That 5th Wheel

He had a high hook..the locking jaw was not in the groove of the King pin...lazy driver didn't inspect,,,if he tugged he got fooled,,,....the old saying always applies,,," it's not a hook until you look "

yes driver ver was lucky to only drop it on the frame...

 

2nd this ^^^^^^ lazy , in a hurry , whatever the reason..you never just do a tug test...always GOAL ( visually check ) that connection , then give it a good tug just to be sure.

 

Which is why, even in the brightest of all sunny days, I still use my flashlight to check the 5th wheel. The time when someone stops checking or assumes everything is ok, is the day something terrible could happen.

 

Great question!

 

My son just told & showed me a picture of a T/T that dropped his trailer around ext4 on I95 just before the NY line.
It pined a SUV up on the jersey barer. Don't know more than that.

After seeing a few dropped trailers at school and reading on here of doing 2 tugs and looking I got in the habit of checking the release lever before I get in a truck and when doing a hook tug 2 times. When doing my state test I tugged twice and told him so just to make sure it was latched.
I also get out and look for the 4L's = no Light, release Lever secured, Locking jaw locked, Landing gear up all the way and handle secured.
Dave ----

 

high centered trailers...ugh, i've done that once or twice while dropnhookn. you'd think i'd learn after the first time of having to hand crank 48,000 pounds of sand up 2 inches.

 

When I worked for KNIGHT they had a trailer in their yard in Phoenix that was literally broken in-two due to a drop. I don't know if they just had it on display for the drivers to see, or if they were fighting with insurance on it, but it sat there for months.

 

A couple weeks ago at trans cont,they're affliated with Tyson.Anyway Ray watched it unfold.Guy hooks up leaves and his trailer dropped right on the RRtracks.Took awhile to get that trailer lifted and off the tracks.Ray didn't mind because he wanted a short day anyway.But never be in that much of a hurry.Do the tug test and physically get under the trailer to make sure the jaws are locked.Once you get back in the truck a second tug test doesn't hurt either.

 

^^^^^^^^^This.