Have a big control problem

You need to --IF LOADED HEAVY--
#1, crank down the pads to the ground in high gear, then put in low gear then crank more until you hear air start to bleed off the air bags (add additional 5-10 cranks in low gear if no air dump valve)
#2, then (if you have air suspension dump on tractor), dump the air, wait 4 seconds then slowly pull out, then reapply air to bags.

 

You need to break the friction between the fifth wheel and the trailer. That sometimes can make the tractor lurch a bit when you pull out from under it. Sometimes the trailer will drop and bang if you've left air between the landing gear feet and the ground and you pull out with too much snap. (I did that once and my trainer barked at me, "Poor gear selection." I always eased it out from under in first gear after that. )

Sometimes I crank the feet of the landing gear until they touch the ground, then give it a half or one more turn after that so they take some of the weight. Tractor slides right out. And I pull out in first gear. doh.

I wouldn't think that you need the foot valve engaged when you start the tractor before you unhook. The trailer isn't going anywhere because it's got no air supply. The tractor is in neutral and you've got the clutch pushed in, then you put the shifter in reverse and feather it out and gently pull forward. Try using the front part of your foot on the clutch to have more fine control over it.

Then, when you pull out, feather the clutch out until the tractor moves. Don't be afraid of stalling it, as the computer won't (shouldn't?) let that happen (Do the K-Dubs have that feature, anybody?). It's a feel you will develop for how the tractor operates.

Is your trainer making you shut off the truck when you get out to crank the gear and pull your pigtails and pin? I guess that's one way to do it.

I've always left the tractor running after I parked the combination, set the trailer brakes and pushed back on the pin a little with the tractor (if I thought it needed it in certain yards or whatever), then popped the tractor brake. Then I jump out and crank gear, pull pin, pull pigtails, always in that order every time.

If you think you're driving too much, tell your trainer that. He might be waiting for you to push back, waiting to see where your boundaries are. Some are like that. Give him a wakeup call.

Just my two cents, FWIW.

Edit: What STexan said, too. air and airbags. When you crank the trailer up a bit, you'll hear the airbags filling to make up for it, since the weight is coming off the fifth wheel. The height valve will start to compensate for that lower weight on the fifth and you'll hear it hissing air. When I hear that hiss I know I'm good to go to pull out. Dumping the bags works in a jam, too, like if the drop site is uneven, gravel, or sloped and you're spinning to get out from under the trailer. Engage axle locks, drop air, wait just a bit then pull out, unlock differentials, refill bags, party on.

 

the airbags aren't filling. they are bleeding off.

as you raise the trailer the truck suspension raises, therefore, needs to bleed off air to level off.

as for you statement of putting shifter into reverse. all that'll do is relock the 5th wheel pin. but we all know you meant to say forward, cuz that's the only way your getting out from under the trailer.

as for the jerking. not everytime it works out perfect. but you'll get used to it.

as long as you dont drop the trailer on the ground. that's what matters.

 

Is the trainer testing the rookie truck driver's boundaries to see how he will act or react to various dispatchers, shippers and receivers, in various situations, "down the road"?

 

The truck may just have a very touchy clutch. You are talking about just taking off to quickly right? Where the truck kinda jolts from side to side? If first gear is too much torque and is throwing you side to side, try starting out in 2nd or 3rd to lower the torque on take off. Because if you are like you're saying, unhooking from a trailer, once the gear is down and the lock is released, you're essentially bobtail with just a tad weight still sitting on your airbags on the rear. The truck will have no problem moving forward without a load on it in 2nd or 3rd gear, I've heard people starting out in 5th all the time bobtail, I don't like to do this because this puts a lot of stress on the transmission in most cases because your truck still has quite a substantial amount of weight to it bobtail. It all depends on how your truck is geared, some people's 5th gear is less torque-ier than others.

 

Same old same old. Trainer turns student into team driver, he makes big bucks for you driving miles for which he get paid while he sleeps. Heard it more times than I can remember.

 

That's how my training went. Called company and asked if that was the way it was supposed to be done? They're response is yup, suck it up you little baby. Nobody really cares.

 

How much experience does your "team mate" have?

 

Good question, I would also be interested in knowing the company, sure sounds like Werner crap.