Landing gear

In many years of dropping and hooking many trailers each day we've never ever had one driver injury or truck damaged from lack of grease on trailer or 5th wheel. We've had several driver injuries from improper trailer drop height.

 

Yes, exactly like this. And I understand he and some here have argued. "2+2 can't equal 4 because that guy said something else I don't agree with".

 

NO, any idiot cannot lower a trailer that's too high safely, that's why we have had injuries. The loaded freight puts the trailer landing gear and gear crank mechanism under tremendous pressure. When that trailer is then dropped by a switcher, who must put additional pressure on the landing gear by backing against the kingpin so his 5th wheel release will operate, it's like ####ing a big spring pushing on the landing gear handle. And depending on where that handle as been left, in low gear, high gear, or in between high and low gear, the handle will barely more, not move, or move but do nothing. If it barely moves it is likely to kick-back when cranking. That's not just my opinion it's a visible event and it's documented by the several driver injuries from the kick-back.

 

I've had to pick up low trailers also, about 1-2 times a year compared to the high trailers 1-5 times a week.

Everyone of our drivers new to the account (rooky and OTR vet), justifies dropping their trailer too high "because once, there was this too low trailer."