Remember to check your kingpin!

Funny back in the days I was hooked to many different trailers and just did the tug test. Boss was a jerk and allowed no time for pre check. Always yelling at you to get out and go.

 

I’m super paranoid about my locking jaws around the king pin. I check it every hook and every time I stop for anything. I’m very thorough with my pre-trip as well. Going into my 3rd week as a trucker and I have already seen 2 dropped trailers. 1 was in a truck stop and the other was in Memphis right before the bridge northbound. That’s not ever going to be me! The one in Memphis was an intermodal.

 

If you park with some "pulling" pressure between the trailer and tractor, you can prevent someone except Hulk or Thor, from pulling your handle when you sleep or are out of the truck.

Back into a spot, set trailer valve, drive tractor forward (like doing a tug test), while pulling forward step on tractor brake pedal and set the tractor brakes. You now have pressure on the 5th wheel jaws and that pressure prevents a normal person from pulling your 5th wheel handle out.

 

Yeah I do that every time I park it's a good habit.

 

Actually, don't apply the brakes before pulling the valve.

 

Learned it back in the 80’s at Hunts Point. Use to be bad there for unlocking fifth wheels.