:roll:

 

Works finefor us yard jockeys and we probably hook in a week what most OTR drivers do in a year...with no drops .

 

But it doesn't work for DRIVERS who have to take the trailer on PUBLIC roadways.

 

To be as safe as possible when hooking to a trailer you should do both a tug/jerk test and a visual inspection of the 5th wheel. Even then you still have a small chance (like maybe 1%) of dropping the trailer, but a small chance is a lot better than a big chance, of say 25-50%.

 

So the locking jaws work different on Coors property vs State property ?

 

You missed the point. The point is that drivers need to get out and VISUALLY inspect that the jaw is locked and everything is safe. Your tug test works, but there is more to making sure that the unit is ROAD READY!:thumbsup:

 

Dropping a trailer like that especially with a heavy load is VERY hard on it. At the very least you bent the threads in the landing gear a bit, and probably tweaked the floor a bit too.

I had one similar situation. The 5th wheel did slide over but not all the way and didn't lock. Pulled away and it let loose and slide a bit. Never dropped the trailer though.

I will *NEVER* do that again. Period.

 

2 years ago i got fired for refusing to deliver to nyc for a 10 stopper. I worked there for 4 years. I got a new job at my current position 2 weeks later. Anyone who says u wont find work cuz u were terminated is full of ****.this curent position is high paying and very good too. Dropping a trailer happens. We all get into a rush. I never dropped one but ive done a few things in my 6 years. Strict log policies at your place. My job dosent even look at hour logs. But its diffrent because were local and were only on the road for max 12 hours. Just last week i backed into the king pin and the 5th wheel was to low. I got stuck behind the king pin.we had another guy do that and he wound up driving his back window into the trailer.lol. Hes still employed. Love cranking up a 48k lb load high enough to pull out. Gets the biceps pumpn. Keep ur head up u'll land something

 

Hi im in cdl school nad were preached about drop and hook so take your time and do it right. You will find another job keep your head up.

 

Wow...this is interesting....just a couple of thoughts...

Wow...either you have no short or long term memory at all...or you're lying:roll:. I agree with just about everything else you wrote, though! :thumbsup:

I can't believe it, but I'm agreeing with BJ. Note the bold text. He does look at the release handle, or at least the way I interpret it he does. When I worked for Roehl, I was such a nerd that I actually read most of the literature that came with the truck. The Fontaine fifth wheel Roehl uses is latched and locked when the release arm is within 1/2" of the body of the fifth wheel. I always, and still do verify that the release arm is all the way in...EVERY TIME I GET OUT OF THE TRUCK. For the reason that vavega said...all it takes is some idiot with a lousy sense of humor to yank your fifth wheel, and cost you your job. I don't like taking that chance.

Roehl is very safety-anal. Their view is that if you are not checking your fifth wheel, t what else are you "forgetting" to do? The entire time I was there the policy didn't change. Dropped trailer = termination. Just think what would have happened if you had made it on the road and dropped it there...could have easily been much, much worse.

Like hell it does! issedoff: Dropping a trailer ONLY happens when either the equipment fails, which I have NEVER see, or when the driver is negligent and does not check his/her equipment. It is nearly always 100% driver error...and does NOT "just happen". Cover your bases, check your equipment. It should NEVER, EVER happen. :moon: