Do your tug test!!!!

I have gotten myself into the habbit of always checking at least the latch handle and landing gear. Always do a tug and look at the kingpin when first hooking up though. Wouldn't think of moving till I do

 

I don't hate swift either. I started my career with them. I think they are actually a good company with just a few aholes in the wrong positions that made MY time with them horrible.

 

A tug test comes natural once you've been doing it for awhile. I "most" always do a visual check to make sure the jaw has wrapped as well. This is all done before any lines are connected.

I learned on my own trailer, it tugged but wasn't latched. Pulled away and it started coming off the 5th plate. Luckily I could extend the landing gear and start over. Talk about embarrassing! No matter what, I always watch the trailer as I pull away after a hook... even after doing the tug and visual check.

 

Good Idea to look

 

Dropping a trailer is one of my biggest fears out here. There is no excuse for it, and a huge problem to clean up.

When I was with swift a guy next to me dropped his. (yes another swift driver) He didn't hurt anything. But it was a pain. Freezing rain and we were out there trying to crank it back up. After and hour or so a man walks up and says "yall want me to get a forklift" "noooooo we like doing this thanks"

 

Same here. I had one end up on the tractor frame rails... no damage to either, ego survived since it was a deserted trailer yard. Backed in, thought I heard the usual "snick" of the jaws closing, did a tug test, felt good. Started pulling away slowly... BANG! Just dropped straight down.

Since then I ALWAYS get my head under the trailer and make sure the jaw is secure, and the handle is fully retracted. I do that before pulling away from a parking spot too... can't be too careful. Call me DCO, er... COD... er, OCD!

 

while TNT trainer had on drop. He did the tug and all. luckly no damage and we were able to crank it up. two hook ups later we did the visual and all looked good. went to tug and NOPE. Then the message came about his 5th wheel being in a recall.

 

If you're that paranoid, do you check your tandems also? I've seen a few dudes get their levers pulled while parked. Most times you won't know it's pulled until you're rumblin down the road and hit the brakes...woops, there goes the tandems....I've seen quite a few combos on the side of the road heading down to Laredo in three peices...truck, trailer, tandems.

Whenever I did a walkaround, I would check my pin lever and my tandem lever to make sure they are both locked, then also tug to make sure the pins on the tandems are completely locked in place...

 

I have yet to drop a trailer, BUT I can't say I'm clear of all rookie boo-boos. After several years of driving combo, (no longer a rookie), I forgot to disconnect my lines. Luckily the red line slipped out of the holder without cutting the line, so all that was needed was to put it back in (a little further up, granted, since it was about 3 feet longer lol).

Point is, don't ever be afraid/embarrassed/lazy to get out of the truck and look at anything:kingpin, tandems, air lines, yadda yadda. 30 seconds of looking is a lot quicker than hours of fixing.