First winter, do I idle in -13 degree weather?

Don't be alarmed, I don't think "Alex" understood. I've had where the trailer will roll but as soon as the brakes are applied, the 4 way valve freezes, and that's it. Problem there is, you put alcohol down the lines, but it's basically a closed system, so the alcohol sits in a low spot. If you could crack an air line on a brake, it might speed up the process, but not sure you are equipped for that, and again, it's why I never had my own trailer.

 

Well, I don't know about you, but most of us USE OUR EYES. "Hardcore" winter companies will often mark a white line on their trailer tire sidewalls (and a few drivers still do that themselves), but in the end, it's a visual check you ABSOLUTELY need to do every time you pick up a sitting trailer in the severe cold.

You can always spot a rookie in his first winter when you see a guy grinding a flat spot on a frozen spindle.....

 

Another little trick is once you know you’re shutting down for the night , use your Johnson bar ( trailer brake lever ) to dry off the trailer brakes before setting them , just a little heat for a couple hundred yds will get the pads dry so they don’t freeze up.

 

And if you have to stop the engine for any length of time, drain the air tanks. Tractor first, then trailer (to get the moisture out) then charge them back up to release the trailer brakes. Then cut the engine off and drain the air tanks again on the tractor.

 

Theres alot of tricks to learn , ill bet cdl school covers them all . Am i right ? Lol

 

CDL school barely teaches you to go around a curve or back a trailer. You learn 95% of this job at your first employer. In the past you would spendcat least 2 months riding/living with an experienced driver. These days the trainer is just another driver who hasn't wrecked a truck in 90 days.