question on hooking to an empty

I'm probably repeating some others' comments, but what I do with an empty is just back up close enough to hook up the pigtail then check all the lights, tires door hinges etc, basically a semi full pretrip just to make sure it is road worthy, nothing worse than doing a full hook up then to discover the trailer is no good then have to contact the DM to remove trailer and hook to a new one.

Same thing with a loaded trailer especially because if I were to hook to it and send loaded call and then find a problem they would ask why I didn't catch that-- blame falls on me rather than the previous driver who dropped it as an empty.

Plus on the loaded trailers I'm picking up I will go ahead and make the trailer height proper and grease up the 5th wheel before backing under.

 

It didn't have a red tag on it or was otherwise marked out of service?

Pretty common problem for us especially coming off the yard after a weekend is we'll get a trailer ( loaded or empty ) that is down for maint but they always have those red tags on them. Why I always hate not having a preplan on Friday and picking one up off the yard after a weekend.

Different companies do things different ways of course but still a reason to check before you get under it. At least with my company if it's down for maint you can see the red tag coming way before you get to it.

Maybe it's just me but my feeling is any company that doesn't clearly mark out of service equipment, well that says alot about what kind of management they have.

 

My company is small so they are better able to keep track of what trailers need maintenance and which ones are ok. I've yet to pick up one of our trailers in the field that was in bad enough shape to.need repairs. Our drivers seem to take pride in our equipment. They tell us, any issues just head to a TA, Petro or dealer shop. No waiting for authorization or POs, get it fixed and call for a comchek code.

When I was pulling Werner trailers on the other hand....yikes.

 

Trailers are always a questionmark. When I back under, I check the trailer height above my drives first. Often I have to jump out and lower the trailer to the 5th wheel before going any further. Not really a problem most of the time. Then I hook on, connect pigtails, grab my flashlight and tire pressure guage, and work my way around the trailer. I use the flashlight to make sure the locking jaw is around the kingpin, the trailer frame and crossmembers, brakes and electrical/airlines. I check the lug nuts and hubs while checking the tandem air pressure. About 1 in 4 trailers, I have to air up at least one tire with my gladhand air pressure chuck. Check the lights and doors, check the other side tires, check the safety release arm is fully engaged. If there's a bad light, (except upper markers) I have a Road Ready kit with spare lights and change it myself. It's not at all unusual to have to wrestle the trailer at least a little, and I don't want to wait for somebody else to show up, so I do as much as I can myself. Last weekend I picked up a loaded trailer at a K-Mart DC? The landing gear crank was wedged into the slot so tight I couldn't lift it out with my hands. So I got under it on my back, and pushed with my feet. Even then, that lever was so tight I couldn't get it out of the slot. So I kicked the &#&@ out of it a couple of times, got it loose and went on my way. It's always something, but now that I've learned to accept and deal with trailer problems it's just another part of my work. Early last week I was just south of Las Vegas at that Shell travel center there. My morning PTI showed not one but 2 flats on the trailer, way past that gladhand chuck capacity. That morning I called for help. Last thing, I do my PTI before starting my Qualcomm on duty clock, then go on duty and do some checking inside the truck once I'm good to go. If I have a problem, I don't want that 14hr clock raising my blood pressure.

 

I forgot to say, I wish more drivers wouldn't leave trailer problems unreported, or leave them behind for the next driver. Those drivers aren't holding up their professional responsibilities.

 

Billybob,

You are correct,

a driver should do a walk around,

BEFORE hooking to any trailer.

 

Hard to check the kingpin and apron after you back under it.

 

Never once have I jumped a kingpen, and I will rarely do the walk around before I hook up. For starters, you're driving a truck and not a stock car. Slow down when backing under a trailer. 2nd, if the trailer was dropped at the correct height; you should raise the trailer as you back under it. If the trailer doesn't raise, it's too high. If it looks like you're going to smack into the headerboard, it's too low. Thats when you park the truck and adjust the trailer height as needed when needed.

BTW, I worked as a switcher for 8 years. When moving 60+ trailers a night, you do not have time to do walk arounds.

 

Always look it over at least before you leave the yard. I have seen so called drivers hook onto a trailer and leave the yard and the trailer has one door! I wish I could have seen their face when they went to get loaded !