Screwed by bad yard spotter?

What i've always done when trailers are so close is move the trailer up a few feet then raise the landing gear I've never damaged it.

 

Can't do that when the trailer is too high.

 

That's true I forgot he did say that.I've never had that problem its either one or the other.

 

It's not as big a problem as it used to be. Years ago, we had big and small rubber and high and low 5th wheels, depending on the trailer you pulled, and it was standard procedure to "get out and look" before hooking. On tight situations, if the wagon was empty, I'd hook up the air lines and drag it out. Loaded, yeah, you'll have to get under there. Didn't tell you THAT in school, I bet.

 

In addition to problems of tall versus short rubber, there's the problem of uneven yards. The worst are dirt lots, with huge potholes. Even paved lots get pretty banged up.

The driver that dropped the trailer could have done it perfectly, with the landing gear hovering about an inch above the ground. Unfortunately he had to drop in a position where the landing gear had to extend down to be close to the ground.

Yard spotters don't mess with the landing gear, they simply hook that trailer and put it in the dock "as is". After it's loaded they spot the trailer somewhere else in the yard. But instead of a pothole the landing gear could actually be on high ground and when you try to back under it your drives are in a pothole.

The OP was unfortunately in a situation where it was impossible to turn the landing gear crank. At that point you have to wait for a spotter to pull it forward.

 

I was looking at those photo's. This is more normal then I would care to admit where space is at a premium. This is something you had better get used to if you plan to stay in General OTR trucking doing drop and hooks. I remember one night in Pa trying to do a back trying to drop an empty no room on either side of the trailer took me close to 30 minutes I guess to get that empty parked. It is just the nature of the beast I guess. That night actually started the process of my retirement. Within a year I would be fully retired.

 

I know this is an old post.... maybe he should deliver it while he’s at it.... ### clown.... talking like a dispatcher...