Broke Both Fairing

Just another day with Swift
No worries

 

It happens so frequently freightliner changed the design to make them breakaway so the cab doesn't get hit.

One of the big differences these days is how far forward we run the 5th wheels. "Back in the day" very few OTR trucks were spec'd with an axle rated for more than 12K, so most guys were running in the 3rd or 4th hole. Now most are rated for 12.5k and we're running in hole 1. Huge difference in ride quality and fuel economy but comes at an increase in turning radius.

The other thing coming into play is the increasing congestion of places - warehouses stagging trailers in the spaces designed for maneuvering, old lots laid out when max vehicle length was 55 feet. Heck, even some modern constructed lots are still laid out for 48 foot trailers. I was at a brand new warehouse a few weeks ago where the concrete pad at the docks was three feet short of the landing gear.



Or there's this place - can't make the turn in without hitting the curb unless you take the whole road (not button hook, literally moving the trailer to the left hand curb). Then once in you're set up to blindside or try and get turned around. There are always trucks stagged on the curb and employees parked over by the driver's entrance because that's the only they can walk in.

 

Anyone else old enough to remember when this wasn't an issue? You know, back in day when drivers knew how to turn a trailer around without making the tandem pivot? Of course, the trucks back then wouldn't hardly turn tight enough that it was much of a problem...

 

Dateline August 1987 : brand new truck didn't even have plates on it yet .
Me : green as grass bends cab fairing go home figuring I'm fired .
Next morning boss calls wanting to know why I'm not there and I say go look at your new truck , boss says I saw it and get your arse in here cab fairings don't make me money !

 

I remember picking up new Petes at the dealer and the first thing we did was to back the steering stops all the way off.

 

A couple of years ago I was in Virginia Beach with a good friend who at the time owned about 35 trucks under his own authority. We were still sitting in his vehicle talking about something I long forgot about. This driver came by and where we were it is very strange to see an 18-wheeler. The driver had missed his turn and was lost. After we caught up to him and actually looked at his bills I knew where he screwed up and my friend to him follow me I will take you to the exact spot you are looking for. The driver demurred and said I can't do that. Then proceeded to rip a fairing off his truck doing a 180 in a parking lot and also ripped down some overhead wires. My friend and I just looked at each other and left. Somewhere in my archive, I have the video of that day. YES, I sent that video to his safety dept.

 

Im crapish at backing, how far over 90 degrees do i need to be to bend my fairings? Hint, its quite a ways, ive been cut so far trying to turn around before that i could see my trailer tturn signals by looking straight out the window, not the mirrors




As near as i can guestimate, ive got to be close to 135 degrees (45 over 90) before i need to worry about it, but at 90 im already playing with my air lines to make sure they dont snap or snap gladhands... far cheaper than a fairing, but much more annoying to mess with when youre dead in the water.



At this point, going forward (straightening) means your trailer goes backwards, and vice versa, its an unpleasant experience

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Not to mention one of these parked at the end spot where you are trying to get around the corner of a building.

 

A. Jackknifing the truck into the trailer (being unaware) and Also A: Not having any idea that you're way over 90 degrees with the tractor/ trailer. There are companies that put markings on their trailers to alert the drivers that they are at or near 90 degrees.. marking the trailers is a lot cheaper that replacing the fairings and repairing the damaged cabs. Most are plastic bracketed, but I've seen then them ripped out anchors and all...