tug test

I am officially done with the tug test. One of our (veteran driver) guys was pulling doubles and dumped a trailer from his con gear. He lost his back trailer ...on the interstate. His con had a Holland fifth wheel. From now on, I get underneath the trailer with flashlight and visually inspect everything.

 

Yep, after you roll up your gear get in the habit of crawling under there and visually check it is locked. Too many drivers mess up the pull handle with a missed back up and bend the pull handle. With a bent rod it might close most of the way but doesn't lock. Not only looking at the jaws you will get use to the pull handle position.

Too many yahoo's drop damaged trailers. Let someone else worry about it. I got to go go gooooooo! That's the wrong attitude to carry. If everyone done their job things would go a lot smoother.

If you can pull the trailer then find a shop. DOT regulations allow you to get to the nearest shop for something like that. Most likely your company doesn't want you adjusting brakes. You are not qualified to adjust them even though you are taught how. But you are qualified to inspect them. Use a little common sense. If you have to tug hard to get it to roll I might make the load #1 priority especially if I'm pointed towards the terminal. Then turn it in when I get there. If it easily rolls than you better find a shop.

Something I've always done is call the TA shop ahead of time and get on their waiting list. Tell them you are on your way. That will save you some time.

 

Where I drive we don't typically chock the wheels on the trailer when it's dropped. We also drop the trailer, if it's empty, with the landing gear slightly raised (about an inch) so trucks with different fifth wheel heights have an easier time getting under the trailer. I've done it with an aluminum flatbed before. We're not talking a violent drag, just an inch or two. That was on a dirt lot, as well, so, a little less traction than pavement.

 

I dont know if alot of you know this, I sure didnt when it happened to me. The tug test may work for DOT and checking your brakes that way , but if you are a rock hauler or aggregate hauler going in and out of rock pits , it wont work by MSHA standards. I was in a tandem in one of our pits when a MSHA inspector was doing his round...he stopped me and asked for a brake test. I said sure lets do it. Instead of a tug test , he had me pull on a ramp that goes to our screen , get half way up and pull the brakes with a load on me. I rolled down the ramp. He said I failed the test and asked if I checked my brakes. I explained to him the tug test and that's how I do it , he said it dont work that way for their standards , we got a huge fine for it to. Just a heads up..

 

You shouldn't be doing a tug test with the gear on the ground anyway since you run the chance of damage the gear. Not saying you have to have it all the way up, just in case it does slip out of the kingpin, but it definitely shouldn't be touching the ground.

 

Usually when I get a tug test at the asian spa my body remains still.

 

The gear goes through more stress during loading and unloading. Just saying.

 

I would say the test is not performed correctly..

 

What does S.A.L.S.A. G.P.S. stand for in a truck tug test?

 

^^^THIS, your hand valve could be bad, but your trailer brakes could still be fine. Either way a mechanic should be notified. When I get in new trucks I start rolling and then use the trolley to stop to make sure the trailer brakes work "good". I'm not always in the same truck so I like to make sure.