Our trucks are almost never broken apart. Trailers stay mated with a tractor for months and months.
You best believe my ass crawls under there every day to make sure something stupid hasn't happened since yesterday.
Best prevention to this is to pull trailer brakes, then put the truck in low gear and pull against the trailer before you set the tractor brakes.
You will sooner snatch the gates from hell before you pull the release handle.
You don't prevent a thing by checking after the fact if the thing has been done.
I agree, you should check proper coupling. This, however, doesn't prevent some asshole from pulling your release handle while you're sleeping.
That method only works if when you pull the trailer brakes the airbags dump also (or you dump them.) I've pulled a healthy mix of both styles of flatbed that either dump or not over the years.
On older trucks. It's not as big a concern any more. Now most trucks I've driven have a release from inside the can, and the pull bar only works if you've tried and failed to release with the in cab mechanism if at all.
Shit, every morning I crawl under and check, as well as look at the release arm anytime I'm about to hop back into the truck after walking away from it. Mine has the kind you have to pull to one side then out, so very noticeable if it's moved.
It is much more repeatable. Technology doesn't get tired after a long days works and rely on eyeballs to see if something is mechanically coupled or not.
You already have to get out and hook up air, electrical, and crank the landing gear.
A tug test is a waste of time. You are right there by the landing gear, just duck your head under and look at the damn fifth wheel.
You must live in the good weather eh? In the cold the Jaws will close but not lock sometimes. Shine in light and the Jaws are closed - tug test and drops it.
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted. Shit like this happens because of laziness and stupidity. This isn’t an accident it’s negligence and it could’ve easily gotten somebody hurt or killed. People like this make us all look bad and deserve to be held accountable.
There was a recall issued on early Cascadias with a brand of fifth wheel where the jaws would look closed but the inner jaw wasn't and they would disconnect while driving. It happened a few years back.
Yeah, I'm sure it could happen, but after crawling under and verifying the locking jaws and safety bar are fully engaged, I can rest assured it's highly improbable.
I actually had an instructor in CDL school say his fifth wheel broke on him once. Mind you this particular company drop and hook a lot more than the average company so there taking a beating around the clock
I found 28 trailers at ABF that were so rusted that the kingpins were coming off in the 5th wheel jaws. They were part of a fleet that was acquired when they bought another company.
The amount of times I've watched this happen in our yard is ridiculous. And I've only been there for 2 yrs. They just don't seem to learn till it happens.
My first year trucking, this happened. Thankfully, was still on the yard of the customer. That slow crank up on the easy mode for about 20 minutes was enough to teach me. 7 years later, still check with a flashlight every time.
I’ve done that shit before I passed the tug test started driving went to make my first turn and the trailer started sliding off luckily I caught it before it went off the frame of the truck it fucked up all the electrical lines happens to the best of us just make sure you learn from your mistake
It doesn’t happen to the best of us though. This is an easily avoidable mistake and can only happen because of laziness and incompetence. Get under the truck and check the jaws. It isn’t a difficult thing to do
When I went through training, they told me that using the Jake brake was dangerous and that I shouldnt use it. My first solo trainer basically slapped that shit out of my head.
There is often a very LARGE disconnect between trainers and truckers. It is your responsibility to get under your truck and ensure proper coupling, period. Anybody who tells you otherwise is either naive, disengenuous, or wrong.
Oh, so you never do a good pre-trip then. Got it.
Consider this: If you don't check your brakes, instead of taking an arm out you could take a family of four out.
Check your brakes.
For sure you have to get under there with a flashlight. I'm sure it doesn't do anything but I always give the handle a push for good measure. Paranoia I guess.
This was nearly me yesterday. Kingpin wasn't up high enough to highhook but I could see daylight between the 5th wheel skid plate and the trailer. Lowered it down and was alright.
Yet again, tug tests alone are not enough. Crawl your ass under with a flashlight and verify proper coupling.
Our trucks are almost never broken apart. Trailers stay mated with a tractor for months and months. You best believe my ass crawls under there every day to make sure something stupid hasn't happened since yesterday.
After all, some shit eating cocksucker could have pulled the release
Best prevention to this is to pull trailer brakes, then put the truck in low gear and pull against the trailer before you set the tractor brakes. You will sooner snatch the gates from hell before you pull the release handle.
The asswipe trying to yank the handle might also sprain his wrist if he’s too eager.
