Made stupid mistake. Need help.

Maybe it's not your job to fix it, but it is your job to write it up, and if necessary to red tag it. I just can't believe the number of drivers who will dump a trailer, knowing it has problems, but don't bother to do the appropriate reporting. Just let the next driver take care of it is such a self centered, juvenile attitude...

 

Move the signal lights on the right side of the trailer to the left side and vice versa.

 

Yes, I not only wrote things up I sometimes went to the shops and got red tags and gladhand locks. One of the biggest things that peeved me off was drivers that would drop a trailer with a bad reefer and if I was not on my game I would back under one with a bad reefer and not see it till I was sometimes already loaded.

 

I agree with most of this... I'll do what I can, and if I can't... well there's a reason I'm not a mechanic.
I've also been know to gank little things from other trailers in the yard if I didn't have them on me... like license plate illuminators.
So, you might be bad, but I'm probably worse. *shrug*

 

I have a stack of out of service stickers and red tags. It was bigger, but I used them.

Today, I had to change out 3 gaskets on the glad hands..... :/

 

Kinda the same thing...
Was watching ice rd truckers few years back and one of the guys couldnt get the trailer brakes to release. Glad hands were crossed.

 

On the flip side, I red taged the trailer I just dropped at our yard in okc for tires. Just after I botail to the bobtail area, dude hooks up to it yanks the tag off and out the gate he went. Some people just don't care. About 10 min later I see the yards road side pick up leave with some fresh rubber and turn the same way the truck went lol

 

Heck many of the drivers I know have to steal an ink pin and a flashlight to get through the night, every night.

 

Develop a habit or pattern for dropping and one for hooking and never ever do it different. If your are interrupted, start over like you haven't done any of the steps. At first my habit when hooking was to get out of truck, and work from tractor toward the back, airlines, 5th wheel check, landing gear, trailer side, tandem tires, tandem pins, doors, rear lights, etc. Then I had a few instances of getting in a hurry and not raising landing gear, or when dropping not lowering landing gear and dropping the trailer. So I now start at the landing gear first, do airlines, and make one full trip across front of tractor, down the passenger side, trailer rear, driver side, look at landing gear again, view my airlines and 5th wheel and get back in truck. The key is ALWAYS do your pattern, ALWAYS.

In bad weather it's easy to rush through your pattern or skip it. That's why I have full rain gear so I can slowly walk through my procedure in a howling monsoon, rather than try to steal a trash bag and sprint from here to there before I get soaked.

 

Rain is just a free shower.