why do you SNI drivers keep dropping your trailers so low?

We dont have a dump suspension...we crank until the pads touch...period. thats the way they want it done...it prevents high hooking which as you know is a pain to undo and most will bend a wing....Im an IC with them and thought it was crazzy crack when I started but now like it alot how there dropped...plus all the trailers have that 6th wheel ratchet handle...


Be Safe Out There

Captain Dave

 

i just recently signed up for ga pacific account with sni, did u ever run the account? i would be out of rincon ga, is it worth it, what are the actual miles per week on average?

 

Im a IC was never a schneider company driver...but theres lots of forums on here that I am sure you can ask. I love being an IC...dont love given schneider 75 to 100k a year for there cut...but...


Be Safe Out There

Captain Dave

 

I drive an Ottawa. SNI usually aint got that problem over here.

 

@Jabber1990
Thought you drive for Indian River Transport.

 

I am a SNI company driver and going to convert to IC as soon as I can. I have to ask the same question about trailer heights. One thing I found is there are a lot of lazy drivers. And ICs too. If an IC truck is running 24.5 wheels (which I've seen) rather than 22.5 wheels, The trailer will be higher than normal as soon as the pads touch the surface. I've seen drivers crank the gear extra revs like they were prepping to slide the 5th wheel rather that uncoupling.

I have a newer SNI tractor with dumps and load transfer settings and can sometime still be a pain in the ### - especially when the gear and crank are maintained so well.

A worse problem I see is drivers that report a trailer as not having defects when one may.Too lazy and will leave for the next driver to deal with. I report those occurrences, but frankly I doubt anything comes of it.

 

ROFLMAO ...It does happen...or the gears get crunched...

 

It's almost company policy for them to be this low. They're teaching us in orientation to crank a trailer down until it's 1/2 of the way on the ramp when it hits. Seems insanely low but with 100% guaranteed termination if you high hook.. I'll bust up their tractors all day. And like said before, there's no way to dump suspension.

 

Keep in mind as your shown the process during orientation/training that your trainer also suggests that you'll find ways that work for you once you're driving. During training you'll not learn using suspension loading/unloading as the majority of the fleet is without. Newer trucks (late 2015 up) are so equipped - Cascadias and the new KW T-680s currently coming into the fleet.

Not understanding your comment "It's almost company policy for them to be this low." What does almost mean? They don't teach you to crank a trailer down... they teach you to bring a trailer to the halfway-point of the ramp by sighting along the bottom rail of the trailer while standing at the landing gear. Keep in mind that during training that trucks and trailers Once you start driving, you'll often encounter trailers that need to be raised to the instructed height.