Had a trailer come off truck do I need to tell my next employer

If that’s your truck in the picture..

And if that fifth wheel is as dry as it looks (could be a greaseless plate I really can’t tell) it could most certainly stay put for a long time with open jaws.

That pic looks like the pin was sitting on top of closed jaws and jumped off the fifth wheel to the left. Open jaws would have put it behind the tractor

 

It's not unheard of to drive that far with the fifth wheel unlocked. Especially if the trailer is loaded heavy. It tends to separate when you make a sharp turn.

 

That is a crazy dry plate.

 

Moral to the story: take good care with your kingpin -- & your kingpin will take good care of you.....

-- L

 

Hey - at least nobody got hurt or killed, remember that, whatever the case is.

Won't be your first F up, nor the last. We're all human and have done some dumb stuff.

 

Being dry like that will make it tough taking curves. The trailer acts like it’s glued to the fifth wheel and it wants to just keep going straight.

Blows for the op to learn a tough lesson that way but the silver lining is that no one got injured.

Sounds like he did a drop an hook and drove a little bit and it finally jumped the fifth wheel. Looks like the air lines stayed connected so that trailer just kept a coming!

OP if you do manage to keep your job or get fired and find another..learn from this and never let it happen again.

That warning won’t stay on your mvr as long as an actual citation so that’s something good anyway.

 

How often do they lube the truck? That 5th wheel looks bone dry...

 

Youed be suprised. Ive had mine pulled a few times over the years. Only 2 i can say for sure why is one i had to run inside in a fuel island because the card reader was dead and i caught the moron (also learned i apparently react badly to someone grabbing and yanking my beard and teeth on knuckles hurts)

The other was a coworker who wanted me fired because i got the brand new truck he was supposed to get after he crunched up a truck while texting and got caught by my DM who watched him do it. All 3 others were either rest areas or paid parking spots.

 

Have not had it happen in 20 years - I must be lucky I guess.

I'll always go to the truck behind in person and apologize and explain if I'm going to hold someone up. Usually goes well. A little unorthodox these days though.