You shouldnt rely on just the tug test to make sure things are proper. Once I hook to a trailer I tug then get out and look with a flashlight, evening during the sunny day. I get out and make sure there is no space between my fifth wheel and fifth wheel plate, and I make sure the jaws are totally closed. Why take the chance, it takes an extra minute?!

We just had a Superior driver drop a fully loaded tank with 60k of product "because he didnt have a flashlight". Hes still with us but its very preventable. I guess we almost had to scrap the tri-axle tank because of a crease in the liner but its still on the road. Could you imagine ruining a $90,000 trailer because you didnt have a light or look?!

 

Either my short term memory or my long term memory is history. I'm not sure which, cuz I don't remember! :lol2:

But, my point was that I have no experience in what to do about your career after making such a bonehead mistake, cuz I never HAVE! Are you disputing that fact?

I've never overhooked or dropped a trailer. I DID pull the airlines out once. Is THAT what you are referring to? Okay, I guess I DID make a mistake that one time. :lol2:

And yes, even though I knew there was no damage, I ADMITTED it to the guys in the shop! I knew they needed a laugh and I wanted them to check it out BEFORE I moved the combination again! (see the discussion on post trip inspections.)

I don't LIE, Tom. I may stretch things a bit now and then for FUN, or twist words to see if anyone "gets" it. But, I don't lie. I'm approaching a half million accident and incident free miles (if you don't count the airline snap,) in my short 3.5 year career. Another couple of years, and I can have someone paint that moniker on my truck that makes me sound important! "Million Mile Driver." :hellno:

And every week I log on to CAD and read another story about someone who got fired for some bonehead mistake before they even made it a month or two! I care about them. I try to help them. But, for the life of me... I don't always understand them!

This ain't rocket science, but it scares me how many drivers out there apparently aren't even capable of 5th grade math! There ought to be some kind of training and certification levels for guys to drive big rigs! Oh wait.... there IS! :roll:

Okay, sorrry for the rant. What were we talking about again? I forget! :thumbsup:

 

No problem, Hobo, I was just trying to point out that we all, from time to time may make boneheaded mistakes, that's all .

 

NO I DO NOT!!!!!!






oh, wait on second thought i do/have

 

Ok, I must be one of those corny ppl them, I do it every time. Even crawl onder to make sure the kingpin is latched and where it is latched at, beter safe than sorry. I've heard of others that did a tug test and still had the trailer drop. Even saw it once with an instructor.

 

Yup, I know how it can happen. Roehl uses Fontaine fifth wheels, which work really well most of the time. The problem is when it gets really cold, they won't shut all the way. The locking bar will come in behind the kingpin to hold it in place, but it doesn't latch all the way. Then, as the driver starts driving around, the force of the kingpin pulling back and rotating as the truck turns ratchets the fifth wheel open.

My first truck at Roehl did that frequently last winter. You can ONLY tell by looking at the release arm. If it's against the body of the fifth wheel it's latched, and will not come open unless something is broken. You can't tell by crawling under the trailer and looking, as that locking bar will be there either way! The way I corrected this problem was by taking my fifth wheel puller, pulling the handle out some, and forcing it inward...works every time!

 

gosh darnnit, i've high hooked before , stuff happens, but i always check the kingpin latch with a flash lite, then i hook up hoses and power then raise landing gear, i use the same system every time in the same order, when dropping i reverse the order and never pull the hook until other stepps are done. i've been busted for log violations so many times my company has limited me to only 125 gal.s of fuel per day, lol.

 

Is this really something to brag about? :roll:

 

okay an update:

WoW what a rollercoaster.

ive been applying for jobs left and right and no one would touch me and none of them would say why. a few did the old you were terminated and never got past that point.

needless to say i got in touch with a company that was considering me and they ran my dac report and found out i have been charged by J.B.Hunt for abandoning my truck when i quit..

OH MY GOD.. i was floored. i left j.b.hunt without notice of course. but i called them and made arangements to turn the truck in (which was turned in the night i left). i turned the truck into thier atlanta yard which is where they told me to take it. turned in my keys, my toll cards and all the items they asked for.

all this was documented on the qualcomm i even asked was there anything else i needed to do and they said no. i sent back that everything was turned in, my gear was out of the truck. i left the truck INSIDE The gate at thier Main Terminal in atlanta where i was hired.. Sitting 25 Feet in Front of Maintenence Bays...gave them everything they asked for.. and now they have me as abandoning my truck on jbhunt property.

between my termination and this.. no company will touch me. even the bottom feeders you told me to try are saying no thanks.

what can i do!!!?!!!

 

Contact JB Hunt, and request they have this removed. If that fails, dispute it with DAC.