Patent ID: 7770909

Claim:
A vehicle including: a chassis including a cab portion, a trailer portion, and a coupling assembly being positioned between the cab portion and the trailer portion; the trailer portion being configured to support a load, and defining a longitudinal axis and a center of gravity; the coupling assembly including a pivot coupling configured to provide pivoting movement between the cab portion and the trailer portion about a vertical axis; a wheel assembly coupled to the trailer portion; a line of action associated with the trailer portion; a controller and a vehicle condition sensor in communication with the controller, the controller being configured to adjust the position of the line of action in response to input from the vehicle condition sensor; and a stabilization system operably coupled to the chassis, the stabilization system configured to move the line of action outwardly in response to changes in a vehicle condition; wherein the wheel assembly includes a tandem pivotably coupled to the trailer portion at a tandem coupling, a front wheel rotatably supported by the tandem, and a rear wheel rotatably supported by the tandem in longitudinally spaced relation to the front wheel; wherein the stabilization system includes an actuator operably coupled to the tandem, the actuator configured to restrict pivoting movement of the tandem, thereby moving the position of the line of action relative to the center of gravity; and wherein the vehicle condition sensor senses the angle of vertical inclination of a bed supported by the trailer portion relative to the trailer portion and the controller controls the amount of resistance to pivoting movement of the tandem in response thereto.