jumped the fifth wheel

Tug tests are fine, as long as the landing gear is slightly off the ground. Even touching the ground, as long as the legs have almost all the weight off of them. That way the legs can move a little along the ground, and not take the sideways force. Trailer landing gear are very strong vertically, but not built to take a lot of excess side-to-side stress.

Some guys I see do not "tug" either. They act like they are coming out of the hole at the drag strip. Those are the guys who I don't let near any trailers I use.

 

Yep, did in 79 or 80. Impress the girl friend. No air bags then. Did it again in 200? too tired to be playing tag. Hook up go to bed. Western Star has a higher frame than a Freightliner. Crank it up high enough, look around & hope no one saw you. Tech Tip! Make sure the jaws are locked! 99.9 % they are, Don't loose a trailer. Make sure.

 

nice idea

After this thread I got out before getting under the trailer and I looked, also did the eye check which I normally only do 2 tugs, both trailers were cranked up way above my 5th wheel plate, maybe someone saw this thread and is now messing with landing gears

 

Just because you don't have to get out and look to see if you are at the right height does not mean you are lazy

 

I'll remember that the next time I see the captain not get out and look during his preflight inspection...

 

How many planes hook up to trailers?

Mikeeee

 

Make sure the trailer height is right

listen for a solid jaw clank

tug test

crawl under the trailer with a flashlight and check the jaws

Is what I do...

Mikeeee

Oh wait. Then add the slow rolling trailer brake test!

 

You do that. And next time you see the captain hooking up to a trailer with his bird call me up cuz I would like to witness it. All I'm saying is just because someone does not do it "your way" does not make them lazy. Most times I don't have to look to see if the trailer is too high because I haul between 10 and 20 trailers in a day and I can tell by where my tires are in relation to the front of the trailer or chassis. You can also feel the plate when it touches the front of the trailer or the bolster of the can and see where the front of them are in relation to a certain point on your truck. If you can't feel it or tell by looking then by all means get out and check to see if it's at the right height or not, which I have had to do 100's of times.

 

The point is that having a secure trailer connection is a fundamental responsibility of any trucker, just as the fundamental responsibility of any airline pilot is to do a proper physical inspection of his plane before getting in the ####pit. If either step is skipped you are endangering not only the equipment and the cargo, you are endangering the lives of anyone that is in, on, or near your transport conveyance.

Perhaps another way to look at this is to wish that your dearest loved ones would drive next to a truck that took the same care you took with your truck and your trailer connection. If that means that your wife, mother, daughter, or granddaughter were to be in a vehicle next to or behind a truck that was hooked up in a cavalier manner, would that make you angry? It would sure make me angry.