Tricks of the trade.....

And dont forget for #5 once parked (after roll in of parking space) do not set trailer brakes, just tractor brakes.

 

My trainer showed me a neat tip for stubborn tandam pins that wound release. She carried a bottle of soapy water 1/2 water 1/2 laundry soap and just spray on the pin wait a min and it will help break the rust.

 

I carried WD-40. Not only did I use it for things that might be stuck but it works great on the light pigtail. When you look into the connector and see white powder it's time to spray a clearner in both connectors. If you have trailer lights that blink this will fix the problem right away. Alot of people think WD-40 is a oil but it's really a clearner.


Here's a city driving tip. Not all cities have this but most do. I'm talking about the crosswalk signs you see on the poles. If you're coming up to an intersection and you look over at the crosswalk sign that's straight ahead of you and it shows the green walk sign then your green light will stay green. If it's flashing the don't walk signal then it's getting ready to turn yellow. In the city of Las Vegas NV the don't walk signs will flash 12 to 13 times then turn a solid red. When any of the crosswalk signs turn a solid red then your signal has gone to yellow. This is an easy tip to watch for and it allows you more time to watch traffic.

 

I got stuck on an icey parking lot in Pueblo CO. I tried everything. It was on a slight incline, and the only thing that got me unstuck was putting it in neutral and letting it roll a few feet.

 

GREAT Thread B H's Wife

 

I've mentioned this elsewhere...

I don't keep a spare key in my pocket. My jeans last long enough that keys tend to wear holes in the pocket lining and go for unauthorized walks.

I don't keep a spare key in my wallet. The last thing I need is for the joker who steals (or just finds) my wallet to have full access to my vehicle.

Instead, I *always* have a belt on (if I neglect it, well...the image isn't pleasant). In the middle of the back, INSIDE side of the belt, I've glued a velcro patch about the size of my thumb nail. I've glued a smaller bit of the other half of the velcro patch to the handle of the key. Stick the two together and the key won't go anywhere until you want it to.
It may take a little adjusting to find a comfortable position - for me, dead center is best, but others I've turned on to this trick use various positions. I suggest rubber cement as a temp glue on the belt side until you are satisfied.

This idea came to me after a friend was robbed at gun-point some years ago. The thief not only took his wallet, but the contents of his pockets as well - including his car keys - and the spare in his back pocket. (we never did figure out why he took the keys and not the car. My friend wasn't stranded, being mere feet from an urban bus stop..)

For those of you who don't wear belts, perhaps stitching a bit of the loop side of velcro to the inside of the waistband of your slacks?

Ladies, at the risk of appearing crude (I am, but why advertise?), velcro'd to a bra strap (shoulder or back) should work. Lots of evil doers know of and check your "extra pocket" behind your shirt-buttons.

The idea here is to not think of it as a "spare" key. A spare is something you keep in the trunk of your car, bundled up on the back of the cab, or stuffed in some half-working drawer in the kitchen.

Think of it as an emergency key. Instant access isn't what it's all about - that's what the primary keys are for. This key is like the fire department. Not right there on the front lawn every day, but available within a minute or two when you need it.

 

Lots of great posts.A pair of GOOD gloves,coveralls,good tool kit with ALL bulbs ,fuses ,a few hose clamps of varying sizes,some spare wire,wd-40,couple of gallons of oil and antifreeze,small can of ether,good cotton rags,garbage bags(double as a raincoat in a pinch) and flashlight with extra batteries are all absolute musts.A spare cb is a good idea too. If you cant afford a spare good one,get an el cheapo that will get you through till you can get your good one healed up.I bought an led light that clips on your hat visor that although looks quite dorky works great even for helping you read a map in the cab plus if your by the road it'll show other drivers your location and you get light where you look which is where you need it.If the truck your running has the operators manual in it with wiring schematics and locations of the goodies you may have trouble with,GET FAMILIAR WITH IT BEFORE your sitting in the middle of the road at night trying to figure it out.Alcohol or white vinegar and plenty of paper towels to keep your glass clean especially if you smoke.If your truck breaks down and has to be worked on in a shop where they'll let you hang out while they fix it,watch what they are doing and the same thing may save your bacon one day.If you run a Cowmobile,get yourself one of those cheap plastic tubs with a lid,strap or bolt it on the deck plate (I used a diamond plate tool chest but if its not your ride why blow the money)and use it for your loading and unloading boots, coveralls/dirty clothes.You're still gonna smell like money but its better than having it under your bunk.I buy those small,cheap bathroom rugs to run on my floors and I always mount a boot brush on my steps .That way you can clean the inside of the truck quickly.I don't think very highly of drivers whose trucks look like hammered hell on the inside and smell like it too.Its very easy to keep clean especially if you take the junk out of it every time you stop.I firmly believe that more than once my truck being clean has kept me from a ticket or 10.Another tip and its a big one,DRESS FOR WORK.A driver walking around a truck stop in shorts and sandals or dirty jogging pants
is one of the most disgusting fads I've seen take over in the last 10-15 years.You are not at home,you are WORKING,dress for it.95% of the time when you see these drivers they are getting in or out of one of the big companies (CDL mill) trucks and if you didn't see them get out of a truck you'd swear they were a homeless person.It puts a bad image out and you'll have a harder time in a coop if you walk in there smelling and dressed like a burned out druggie or a surfer wannabe.GREAT THREAD BHW

 

When sliding tandems I always checked how many holes I needed to slide, then put a glove on the ground at that distance and moved the tractor until the front of the running board lined up with it. Saved a lot of back and forth. With vise grips on the pin handle I could then release them and pop the pins into place.

 

Rain jacket and pants ...if you have to chain up in that wet drippy cold stuff its real nice not to be soaking wet when you climb back in

 

I drive backroads through the SIerra's at night, so I bring along a few other things. A real good sleeping bag (if you've been in a truck at -20 that stopped running you know why), a complete change of clothes with extra socks, a quality set of waterproof coveralls for chaining up, enough food for a day, a chain repair tool and repair links/crosslinks, head-mounted led light, couple gallons of quality antifreeze windshield washer solution, a self-lighting blowtorch (you'd be amazed as to what you can get burning with a blowtorch - wet or not).