tips & ideas to get the hood up?

I'm a small person, and I guess a weakling. I didn't have trouble with the trucks when I was at school, mostly newer model trucks.
At my job, they have all macks, older models, and I'm not able to get the hood up by myself. Sometimes fenders full of mud & dirt, but not always. The guys who were willing to help me got laid off. Could use any tips or ideas on how to get the hood up by myself for pre-tripping the truck.

 

Is there those air inlet holes in the bumer where you can put in a foot to step up higher? I'm only 5'7", and when I weighed less than I do now, I had trouble getting some hoods open. That's all that worked for me.

 

One good way without having to open it from the front is undo both latches if it has latches, and grab the hood from the side above the drivers wheel and push straight up. I found it pretty simple on a freightliner century i was driving for many years. I barely ever opened it from the front. Pushing it up from the side gives you more leverage. Just make sure no ones standing around it so you dont smack anyone with the hood as you're opening it.

--Anthony

 

I can't get it to budge at all trying from the front. Tried using all my body weight, all it does is wiggle a little.
I've tried pushing up from side, I'm 5'7'', and can only get it lifted to shoulder height, but can't get it pushed on up.

 

Dang, that must be a heavy hood if you can't get it to budge with either method!

 

Rather than the grabbing it from above the wheel, grab it from the bottom of the fender BEHIND the wheel down by the mud flap. You will have better leverage and more lift.

 

....your doing it wrong.

 

I would think a foot in the bumper hole would do the trick...

 

Always did for me, and I'm only 5'2" and weighed about 105 lbs soaking wet when I drove.

 

I know our newer Pete's dont have that single large hole in the front bumper, which I thought was stupid...until I tried to pull the hood and realized it had air assist lift shocks that really made it a breeze. Perhaps (if you are assigned one truck) the company could look into installing those for you? I can pull the hood of a new 388 standing on the ground with one arm.