What can you do after a jackknife?

It's always a big deal. Keep in mind. Always BETTER NEVER to get into one at all. That implies loss of control which to you as a Professional Trucker in all weather like rain, snow and ice shows that you were not doing your job.

Ive had my truck get away now and then and want to kill or mash someone with a decent jack knife when it does. I consider myself extremely lucky it never did. Between you and me and the telephone pole.. Im glad. Because courts, prison, civil suits and so on is such a drag onto anyone's future.

Look out it's coming around again. *&^%$ here we go. Yea it's always a big deal LOL.

Im glad you are evolving. Keep it up!

 

Not sure if it has been mentioned yet, but change your underwear is probably something to do after a jackknife.

 

This dude was looking for the spotters. I worked for Halliburton back in the day. They always spotted you wherever they needed that pump in. I came out of there with zero backing skills, cause all you do is follow hand signals, never once looking at the trailer. Good money franking and accidizing...

 

The first one is the worst. I remember that day clearly. A car came up in a little rain on US 15 north of Gettysburg. Anyhow it changed lanes and got into mine to stop short at the light to turn right. All it had to do was wait one #### minute from behind me but no when I started slowing for the red light being presented, the car passed me on the left around instead of slowing.

I did not have the braking room now thanks to that stupid car being in such a rush to get that right turn done. I added some more to the 93COE with the Pines 53 foot empty van and instantly the tractor broke first due to the curve leading to the light. The initial pressure was around 20 pounds application more or less with tons of air on hand for the stop in a couple hundred feet from 50 and coming down past 35 when she broke loose as I added more braking, the tires did not have the traction.

What ended up happening was the tractor slammed side to side viciously trying to fold with the trailer pushing on it and wanting to come around to add to my troubles. I slammed the wheel back and forth however many times with violence to stay with the tractor all the way to the stop where the car stood. By then it had turned and then stopped to see if I will wreck or not. I ended up at the white line in a 45 degree angle and everything was either on the shoulder or left lane and parts of both.

I thought about quitting the industry for the next 15 miles with a careful smoke until G'Burg. I thought about it very carefully. It took 30 more miles before the shaking stopped. Then I got angry. Which is usually the case, I want that man's life now. lol.

All because a car did not want to take the time to actually stop behind me and then turn.... in a hurry or something. He went around and then stopped. right were I will hit him in the rain. It's stupid.

I remembered that you get back on the horse and keep going. Otherwise sit on the porch with the small dogs. And that settled it that day.

I would have several more much bigger incidents when that tractor or trailer or even both came around in a variety of situations Usually a mountain pass on ice. And it got to the point at which towards the end of my trucking years it had no impact on me other than a moment's skip on the heart as I assessed the problem prior to action. You only have a short, a really short time to decide, prior to 15 degrees on your 5th wheel. Beyond that you can pretty much forget trying to save it. The CB is where the worst of it goes usually oh &^%$# and then a moment pause while the world decides what is going to happen and the language goes downhill from there depending on the loss, damage and injury.

 

So painful to watch.

 

So six, basically what you are saying is if you only get 250k mile's out of a a set of brakes you are driving like a moron?

 

The Markers, if there is one at the center line of the trailer is a valuable targeting tool. You can use it to tell if your trailer has stopped moving closer to the truck next to you and began to roll backwards to clear the other truck as you go into the dock.

My biggest points on the trailer are two. The far left corner. The ICC Bumper and the tandem wheels, and the other is the kingpin plate above the drives on the tractor. The angle of that combined with where the ICC Bumper is going pretty much lets me know how much or low little wheel to add on or take off.

We all have our little differences in backing, whatever works for you is great. Ideas we can share. Who knows someone struggling with backing would go aha! And then become the best backer with any trailer on the planet.

My favorite trailer to back was teh Ravens spread axle covered wagon, I could dump the air in the rear axle and force the whole thing to ride and pivot on the forward trailer axle. Then physically force it into where it needs to go. You could do things with that spread you cannot do on the tandem.