How to uncouple a trailer... for dummies

I am in my 8th year as a class A driver, and in that time, nothing has made my blood boil more than people who don’t know how to unhook a trailer. Well pay attention because school is in session!

1. If you have an air ride trailer, set your trailer brakes first and let the suspension drop before you set your tractor brakes. This will allow your tractor to easily roll forward a few inches while the suspension drops, which will prevent your landing gear from binding.

2. Once your trailer is settled, set your tractor brakes.

3. Crank your landing gear down, leaving an approximate 1/2”-1” gap between the pads and the ground. Do not, do not, do not, DO NOT! DO NOT crank the legs all the way down and then keep cranking until you break your back. YOU DON’T NEED TO DO THAT!!!!! Leave a gap!! Trust me!

4. Unhook your air lines. Or do that first if you want, I don’t care.

5. Release your 5th wheel.

6. Lower the suspension on your drives! This is a very simple procedure! Just push the #### button on your dash and lower the suspension! It’s easy!

7. Pull out SLOWLY from the trailer.

8. Your trailer may drop another fraction of an inch when you pull out. That’s ok!!! Do you copy!? That is ok!!! Don’t panic!!!

NOW REPEAT AFTER ME:

YOU DO NOT NEED TO LEAVE THE TRAILER SITTING 3 INCHES HIGHER THAN YOUR ####ING 5TH WHEEL WHEN YOU PULL AWAY!!!!!


Now when professional driver number 2 comes along and hooks up to the trailer, here’s what to do...

1. Back up to the trailer.

2. Stop! Get out and make sure the trailer will hit your 5th wheel and will not jump it or high hitch. If you don’t know what high hitching is, type it in the search bar and figure it out. (Hint, you don’t want to do it).

3. Dump your air suspension.

4. Back up until your 5th wheel is just under trailer.

5. Refill your airbags. At this point, your 5th wheel should be lifting the landing gear slightly off the ground.

6. Back the rest of the way until the kingpin gets locked in.

7. This should be obvious, but do a tug test and a visual inspection of your 5th wheel.

8. Hook up air lines, etc. and crank up the landing gear.

Notice how much easier it is to crank that landing gear when it’s already part way off the ground?

Is this all making sense now?

You’re welcome.

 

Don’t confuse them lol. This was geared toward folks who drive for a company where all trucks are spec’d the same. I know there are different tire sizes, different 5th wheel heights, etc. but every fleet I have ever been a part of specs their trucks the same. (Usually). For sure all of my company’s trucks are the same.

And I know sometimes a trailer gets dropped on uneven ground or on a concrete pad and then the yard dog moves it and messes it up and blah blah blah. This is meant to be a rule of thumb.

 

Lol, smarty pants

 

I had to drop my flat today to do some bs with the dry van, which automatically soured my mood. Then i find our extra van trailer parked out back with the nose pointing toward the sky and that was just kinda the final straw.

 

Really? Is that common? I’ve never been in a truck with air ride that didn’t have an air dump right there on the dash.