Is there a certain way to drop a trailer?

Yea especially the older trailers with empty straight airride. Some trailers are equipped with dock pegs inside each bag that deploys to settle just so when you drop inside a dock (Or anywhere really.)

You are asking me to go way back. But one of the things Ive done is to connect air and pigtail first. See if feeding air to the trailer corrects the 5th wheel king pin plate angle right so that it will be low enough to be grabbed by a 5th wheel just so. LIterally mating.

DO NOT whatever you do back under a kingpin that is way too high, you will high jump the tractor's 5th wheel and then get stuck there plus destroying anything back there over the catwalk potentially. That used to be a instant firing offense back in the days of the old cabovers with spinner, reservior and power steering with the exhaust back there.

If you tossed your spine, find a doctor and get that looked at ESPECIALLY IF IT IS WORK RELATED. Company feelings be ######.
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You only have one spine in life. Once it's gone like on me it's gone.

I am a little bit different with the air bags on tractor in the olden days. We only deflated them if we needed that extra inch or so to hop the trailer's nose plate using our angle rails on the ends of our tractor frames for that reason in muddy situation.

 

I usually leave 3 inches or so. As long as my tires fit after dropping, it's all good.
5 inches of airbag travel on most trucks

 

Happens to me all the time. Not only that, but the crank handle will get wedged up in the frame. I always leave them dangling and only tuck when I couple. Pull the handle out to the slower ratio and you can let it down, hopefully.

 

There is a way to raise air bags from the cab, tell the boss to get off his wallet and get you one

Hadley Height Control Valves - Powerdown

 

Agreed. It'll take patience but that's what I always do.

 

If it’s miller, they have to raise the nose when they put it in the dock for their safety jack.
They park them about 29 inches from each other as well, which doesn’t work well if you have extra insulation around the waist.
You be always asked the yard dogs to pull it out a few feet and lower the gear while the trailer is up. FWIW, talk to them like they are human, I’ve never had anyone not help out.

 

If the landing gear seems stiff releasing the trailer brakes may help to unbind them.

I'll back up to the trailer so that the front edge of the trailer is just ahead of the 5th wheel pivot and hook up the air lines to it (Might as well hook up the electric so you can do your quick pre-trip while you Chalk/Block the trailer tires) and release the trailer brakes so the Trailer air bags fill with air. The landing gear should hold it (If not -- wave at it as it falls off the cliff). This will lower the trailer nose and should relieve the stresses binding the landing gear. NOW BLOCK/CHALK THE TRAILER TIRES as you are pre-tripping the trailer. Should have less stress to only lower the landing gear the last little bit till it is just touching the 5th wheel plate do not take any weight off the landing gear. Hold the trolley/trailer brake as you back under it.

How I drop a trailer is: get in spot. set the trailer brakes (but not the tractor brakes) and wait for the trailer to settle and push the truck forward a few inches. Now set the tractor brakes. dolly down to an inch or so off the ground and pull the electric and air connections. Pull the release handle. Climb back in the cab. Release the tractor brakes. Hit the switch to drop the tractor air bags and pull gently against the trailer. As the legs take the weight you should just slip from under the trailer. When clear of trailer, raise the tractor bags and bobtail as needed.

I've seen many trailers that get dropped with the landing gear all bound up because the driver/Yard dog does not let the trailer settle before setting the tractor brake or dropping the gear.

Another thing that happens is guys put tall 24.5 tires on their truck raising their 5th wheel about an inch and a half.

 

If the trailer is really high its because a shunt truck has moved them there, shouldn't be much of a difference in standard height's if most trucks have similar wheel sizes I always lower gear down till its about 1/8 inch off the ground then drop the air bags you'll have to now manually lower the trailer legs to hook up unless you can get the shunt truck to come and back under again then lift up legs to right height and drop the trailer back down again.

 

I set the trailer brakes first.
Then I back up the tractor against the pin to relieve the pressure so I can release the jaws.
Then I set the tractor brake.
Then I lower the Legs until 3 inches above ground.
Then I pull the release.
Then I release tractor brake.
I pull forward 2 inches then Lower airbags and pull out.
Job done.