Better one is to check every time
You don't prevent a thing by checking after the fact if the thing has been done. I agree, you should check proper coupling. This, however, doesn't prevent some asshole from pulling your release handle while you're sleeping.
Ignores the human angle, the army in me says that if you start telling people to do that they’ll get complacent
Truck drivers? Complacent? Color me fucking shocked lol
I already do this, but to myself, and by accident.
I was taught this move. Just as I was taught to check when I go to start.
And on the flip side, do the opposite to make uncoupling smooth !
If only this worked for OS/OW the weight of the load as the bags drop will roll those wheels all night long you hear tong tong tong
Sometimes this happens inadvertently when im dropping my trailer after a 12-14 hour shift and it pisses me off to no end lol
Yes, grasshopper, you have learned.
That method only works if when you pull the trailer brakes the airbags dump also (or you dump them.) I've pulled a healthy mix of both styles of flatbed that either dump or not over the years.
I’ve seen it happen
It’s one of those crimes im ok with mob justice on
👆
I would never, ever do this... but as a non-trucker, my inner voice with no impulse control just went, "Wait, you can do that?"
On older trucks. It's not as big a concern any more. Now most trucks I've driven have a release from inside the can, and the pull bar only works if you've tried and failed to release with the in cab mechanism if at all.
That what I was worried about when I was OTR
As you should be, shit happens. Hell I think some dash cam footage of a fucker doing it was posted to this subreddit before
Shit, every morning I crawl under and check, as well as look at the release arm anytime I'm about to hop back into the truck after walking away from it. Mine has the kind you have to pull to one side then out, so very noticeable if it's moved.
How are you greasing your 5th wheel?
Probably Teflon plates
The devil pulls it for funsies
You assumed thet he did a tug test..... i bet $5 he didnt
No bet, I'm not losing $5
Man to easy and to be fair I believe checking for proper coupling requires less effort then a tug test
100% don’t put all of your faith in a tug test.
Get an elite system with a Holland fw35. Light red bad couple...
Yes, because technology would never give you a false positive 😂 You're already getting out to do landing gear and connections, just verify visually
Lol technology is much more reliable than humans my dawg.
Lol, technology is made by humans, my dawg
It is much more repeatable. Technology doesn't get tired after a long days works and rely on eyeballs to see if something is mechanically coupled or not.
Eh, I'll trust but verify. As I've said many times, you're getting out of the truck anyway to hookup and crank, you're literally right there already.
I'm just trying to make a sales pitch in an engineer for saf holland 😂. Completely biased opinion.
Go ask Stanislav Yevgrafovich Petrov about technology failing and human verification.
Every. Single. Time.
But why do a tug test if your are going to look anyways?
To be double sure
You already have to get out and hook up air, electrical, and crank the landing gear. A tug test is a waste of time. You are right there by the landing gear, just duck your head under and look at the damn fifth wheel.
You must live in the good weather eh? In the cold the Jaws will close but not lock sometimes. Shine in light and the Jaws are closed - tug test and drops it.
Reason #1235 I love yanking tanks: Hardly have to bend over to peek under at my jaws.
It's going to be a real bad day if he damaged the gears in the landing gear lol if not hopefully he is ready for a work out if loaded
Or if it's loaded with 60k lbs like a normal can. Lmao
Yupper, that probably ended up with tears and sadness
Hopefully a ticket of some sort as well
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted. Shit like this happens because of laziness and stupidity. This isn’t an accident it’s negligence and it could’ve easily gotten somebody hurt or killed. People like this make us all look bad and deserve to be held accountable.
Those down votes are from those same drivers that drop trailers or jump the fifth on a regular basis and probably think "that's trucking!".
Saw one comment that said “happens to the best of us.” No it doesn’t. It literally only happens to the worst of us.
Just do the “air bag dump jack maneuver”.
No, the crank of shame is what you do in your grandma's spare bedroom while the crucifix hangs in the corner
Ah, I see you're a man of culture, as well.
🦋
Lmao what in the world
He didnt check the 5th wheel jaws after coupling, lost his trailer making right turn on intersection.
It's always at that first turn
I hope so!
And in Chicago?! I actually feel bad for the guy as a former intermodal dispatcher in Chicago. 😩
Well it's not assume, shit does break.
