I know you didnt say to jack it up high, it just seems most drivers do it.
I dont know the reasoning behind hooking the air lines up first, but most companies now tell you to do it/
We USED to use those stupid teflon plates and one night I hooked up, tugged and got out and looked, it looked like the lever was across, what happened was the teflon plate had gotten hung up and a piece broke off and was in the 5th wheel making it look like it was locked, when I pulled away.... BOOM...trailer loaded with 45,000 pounds of poison Sulfer dioxidehit the ground.. Thank God, nothing spilled. we dont use those plates anymore and now I tug about 50 times just to make real sure

 

some of the older trailers would actually have no brakes when they had no air.. they didnt have spring brakes, I doubt seriously if you will ever see one

 

I must be really old school but I don't agree with this method of dropping and hooking a trailer. I've hauled a lot of containers and would have to drop and hook 10+ times a day, every day sometimes. This person in the video is setting himself up to drive a pin in the ground.

To drop a trailer for example:

When you get the trailer in position, pull the red knob to set the trailer brakes and then back against the trailer while setting the tractor parking brake to load the fifth wheel so it will unlock.
Lower the landing gear first and make sure that BOTH legs contact the ground.
Then unlock the fifth wheel.
Then unhook the air lines and electric cable.
Pull the tractor out from under the trailer but stop as soon as the fifth wheel clears the pin plate on the trailer, this means that the tractor frame should still be under the trailer so that if the trailer sinks or the landing gear collapses it will be supported by the frame and not fall all the way to the ground.
After a few seconds and no indication that the trailer may fall, continue to drive away.

To hook a trailer:
Turn on the four way flashers, parking lights, and back the tractor to the trailer, don't get under the trailer yet.
Get out and check the trailer height and the condition of the pin and pin plate on the trailer.
Then back the tractor under the trailer slowly until the fifth wheel locks.
Place the transmission in a low gear and try to pull away from the trailer, it doesn't take much so don't over do it, this is the pull test.
If the tractor does come out of the trailer then check the fifth wheel to reset the lock and try again.
Once you are satisfied that the fifth wheel is properly locked then attach the airlines and electric cable.
Visually inspect that the trailer pin is captured by the fifth wheel locking mechanism.
If all looks well then raise the landing gear all the way (check both legs) and stow the handle.
You can then pretrip the trailer since the lights and flashers are already on.
When starting to pull away check the operation of the trailer brakes.

One BIG mistake that I see this guy make is doing a pull test after raising the landing gear. Let me tell ya, if that fifth wheel isn't locked the weight of the trailer and load will spit the tractor out as soon as you start to move forward and can do it so fast that you will not have time to react. By the time you hit the brakes that trailer is on the ground.
Now you have to get two wreckers to lift it back up and most likely will be buying a set of landing gears too.

How do I know this??? It cost me $1,000.00 one time in 1978.

Learn to do it right the first time, don't take shortcuts and don't get distracted. Also use the the same procedure every time as it will just feel wrong if you don't.

Now about my incident:

I pulled a 20' container to Savannah one afternoon with an R model Mack day cab. The container had 46,000# of barbed wire in it and I had to place the landing gear on a row of RR ties to suppport the weight. I unlocked the fifth wheel and rolled the landing gear down but decided that I was to near the edge of the ties and needed to pull up a bit. I raised the landing gear a few inches and climbed back in the tractor. The airlines were still hooked to the trailer per company policy (there were still a lot of non-springbrake trailers then).

I made sure that I backed against the trailer and heard the click, but did not do a pull test. When I pressed the trailer brake button the trailer immediately rolled off the fifth wheel, hit the tractor frame and slammed to the ground with a mighty crash collapsing the landing gear like a pretzel. The airlines popped off and the service line wrapped around the license plate holder on the back of the frame. The emergency line flew forward, put a dent in the back of the cab, and scraped the paint.

Of course this had to happen right across from the office and everyone came out to see what had happened. They accused me right off of not having the airlines hooked up, and I pointed out the position they were in now. Made no difference, I got charged with the damage and wasted the rest of the day down there. It cost $600 for the two wreckers and $400 to replace the landing gear and they took it out of my paycheck.

Oh, one more thing about this video, I don't approve of the way this guy beats the electric plug in with his hand. Good way to break the wires.

Mad Fatboy

 

I have to agree, what good is a pull test if you already cranked the legs up?

 

Golfhobo, some older trailers when uncoupled, the brakes are not set, backing under such a trailer without applying air to it first could send it across the lot before it could hook the fifth.

Regarding, coupling and uncoupling, not much to add to the other posters as they are excellent, I agree with Golfhobo, you really cannot check enough that the trailer is really hooked. Check double check and tug test to be sure.

