This is why you always tug test with pictures.

2 seconds? Takes me much longer than that, to crawl under and check. You must be quick!

 

I always set the trailer brakes, push back with the tractor and then tug test forward even if I go in a truckstop for lunch. I’ve seen too many videos of former disgruntled employees pulling the pin. And God knows my company probably has a lot of disgruntled ex-employees out there. Lol

 

well if you want to count the time it takes to walk back there and then check and then walk back to the truck. we might be all in at about 30 seconds. but if you dont count all that time then its about 2 seconds.

 

My fifth wheel doesn't have jaws. It has a bar that goes from one side, into a notch on the other side. If it's not all the way in the notch, the release handle will stick out about an inch. If I ever walk away from my truck, I check the handle.

When I back under it, I verify it lifts the landing gear off the ground, because I always dump my bags when I drop it. Once I'm coupled, I go under and look with a flashlight.

I do these things every time without fail. I've never done a tug test. If you couple a certain way, I don't see the point of a tug test, other than trying to force a mechanical failure under controlled conditions, kind of like a pressure test.

I'm welcome to changing my mind, though.

 

Just because it looks right....once and only once I lost the second trailer right out of the terminal. I did a good pretrip. After a safety investigation it was determined that the spring in the 5th wheel assembly was defective. So there's always a possibility of mechanical failure. I hate trucks. Lol

 

i do a tug test to make sure my trailer brakes do the stoppy thingy

 

I do it to check my trailer brakes, and to make sure I don't have any air leaks on the downstream side of the relay valves.

But that's after I have done a visual to make sure the jaws are locked and it isn't high-pinned, and then rolled forward enough to verify that all my trailer wheels are turning.

 

Was just reading the forum when the place we were loading they want you to back under the trailer when it is still in the loading dock. Can’t do a tug test because wheels are chalked and people still working in trailer. Just now a driver pulled out of dock and boom lost his load, we always do a tug test before taking off, once they come out a say we good to go. Sucks for that driver.

 

Hooking up instructions for beginners I've always said even before the tug test specially if your hooking up to a trailer that has been used / moved by a different truck with different dimensions, drop the air bags back under 1/3 of the way, raise air bags, get out check the clearance drop the landing gear down so that the whole weight of the trailer is now resting on the fifth wheel raise the landing gear about 1/4 " off the ground jump back in the truck back it up to lock in fifth wheel then do the tug test, get out hook up airlines and electric cables, and fully raise the landing gear, get back in the truck make sure air has built up, then do another test with the trailer hooked move forward with the trailer brakes on then back it up with trailer brakes on, check to see that all clearance, traffic indicators, and brake lights are working on trailer, good to go another 800 miles.

 

So if my trolley valve is all the way out showing 90psi on the application gauge and I can pop the clutch and pull a wheelie without loosing my trailer I’m golden right?