Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

I was really struggling to get my trailer tandems to slide this morning. I couldn’t figure out why the pins weren’t retracting all the way...until someone told me the trailer needs air pressure first. I can’t believe I never realized that before. I guess every time I’ve had a 48’ trailer before today, the tandems were already all the way forward or I had released the brakes to pull it out of the parking spot first.

 

It was only the front part, but I misted some glysophate so he won't be having grass anytime soon.

 

Had a great day yesterday. Backed into the dock at my 4th stop.
Set the tractor brakes, get out, walk 10ft and then the trailer brakes set. When the main air line popped at the 3 way fitting on the tandem pin release button.
Got the button pushed in stopping the air dump. Unloaded and then electrical taped the unit back together enough to get out of the dock.
Told the customer what happened and they were cool with me leaving the trailer at the outer most part of their parking lot.
2 hrs. later after chasing back and forth to this store and that. I finally got the new fitting and wrenches to fix it and get back on the road. Had to move 3 of my stops from yesterday to today. But everyone was cool.

 

The other reason you probably haven’t noticed it, was because someone recently had it before you and there is some leftover air in there. I’ve noticed that if I hook up to a trailer that was dropped the previous night, the pins will release. But hooking to a trl on Monday from Friday night, I have to let the air build up on the trailer before I cut the air off and release the pins.

Don’t beat yourself up over it, I’ve caught a couple guys at our yard struggling to get pins released and this is the reason why usually.

 

I guess our trailers aren’t all that great then, because they aren’t sitting for longer than 6 hours before I pick it up. This one had just been dropped off right in front of me.

At least I can laugh about it now that I know what to do instead of sitting there trying to rock the pins loose.

 

This will also make it hard to move the tandems.