Rotator Cuff Injury from Fifth Wheel release

Be sure to rehab that injury. If you don’t strengthen what’s injured, it will return.

Luck in battle.

 

What’s done is done, but you shouldn’t have to jerk on the handle to release your 5th wheel. Keep the jaws greased and when you’re dropping a trailer back up against the pin after setting the trailer brakes to take the pressure off the jaws.

 

It's not an unsafe procedure.

It's a lack of maintenance on the truck and your body.

 

The two primary injuries a trucker can have are shoulder and back problems. Most of the other things are caused by slipping and things like falling out of a truck. With my comment, I am not saying every time you get a hangnail to call the company. However, if you yank on something and have pain something has happened. If that pain continues you most likely have damaged something. Report this and get treated. Most rotator cuff surgery is done with a scope and the recovery period is not that long. You can continue to drive pre-surgery and most ortho docs will inject cortisone if you can handle it. I existed for almost 2 years getting those shots about every 4 months, so much in fact that my eGFR levels now show mild kidney damage. Do you have pain? report it!

 

This is very common.Take time and heal proper.

 

I tore my rotator cuff in both shoulders before becoming a driver so my range and shoulder strength was already limited. The first thing I did was buy a puller handle and never had a problem. Plus you don't accidentally get grease on your arm reaching under the trailer when using the hook.

Met my cousin down in Texas last night for dinner and he wanted to see the inside of my truck and climbed up the passenger side. When getting down he fell hard and I felt really bad for him. Didn't hit his head on the ground, but he got banged up pretty good. These things are dangerous.

 

I’ve been having trouble for a while, with waking up with a locked shoulder. A few months back, tore it good, taking a dryer to the basement. Learned all about it. Serious stuff, my Cousin just had both rotated operated on, waiting too long can make the bone soft, causing a more serious operation. Luckily mine healed up, slowly over 6 weeks or more. The exercises shown to Me seemed rediculous, picked one, adapted to Truck, holding the wheel and pushing together, like you’re clamping onto it. Seems to help. Glad it healed up, very painful, could barely lift arm a little. I’m told it’s a 4 week recovery, from surgery, can’t afford that.You should report it, in case you need therapy or surgery, in the future.

 

You really gotta be careful pulling those fifth wheels. A buddy of mine was pulling his and he slipped on the ice and tore his shoulder up real bad. Went through workers comp and they did a surgery but they rushed the physical therapy and he tore it again. If you tear your shoulder after a surgery like that, they can't fix it. You're done. Now he can't drive, can't lift his arm above his shoulder, and has all kinds of nerve damage as a result. He's got a lawsuit against workers comp, but it takes a year just to get a court appointment.

A 5th wheel puller is in my opinion a must-have tool. Even if the 5th wheel mechanism is well-greased and properly serviced, it's still an awkward position to put your body into when you're bending over extending your arm like that. Especially when the ground is slick from ice or oil. You can also use a sturdy crow bar which is a useful tool to have in your toolbox for pulling nails out of trailer floors and other such things.

Alot of injuries like this can be avoided simply by maintaining a daily stretching/calisthenics routine. You don't need a gym out there on the road to keep your body in decent shape.

 

yeah man, you gotta get or make your own puller. I made one out of 3/8" rebar, nice and long to not only trip the jaws but to be able to push or pull chains and straps underneath cribbed loads.

another unexpected injury I received was tennis elbow from repeatedly tightening and loosening ratchet boomers. elbow started hurting, never went to get it checked out until it was almost unbearable. doc says "you've got tennis elbow" I say "I've never played tennis in my life"...he laughed.