakes. Braking transfers weight forward and makes the trailer sway worse.
- Foot off the gas. Let the rig slow on its own.
- Steer straight — grip the wheel firmly. Don’t fight the pull; gently correct.
- Brake gradually once the rig is straight and slowing.
- Pull onto the shoulder, hazards on.
- Don’t change the tire on a highway shoulder. Call us. We’ll send roadside help.
01
Brake failure
If your truck’s brake pedal goes soft or your trailer brakes stop responding:
- Pump the brake pedal to build pressure (drum brakes can re-engage).
- Apply the manual trailer brake slider — even if the controller seems dead, try it. Sometimes only one side has failed.
- Downshift aggressively to use engine braking. On an automatic, drop into 2 or L.
- Use the parking brake gradually — pull the handle slowly, don’t yank.
- Look for an escape route — a long flat shoulder, an uphill exit, a runaway ramp on Hill Country grades.
- Honk and use hazards to warn other drivers.
- Once stopped safely, don’t drive again. Call us. We come to you.
02
Trailer sway / jackknife threat
Sway feels like the trailer is wagging the truck.
- Foot off the gas immediately.
- Do not use your truck brakes — that can amplify the sway.
- Apply the trailer brake controller’s manual slider — gently, briefly. This pulls the trailer straight behind you, the textbook anti-sway move.
- Hold the steering wheel steady. Don’t oversteer or try to “drive out of it.”
- Let the rig slow until the sway stops.
- Find a safe place to pull over and figure out why — usually it’s a load shifted to the rear, low tongue weight, or a crosswind.
If a jackknife starts (the trailer is pushing the rear of the truck sideways):
- Off the gas.
- Steer into the skid — turn the truck wheel toward the direction the trailer is pushing.
- Apply trailer brakes only if you can reach the manual slider.
- Don’t lock up the truck brakes — that makes it worse.
03
Light failure
Discover that a trailer light is out mid-trip:
- Pull over safely.
- Check the 7-pin connection — is it loose, corroded, full of road grime? Wipe it, reseat it.
- Check your truck’s trailer-circuit fuse (owner’s manual will tell you which one).
- If it’s a single bulb out and the truck’s circuits are fine, the bulb itself has failed.
If it’s daytime and only one bulb is out, you can usually finish your trip — but don’t drive a trailer with no taillights at night. Texas law requires those red lights to be visible at 1,000 feet (Tex. Transp. Code §547.322). Call us if it’s getting dark and you can’t sort it.
04
Accident
If you’re in a collision with the trailer:
- Get to safety — move the rig out of active lanes if it’s still drivable and safe to do so.
- Hazards on.
- Call 911 if there are injuries, suspected injuries, or significant damage. Texas requires a 911 call when there’s any injury or apparent property damage of $1,000 or more.
- Don’t move vehicles if there are injuries (until police clear it).
- Exchange info with any other driver — name, license, insurance, plate, contact.
- Photograph everything — angles of damage, the scene, the other vehicle.
- Call us. We need to know any incident involving the trailer.
- File a Texas Driver’s Crash Report (Form CR-2) within 10 days if police didn’t file a CR-3. Even though TxDOT no longer retains CR-2s, insurance companies often require one.
05
Breakdown — trailer issue, no collision
A flat, a broken light, a frozen jack, a wheel bearing that started smoking — anything that requires roadside help:
- Get safely off the road.
- Hazards on. If you have triangles or flares, deploy them 50/100/300 feet behind you.
- Call us first. Most trailer issues are something we can solve over the phone or with a roadside visit. We’re faster and cheaper than a tow.
05
When to call us vs. 911
Call 911 if:
- Anyone is injured or might be
- There’s an active fire or fuel leak
- The trailer is blocking traffic and creating a hazard you can’t move
- You’re in an accident with another vehicle and any of the above apply
Call Texas Pro Trailers if:
- Mechanical issue (light, brake, tire, jack, bearing)
- Lockbox issue
- Sway / handling concern
- You’re stuck and not sure what to do
- Any incident — even minor — that involves our trailer
Our 24/7 number is on your rental agreement and your pickup text. Use it.
06
Loading and Unloading
Brake controller setup: Electric
Brakes Guide
Common questions about emergencies
Safety FAQs
