Have you ever ripped your airlines off?

I understand what you’re saying and I can TOTALLY see your point. Not judging. But we’re in an industry that everything is based on how it looks on paper. On paper, it looks bad for you. But honestly, I see your point and appreciate that your putting drivers to work.

If i was one of your drivers there’s no way I wouldn’t have made sure everything was good to go. I see your point.

 

I did that, too....And it scared the poop outta me, but not as much as what happened a few weeks later....

Multiple trailer positioning on a dirt lot...backing under and giving a tug, just like I was taught. Failed to account for the big divot I was digging in the lot.

About the fourth move in the same spot, tractor went down in the divot, missed the pin, and CRASSSSSHHH! The front of a trash trailer came right through the rear window of that R Model Mack. Like about two feet through the window. Stopped just short of my right shoulder.

Then the Walk of Shame to the office on top the hill, to inform my boss. Then the Walk of Shame back DOWN the hill WITH the boss as he came down to inspect the damage. He didn't speak to me for a week....

 

My idiocy was in other areas. In my case I just by muscle memory always removed my airlines and pigtail first just before pulling the 5th wheel pin. None of us is perfect, dang it sometime's I think I make critical mistakes just getting out of bed.

 

I was 21 when I got licensed. About 6 months into my driving career I was moving empty tomato trailers from one field to the next. I hooked up to a set of doubles, thought I had given it a tug but I probably didn’t. Raised the legs and off I went. I was probably 600 yard into my move when I felt something give. Looked back and saw my trailer in the dirt road with its nose down. When I stopped I had discovered I ripped both airlines and the pigtail. Luckily I was on a dirt road and probably doing 15-20 mph at the most. Was a good learning experience for sure.

 

My boss forgot that one. We were on a really tight job site delivering crane counterweights on super-Bs--two at 10,000 kg (22,000 lbs) on each trailer--and we had to split the trailers to get under the crane. He forgot to put down the landing gear on the pup. Ouch! Fortunately I was able to drop the air and get under it enough to lift it while he cranked.

I made up for it a few months later. Made an OS delivery to a mine up in the mountains (again, with the boss) on an extendable step-deck. I got distracted as we were getting ready to go and forgot to put the pins back in after collapsing the trailer. It was all good until we started up one of the ramps out of the job site. I hit the end of the trailer's travel so hard I thought I dropped the engine or transmission. It popped some fuses out and the truck quit and I couldn't get it started again until I figured out the problem. D'Oh!

Oh yeah, I have forgotten to unhook the air lines a time or two. Fortunately all they did was unhook themselves... no damage.

 

Tired truckers do stupid $#!÷. Just sayin'.......

 

Not yet in three years. I've come close a couple times, but always double checked or had a funny feeling and checked.

I was taught to always do everything the same order. Put the trailer in the spot, set the brakes and get out.

1) Dump the air suspension
2) While the suspension is dropping, pull the lines
3) Start lowering the landing gear and by the time you reach the ground, the suspension will be empty
4) Hook your puller on the pin handle, check 1) the lines are off, 2) the legs are down and 3) the suspension is empty... then pull the pin

 

Exactly. That's the reason they're designed the way they are, to come apart before they actually tear a line.

 

In a perfect world. However some old trailers have gladhand connections that are bent. Oh the pigtail will pop out but I have seen tractors with gladhands pulled off the airlines. In fact I have had to go back to my cab get my tire thumper hammer and tap my gladhands on and off because they are so tight. I have also had some trailers where the trailer connections were so lose the gladhands will fall off.