Cheap tricks we forget to pass on...

In heavy winds, always park with the truck FACING the wind. If you park with it to your tail, it will grab your doors when you open them and either spring them, or else it will pull you out of the truck if you decide to hold onto them.

 

If your truck has air dumps for the rear suspension it makes it easier to adjust the fifth wheel. Lower the trailer landing gear, dump the air, release the fifth wheel slide, and then adjust fifth wheel. It's a lot easier than keeping the weight on the fifth wheel, and jamming the fifth wheel back and forth hoping to get it in the right place. I don't know if it also works just using the landing gear to take the weight off.

Some random trucker at the Iowa 80 was nice enough to show me that.

Edit: Ofcourse you'll still set your trailer brakes, or you might drag your landing gear.

 

When I do my pre trip planning, I use several things for navigation instead of relying on just one source. Road Atlas, GPS, shiipper or receiver directions, Google Maps / Earth and finally, every visual cue I can access when I start getting close to the destination. The old CB has been a great help getting info from other drivers as well.

So far, except for one time (And sure, there will be more, no doubt) never wound up mis-routed. And that was their old warehouse address I was given, which wound up being across the street at their new location. The new location still didn't have any signage up regarding deliveries or company name.

Google Earth comes in extremely handy looking at a location I've never been to before regarding approach, access, entry, physical layout and just verifying something close to what I'm looking for or heading to, is actually there on the ground where it's supposed to be, rather than winding up on a wild goose chase.

I do the same when it comes to finding a location when I know my hours will just about be out and contingencies in case I go overtime at a warehouse so I have options on where to park, rather than go into emergency mode at the end of the day with 15 minutes left and no place to park.

For me, it's just a little more piece of mind using a combination of things and tools rather than just one source to stack the deck in my favor and keep me out of a jam ahead of time.

 

GOOGLE EARTH is a huge asset especially if you never been there before. I use it to see if there is over night parking and how the docks need to be approached. Five minutes on google earth has saved me a few headaches.

 

glad hands that are hard to get on or dont seal properly, just spit on the rubber, and they go together lickety split, and seal well.

as for trailer axle slides, I used to use dish soap to lube the slides. It lubes the boogies and washed away in the rain.

 

Quick way to adjust your tandems at 40 feet on non marked 53' trailers is to measure 10' from the tail of the trlr

 

Please, for the love of god, we dim our lights to the off position, not the high beam position when alerting passing drivers. For those that are "high beaming" passing drivers doesn't it strike you questionable when you pass another driver and they then blind you with their high beams the exact same moment you are looking straight into your mirror to move over?

Its like looking into a camera flash and then trying to navigate down the road at 75mph! PLEASE STOP THIS!!! I know we have newbies training newbies now and a lot of good info slips through the cracks but this has got to be a no brainer!

If your lights do not dim or shut all the way off (which I find hard to believe, even the trucks with daytime running lights will momentarily shut off if you hit the switch) then you may signal with your running lights. If all else fails, DO NOT DO ANYTHING RATHER THAN BLIND SOMEONE WHILE THEY ARE DRIVING!

On a side note while on the subject of lights; when you pull into a truck stop or rest stop you kill your lights. Newbies are easily spotted in these places. They are the ones with their lights on in the parking lots. Also, when pulling into a scale you kill your lights.

Cmon guys, lets stop driving around like a bunch of fresh graduates from the Mill! Use some common sense out there and above all some good ol' professional driver courtesy....

 

How do you use Google Earth to distinguish if overnight parking is available?

 

When opening trl swing doors use BOTH hands on the door, and NEVER EVER slip your fingers into the D-ring! I slipped on some ice once when opening the and darn near ripped my little finger off!

How the're hanging? I mean the trl brake lines, make sure you knock the winter slush off them or they'll drag on the road!

Keep some rubber bungies on board all the time. Used for holding up brake lines,open doors,fuel nozzels ect