Dropped a trailer after hooking it

Happened to me once a long time ago. I had been driving a truck for about a year, and starting to think I really REALLY knew what I was doing. That trailer was a folding Hyster lowboy that had a Fiat Allis bulldozer setting on it, way out in the middle of a field. I had forgot to run the legs down. Boy did that BOOM get my attention. Nobody was around, nobody saw me do it, but boy oh boy was my ego hurt that day LOL...

Just learn a lesson from it, and move on.

 

I would say not very often!

Here is a hint... When you back up under a trailer... Before you even get out of the truck put it in first gear & try to pull away. If the jaws didn't lock on the kingpin, then no harm done... Just make sure your fifth wheel is unlocked & try again.

After that... When you get out of the truck to raise your dollies.... Always visually check to make sure you jaws locked around the kingpin. Then when you go to pull away... Do a tug test. This is when you start to move the truck & trailer, but slowly. Pull the Johnson bar to activate the trailer brakes & watch the mirror to make sure the trailer is not separating from the tractor. if it is.... Stop the tractor immediately. If the tractor & trailer stops during the tug test.... Then your good to go.


Every morning when you do your Vehicle inspection.... Always check to see if your fifth wheel jaws are locked around your kingpin. Their are some driver's out here that get their kicks by unlocking your fifth wheel & watching you drive away without a trailer...

Now jumping kingpins.... I've done that twice & ended up resolving the problems on my own with no help!

 

Every morning nothing. I look to see mine every time I get back in the truck.

 

Like REDD and notarps said, every time you get out of the truck, and every time before you pull away .. tug it, if no Johnson Bar..pull the red knob and slight tug will tell you...I don't agree with 1st gear though...3 or 4 is enough stress on the pull to know the jaws are set...personal opinion thats all.

 

I don't think I could drop a trailer from the hookup point. I still have OCD about the whole thing because it scares me.

But, once it's on it's on. I'd be a good target for the truck stop prank.

 

Your right. I wasn't thinking about random visits at truck stops. I was thinking about the 10 hours that we are "suppose to be" parked.

I suggested 1st because he is a new driver & 1st. is normally the easiest one to find without knowing the transmission. After he becomes familiar with the truck & transmission he'll be able to find those other gears without thinking about it.

And your truck number is?

 

I don't know how it happened..even the mechanics who watched it happen couldn't explain it, but...I was moving a heavy loaded trailer in a yard (just being a nice guy and respotting since some other "genious" dropped it in the middle of the yard, anyway the thing just popped right out of the jaws..jaws didn't unlock, #### thing just popped and dropped..maybe turning a very tight U-turn had some effect..don't know..but since that time, the tug test isn't even a second thought anymore, just automatic and that was 13 years ago.

 

I've been lucky & haven't dropped one yet. I feel I came close a couple times, but the tug test always saved my butt.

Now jumping kingpins is another story... Several years ago I was at an Alcoa plant to pick up a preloaded trailer. Not sure why, but I'm guessing the previous driver who dropped that trailer lowered the dollies all the way... You couldn't lower them anymore then what they were. I never bothered to check since all our trucks were speced the same, it should have been a simple hook up. I backed under it & the kingpin went up & over the fifth wheel. Luckily I was watching the trailer saying to myself.... That seems to be getting a little closer to the truck them normal. I dumped my air bags, but that didn't give me enough clearance... Somehow I leveled out the fifth wheel & with my air bags dumped, it gave me the clearance I needed to pull away. I still would like to find that driver. That was 10 years ago when I first started.

Then just a few weeks ago... I did the same thing with a cabover freightliner. That time I just turned the wheel to the left... Back up a little.... Turn the wheel to the right... pull forward a little... Turn the wheel to the left... back up a little... Turn the wheel to the right... Pull forward a little... Did that routine for about 5 minutes until I pulled out from that trailer sideways.

 

I got close once. Not with the kingpin failing to lock (I always do tug test), but I had a brain fart moment while dropping a trailer. I released the fifth wheel, disconnected the glad hands and started pulling away without lowering the landing gear.

I heard AND felt the trailer fall down on the frame of my truck, and realized what had happened. I stopped immediately (before it dropped off the frame and onto the ground) and I was able get the landing gear down.

This was in an unmanned drop yard, and nobody was around to see my mistake. I'm just glad I caught it before I dropped the trailer on the ground rather than just onto my frame.