forgetting to lowering landing gear...

At least you didnt drop it on the road or in a truck stop...

 

OP...you ain't the first and you wont be the last including me !
It is an eye opener tho lol.
Welcome !

 

I wouldn't sweat it OP. I see this once every couple weeks on the NJ Turnpike. At least I get to watch a nice light show in the middle of the night.
EDIT: I'm dumb. Thought you left the gear down.

 

It happens regularly at the company I work for. They consider it an accident. The last incident I know of the driver was not fired. But they did suspend him for a few days. That guy has been a driver for 17 years now.

 

Companies vary greatly on this occurrence. The key is make sure you change your habit so you never do this again. Don't just feel stupid and say "I'm gonna be more careful." I suggest your trailer dropping procedure becomes start at the back of the trailer and do stuff miving toward the tractor. For example, place wheel chocks (if required), lower landing gear, pull 5th wheel release, disconnect lines, pull away. If ANYTHING interrupts your procedure start over and do/ confirm your steps in order.

I've done it several times. The times I've almost done it in recent years was when I was in a hurry and didn't take my own advice above. Do it the same way every time.

 

Dam, I misread it too! Hahaha.

 

My Schneider training has served me well for 16 years.

Hooking: PAL. Pin, airlines, landing gear.
Dropping: LAP. Landing gear, airlines, pin.

If something distracts me, I start from the beginning and make sure I know where I'm at in the process.

 

PAL is missing to use a flash light to look for a closed 5th wheel jaw.

 

That's covered by P. Pin is not only hooking, but visual inspection.

 

I have no brains as a trucker, I do not multitask or recall any assigned or necessary professional aspects of the trailer operations.

If you want the job done right leave me alone until it's finish, do not interrupt me or I will forget everything and we will have a BIG problem if you continue to pester me about the precious shipper load information.

I had a district boss on my shirt one morning before dawn. He would not stop asking me questions as we picked a trailer to hookup and go deliver to resturants. Its unfortunate.

It was empty. Clean as a whistle. A total screw up. I knew it was empty when that tractor ran a particular pull really well in top gear. But they had to prove it in public at stop number one.

When I get interrupted in a routine, I start over completely. I tell dispatchers or bosses to back off leave me be, or we are never going to leave today or have a accident right here.

I am glad I did not become trapped in a OCD world. After I just checked that faucet for the 100th time tonight before bed. Ugh.