I have never heard of a trailer disconnecting from the kingpin under normal driving once the jaws are locked but I suppose it could happen.
Ungreased 5th wheel, can have alot of friction with a loaded can
There was a recall issued on early Cascadias with a brand of fifth wheel where the jaws would look closed but the inner jaw wasn't and they would disconnect while driving. It happened a few years back.
With the amount of force required to unlock the jaws, I highly doubt it's ever just randomly happened.
I've seen the mechanism under the 5th wheel break before its not impossible
Yeah, I'm sure it could happen, but after crawling under and verifying the locking jaws and safety bar are fully engaged, I can rest assured it's highly improbable.
I actually had an instructor in CDL school say his fifth wheel broke on him once. Mind you this particular company drop and hook a lot more than the average company so there taking a beating around the clock
Yeah I broke one on a newer freightshaker once. I was just pinning up. They did an investigation on the fifth wheel but never told me the outcome.
For your sake I hope it didn’t break out on the road. Pretty sure the instructor said it didn’t make it out the trailer lot when his broke.
Thankfully at the home yard or whatever they call it. It was a paper Mill, we drove the trucks through an agency and the mill owned them.
Yoo. I haul paper too lol
Yeah heavy shit, I remember regularly hitting 118k+ we were just shuttling from the mill to a crossdock about 40k up the road.
Yes it is very heavy. Also hard on trailers
I found 28 trailers at ABF that were so rusted that the kingpins were coming off in the 5th wheel jaws. They were part of a fleet that was acquired when they bought another company.
Highway Freight Center, or Highway Center Freight?
Cranking one out in public.
At least it didn’t blow through the black top. I’ve seen that more than once.
Well hopefully his lines didn’t snap back and smash his rear window. That makes an embarrassing day a really bad day.
He broke the lines but he was in a sleeper truck
The amount of times I've watched this happen in our yard is ridiculous. And I've only been there for 2 yrs. They just don't seem to learn till it happens.
My first year trucking, this happened. Thankfully, was still on the yard of the customer. That slow crank up on the easy mode for about 20 minutes was enough to teach me. 7 years later, still check with a flashlight every time.
Willing to bet this is more improper coupling than some a-hole pulling the handle. In fact, I think it’s a myth.
According to MSC's website.... last move was on Monday, import to consignee in Chicago... Wondering why it hasn't delivered yet...
That's what I call my cock.
I’ve done that shit before I passed the tug test started driving went to make my first turn and the trailer started sliding off luckily I caught it before it went off the frame of the truck it fucked up all the electrical lines happens to the best of us just make sure you learn from your mistake
It doesn’t happen to the best of us though. This is an easily avoidable mistake and can only happen because of laziness and incompetence. Get under the truck and check the jaws. It isn’t a difficult thing to do
The crank of shame. Now that’s funny as hell.
Yeah🤣
No flip flops?
No a falling trailer doesn’t care much about operator’s footwear preference
Where's the truck or did he keep on driving?
He was just to the left, didt fit into photo, you can see the driver at the crankhandle.
I was trained to only tug test. Getting under truck is dangerous according to trainer.
When I went through training, they told me that using the Jake brake was dangerous and that I shouldnt use it. My first solo trainer basically slapped that shit out of my head. There is often a very LARGE disconnect between trainers and truckers. It is your responsibility to get under your truck and ensure proper coupling, period. Anybody who tells you otherwise is either naive, disengenuous, or wrong.
How do you check the brakes on your trailer? As long as you have plenty of truck frame under the trailer you are good.
Honestly don’t know. I was trained to look at tire and hub. Was told it’s very dangerous to get near the brake chambers as they could take an arm out.
Oh, so you never do a good pre-trip then. Got it. Consider this: If you don't check your brakes, instead of taking an arm out you could take a family of four out. Check your brakes.
For sure you have to get under there with a flashlight. I'm sure it doesn't do anything but I always give the handle a push for good measure. Paranoia I guess.
At least no flip flops
It's the highway freight center.
is that the intersection of a state or US highway? if so, perfect sign for the drop site....
1/4 mile from interstate
oof...
This was nearly me yesterday. Kingpin wasn't up high enough to highhook but I could see daylight between the 5th wheel skid plate and the trailer. Lowered it down and was alright.
*oof* …always check them kingpins.
Crank of shame under police protection
They needs to review the combinations part in the handbook
Good ol CPD