You need to get a skid-steer up a slope, or down one. Do you drive forward or back it up? The answer isn’t the same every time. It depends on one thing: whether the bucket is loaded.
The rule: heavy end uphill
On any slope, travel straight up or straight down, never across, and keep the heavy end of the machine uphill. The trick is knowing which end is heavy.
Why the heavy end changes
Skid-steers are built with uneven weight on purpose. With the bucket empty, roughly 70% of the weight sits on the rear axle, where the engine is. That lets the machine pivot on its rear wheels when it turns.
Put a load in the bucket and the balance flips. Now most of the weight is on the front axle, and the front becomes the heavy end. (The exact split varies by machine, but the pattern holds.)
What that means on a slope
| Bucket | Heavy end | Going up | Going down |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty | Rear (engine) | Back up the slope | Drive forward down the slope |
| Loaded | Front (bucket) | Drive forward up the slope | Back down the slope |
Get it backwards and the heavy end points downhill. The machine can tip end over end, and it can happen faster than you can react.
Loading onto a trailer
A trailer ramp is a slope too. With an empty bucket, the rear is heavy, so you usually back the machine up the ramps. Line up straight, go slowly, lower the attachment onto the deck once you’re on, then shut down and tie the machine down front and rear at the manufacturer’s tie-down points.
More slope habits
- Keep the bucket low. A raised load magnifies every bump and makes the machine top-heavy.
- Never travel across a slope. Sideways is where machines roll.
- Avoid steep slopes and soft ground whenever you can. If you can’t, slow down and make sure you have traction before you commit.
- Track loaders: keep both tracks fully on the ground, and avoid running with one track on a slope and the other on flat ground.
- Belt on, seat bar down. If the machine does tip, they keep you inside the protective cab.
Practise the decision
Our Skid-Steer Loader Safety course has a slope simulator where operators set the load and the slope, pick a direction and see the result. Want to see the course first? Try the first lesson free.