To add 1 point, try to couple and uncouple exactly the same way each time.
The way I do it and its a standard routine, is, after hooking the fifth, lights on 4ways on. Grab my tire billy and gloves, walk to the lines, first red air line, then blue, then green. Walk to the left drives, look under the trailer at the fifth wheel release, ensure that it is in. Walk to back of tractor, get under and check the "jaws" are around the kingpin. (Watch your head and back). Crank up the landing gear. Then pretrip the trailer.
As you walk around, double check that all coupling functions are complete.
Uncoupling is exactly the same. After you have stopped, set trailers brake first then gently in reverse, push back against the trailer, and set tractor brakes (this will aid in releasing the jaws from the kingpin). Get out of truck, disconnect red airline, blue airline, the green power line. Crank down the landing gear till it just touches the ground. Then release the jaws from the kingpin. Post trip the trailer.

Same routine every time and I dont forget anything. If you should ever get out of the routine, for whatever reason. Double double check all you steps have been accomplished. Example: after I had completed uncoupling I was about to get back in the truck and pullout, but didnt like the way the trailer was sitting. So I reconnected the red line only, and raised the gear about a foot of the ground, and rehooked the kingpin. That all went well, I moved the trailer back a few feet, but when I got out to uncouple I lowered the landing gear and pulled the fifth, but I forgot about the red airline. (Guess what, they will "stretch" alooong way before snapping, I saw it in the mirror, at the same second it snapped)
I got out of my routine and didnt double check my work. I cannot stress enought to double check everything you do when coupling and uncoupling.

And please dont forget to turn off your utility light after coupling or uncoupling.

 

 

So ya'll were posting while I typed my message, But I've pulled a lot of trailers that DID NOT have spring brakes and have seen drivers pushing trailers backwards across a lot till they finally hit something and stopped the trailer. Then they backed under it and wound up the gear, threw the lines on and took off.

These trailers would sit there till the cows came home if the landing gear was on the ground. But once you lift the trailer by backing under it and releaving the pressure on the landing gear the trailer will roll.

Yes the CORRECT way is to connect the hoses first when hooking and disconnect last when dropping a trailer. I originally had it this way in my earlier post but changed it as a non spring brake trailer is really rare and not something that you would see on the road today. Besides I think they are outlawed anyway.

As far as airlines first, charge the trailer before you actually back under it. Yes this does release the brakes but you have to apply them with the brake handle before you hook and do the pull test. If all is well then pop both buttons before getting out of the truck.

When dropping a trailer follow my earlier post except leave the lines attached and remove them after the trailer is sitting on it's landing gear, clear of the fifth wheel but still over the tractor frame.

Some drivers don't like that the airlines can get greasy from the fifth wheel so will never follow the correct way.

And never say that you will never drop a trailer...IT HAPPENS!!!


Be safe out there,

Mad Fatboy

 

golfhobo,

There's also a possibility that the trailer brakes could have been caged for some reason to move it without hooking air to it. If you hooked your air lines first then you could apply the brakes and prevent it from hitting something behind it.

It's doubtful that you would notice the caging bolts without getting out of the tractor and looking first.

Mad Fatboy

 

Drew10 said:

Okay, Drew, I respect you (not that I don't respect the others that said this,) but I am confused. ( I SAID I didn't know everything about the old days!)

What kind of brake system did these older trailers HAVE? HOW does applying AIR to them help set the brakes.... if they are NOT air "restricted" brakes? (spring brakes)

If I owe Fredog and NWHUnter an apology.... I am now giving it! I said I was relatively NEW to the industry, and I've never SEEN such a trailer!

As a result, I couldn't see why anyone would hook up the airlines FIRST! To ME.... this would be a detriment, and a possible safety situation.

Someone PLEASE explain the MECHANICS of this situation, rather than just say that it could happen.



Don't know how this quote of mine ended up in this post, but since it is relevant.... I decided to leave it in! :lol:

 

Okay, Madboy!! NOW you're really peaking my interest! :lol: Obviously, you are an old hand! I am obviously NOT. But, like I said... I can understand a good explanation.

Caging bolts? Never heard of them. But, I think I understand what you are saying. Somehow, a couple of bolts can be inserted to hold back the brakes, so that NO AIR is needed to "restrict" them. Sounds like alot of work, but nevertheless...

You said: How does hooking your air lines FIRST allow you to APPLY the brakes? The air lines are designed to supply AIR to RESTRICT the brakes! If you haven't removed the caging bolts, the air will have little affect. It certainly won't APPLY the brakes, overriding a cage bolt..... if I understand the concept properly!

Are you guys just trying to screw with my head?? :lol: :lol:

Since this is the NEWBIES forum, and MOST if not all equipment they will encounter is POST WWII, I STILL say my original directives STAND!!! :wink:

But, it has been interesting to learn how things were back when my grandfather married his "belle!" :lol:

I ESPECIALLY liked the tale of how truckers would push a trailer across the lot until it HIT something, then kick the tires, light the fires, and "git 'er done!" :lol:

I would've been an ACE back then!! :wink: