5th wheel handle on the passenger side?

nope...

 

why....??? When's the last time you saw someone dropping a trailer on the side of the road...

 

Like @mustang190 said. It’s and was a safety thing. All release handles and gear cranks were on curb side to keep you out of traffic and in the driver side sight ( non blind side) of the truck to your right at docks or parking lots. Was standard on all fifth wheel and trailer makers. All my old trucks and trailers and just about every old truck and trailer I’ve seen are like this unless they were changed. Big western companies like PIE, CF, Time DC used to even spec trailers with glad hands and light cords on curb side.

Overtime as usual safety went the way of laziness.

back in the day of flat bedding you were taught to have all the cranks and chain binders on curb side so you were in a safe place off the road to reset / check them if need be later. Nowadays you just put your 6 against traffic and pucker up.

 

Like I said right side keeps you out of blind side at a dock if a truck is backing up on your right side. If You are on left messing with crank and a truck is backing to your left side he cannot see you because you are on his blind side.

 

most Hollands you can. The release cam and lever has a right and left option.

 

and when you backing around a truck (site side) you can still hit someone because their truck is blocking your view of their carbside.. better safer plan.... DON'T be unhooking/hooking when someone is backing in next to you on either side...!!

 

Cool tip. I was just giving the history of some of the reasoning behind it not to start an argument on how to or not to operate around parked trucks at docks. We all know every situation and environment is the exact same at every place in the industry so all the same rules of operation apply. As far as dropping trailers at the curbs on the side of a road. That happens more than you know. Sometimes even facing against traffic. Lol!

 

Been a long time since dealing with a 5th release on the right side... most military trucks were spec'ed that wat back in the day. Most trailer dolly handles were on the right side, too. All in the alleged name of safety, but in reality, how often are you dropping a trailer on the side of the road?

Today, most tankers I have seen still have the handles on the right. Skateboards are mostly left, with a few on the right. Vans and reefers are almost always on the left. On a side note, Hy-Vee's private fleet (including PDS) spec'ed their reefers with the handles on the right, so there are still a few holdouts.

 

Obviously you have never driven in a major city?

 

All tankers have all their valves, boarding ladders and hose racks on the right side. I’m sure there may be a exception but I have never seen one.