The Reason You See Texas Trucks Seemingly Driving Sideways

You don't see it often, but it catches your attention when you do. This is a problem with your vehicle known as "dog tracking." Have you ever seen this before?

Dog tracking is when a vehicle appears to be driving slightly sideways. If you are directly behind that particular vehicle, you can see all four wheels which you shouldn't be able to. The front wheels will appear to be straight, while the back end is either left or right. You may think that the frame is bent but usually, there's another cause for this.

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What causes "dog tracking?"

The first reason for this issue is that the rear axle is out of alignment. It most likely got that way due to an accident or harshly driving through rough terrain. Another reason is that the rear axle's "thrust angle" could be off, meaning that the rear axle is pushing in a different direction than the vehicle's chassis.

There could also be an issue with the leaf springs of the vehicle like a bolt being broken.

The solution can be as simple as taking the vehicle in to get an all-wheel alignment. It also could be as complex as having the rear axle and all its surrounding components looked at and repaired.

The issue certainly needs to be looked at and repaired. While it won't be dangerous to you as a driver to your passengers or to anyone around you on the highway, it will be dangerous to your wallet due to the hit in gas mileage and wear on your tires.

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