Steering control system for a towed axle

A vehicle, comprising:

• a tractor vehicle having a transmission configured to provide a transmission state relating to at least one of a selected transmission gear and an obtained transmission gear;
• a trailer, comprising:
• a chassis;
• an axle having a pair of tractive elements rotatably coupled to the chassis;
• and
• an actuator coupled to the chassis and positioned to steer the pair of tractive elements;
• and
• a processing circuit having an input for receiving the transmission state and a variable output for engaging the actuator, wherein the processing circuit is configured to control the steering of the pair of tractive elements according to a control strategy that varies based on the transmission state.

A steering control method for a trailer including a chassis, an axle having a pair of tractive elements rotatably coupled to the chassis, and an actuator coupled to the chassis and positioned to steer the pair of tractive elements, the method comprising:

• identifying a transmission gear of a tractor vehicle with a processing circuit;
• controllably steering the pair of tractive elements such that the trailer follows the tractor vehicle when the transmission gear is a forward gear;
• and
• centering the pair of tractive elements to facilitate maneuvering the trailer when the transmission gear is a reverse gear.