This is what happens when you don't pretrip the truck!

I dropped a 35' van one day. It was a terrible experience. It was the first day of a big snow storm and my 5th wheel was exposed to it (not under a trailer over night). That morning I brushed it off with my snow brush, got under the trailer and tugged the $@#% out of it. I knew (or thought I knew) it was on because the brakes where frozen and I drug it for 5 feet on dry asphalt. I got out and got my brakes to release and got back in the truck. I didn't get under and look at the jaws. I thought I was sure. I got on the street drove 2 blocks took a left drove 2 more blocks and came to a stop light. I began to take off and felt this terrible hoppy jumpy vibration and before I knew it I heard the a huge bang and my air pouring out of the tractor. It was a terrible feeling. I tore a line but that was it. While I was cranking it up MTDOT pulled up right behind me. I told him how I tugged and this and that and he said it happens a lot in the winter when it's extremely cold and the grease isn't as effective as when it's warm. It makes sense to me. He gave me a warning and that was it. I continued on with my work day and after I worked my 14 hours (at yrc reddaway) i was brought into the office and suspended. I quit the next day and started fresh at another company. Been gravy ever since and I ALWAYS, ALWAYS CRAWL UNDER AND CHECK NOW. ALWAYS. I was happy to learn a life lesson without killing anybody or doing any serious damage. It still sucked though.

 

I'll bet that never happens to you again. I bet you'll get under there with a birchwood torch before you pull out in the blind again. Congratulations on dodging the bullet on that one. You're right, could've been much worse. I don't have luck like that. I would've come unhooked right in front of the company brass during the safety parade.

 

just to give everyone something to use to soften up the grease on the jaws and plate...........carry a can of panther piss, such as wd40, to spray on the jaws when it starts getting down in the temps.

 

PB blaster is a superior product.

 

I puckered a little bit just reading your post. Had it have been me, I would have been changing all of my lower garments.

 

Someone did something similar in Owensboro, KY this week...trailer was blocking the eastbound US60 lanes just west of where the bypass meets back up with the main highway on the east side of town.

 

Who would have thought that a non rookie,non newbie,non swift/werner/anyother training company driver,driver with 17 years experience could have done that.

 

Veteran drivers make mistakes too, it is just we are normally smart enough to keep our mouths shut!

I figured I would tell my story so that maybe someone reading it doesn't make the same mistake I did. (Also may have something to do with the fact that I no longer work for that company and they cant punish me.)

 

I'm still totally green, only been driving the big trucks for about 4 months now...and I dropped a trailer my first week. I was doing a bit of shunting, pulling empties from the yard and putting them in doors. I slid under the trailer, heard the nice comforting 'click', hooked up the airlines and started rolling. Got about twenty feet before I heard the loud 'WHAM'!

I was very lucky that the trailer was empty, so it was easy to dolly it back up, and I was also lucky that it was the weekend, and very quiet in our yard because nobody saw me

You can bet I get under and have a good look _every time_ now....

 

been there, done that, have the wrecker bill to prove it!