Dropping and hooking trailer do's and dont's.

Depending on how cold it is, you might double pull the pin 6 or 8x before the grease gets loose enough for the jaws to stay open...LoL

 

Here’s my technique after life lessons.


I slowly back under trailer, if I don’t feel the trailer going up after seeing my axles underneath it I back out, jump out and lower trailer, then repeat step 1.

Dropping it is simple.


crank landing gear down until it’s almost touching the ground and slowly drive away lowering the trailer about 1-2 inches in the process.

simply knowing your rig helps with this.


And for my rig if my handle is stuck I just raise the trailer until I see daylight between the 5th and trailer and it releases. No banging needed.

 

Funny you brought this up today, I started slip seating with another driver last week. He’s a straight up steering wheel holder & does everything wrong, luckily I’m back with regular driver in 2 weeks. 2:30 this morning I take off kingpin lock & glandhand lock & think to myself. That sure looks high !! It was, just like last several times with this moron. Friday afternoon he might have to put blocks under tires to hook up to trailer.

 

No. One of them I watched do it as he was dropping the loaded trailer in the yard.
He made it a point to get out and extend the landing gear another 6-8 inches.
These were 40k loads of wood chips at a place on the coast in CA, just north of the Bay Area.

 

Yep & if there a repeat offender I’ll chalk inside tires

 

must be a Must be one of steering wheel holders yard jockey edition.

 

Another no-no: hooking up from an angle. Plant operators will tell you to do it. Mechanics at your own yard will tell you to do it. No. No. No. Always align your truck with trailer then back up under it. There's something else in front of trl? Well, it needs to be moved before you can hook up. I don't care who yells at me to "just back sideways, we always do it". Not happening.

 

What will happen if u hit it at an angle. I heard its bad but always been curious what happens

 

yep, was taught the same pal/lap. They told me to think of my own names for it but I gave up after a few minutes.

 

Trailer can tip over, sideways. There's also possible damage to fifth wheel. It's just not design for that approach.