Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ

[Yaba Daba Do]

The odds of it happening may be slim, but if you do it your way, you could drop a trailer.

If the spring brakes on the trailer did not work, or were not adjusted properly, and if you were on a little incline, the trailer could, theoretically, slide off the 5th wheel once you pulled the pin.

That's true, I've never really thought of that happening. After hooking up and doing a tug test I guess I just figure the spring breaks work but I guess they could fail at anytime.

 

[Mugarolla]

That's true, I've never really thought of that happening. After hooking up and doing a tug test I guess I just figure the spring breaks work but I guess they could fail at anytime.

Like I said, a slim to no chance, but that 1 in a million could bite someone in the butt.

 

[Covemastah]

Checking pin first , no matter how you never ever forget to look at the pin !!!

 

[Mugarolla]

Checking pin first , no matter how you never ever forget to look at the pin !!!

I was sitting next to a guy Thursday taking my break while he was hooking up a set.

Young kid, moving pretty fast, jumping in and out of tractor, walking fast. Hooked up in about 3 minutes.

Well, THUDD!!! then Psssssssst.

He did not check his pin on the rear trailer. As he pulled away, he dropped the rear trailer and pulled the air lines off it.

Whoops.

 

[Yaba Daba Do]

Young kid, moving pretty fast, jumping in and out of tractor, walking fast. Hooked up in about 3 minutes.

Yeah, a lot of the new guys are nervous, ask a lot of questions, and take their time to try to make sure they don't forget anything but then there are the new guys that want to be super truckers right out of the gate. They are cocky, know it all, aren't afraid of anything, and you can't tell them anything. More often than not, the later are the ones that wind up having problems before too long.

 

[Covemastah]

I was sitting next to a guy Thursday taking my break while he was hooking up a set.

Young kid, moving pretty fast, jumping in and out of tractor, walking fast. Hooked up in about 3 minutes.

Well, THUDD!!! then Psssssssst.

He did not check his pin on the rear trailer. As he pulled away, he dropped the rear trailer and pulled the air lines off it.

Whoops.

Yes ,,,,, don’t be THAT guy !!!
lol. He’s lucky it didn’t happen off property

 

[Indecisi0n]

I stop, snack, check pin, snack , lines, snack then fart.

 

[Covemastah]

I stop, snack, check pin, snack , lines, snack then fart.

Do you make sure your jaws are properly lubricated before they take on that Rock hard steel massive pin !! Will make entry much smoother and a solid connection!

 

[Indecisi0n]

Do you make sure your jaws are properly lubricated before they take on that Rock hard steel massive pin !! Will make entry much smoother and a solid connection!

That pin just smashes into the jaw everytime, boom , boom, boom....

 

[Johney]

Do you make sure your jaws are properly lubricated before they take on that Rock hard steel massive pin !! Will make entry much smoother and a solid connection!

That pin just smashes into the jaw everytime, boom , boom, boom....

Jesus, get a room you two!

 

[silverbullet2893]

Will make entry much smoother and a solid connection!

Please tell me more

 

[barnyard]

For some reason I always like to do my air lines last. I get out, check pin, raise the landing gear then go to air lines. Then begin my pretrip.

I hook the lines and set the brakes. I want to make sure that all works before I crank the dolly.

 

[barnyard]

OK, here goes.

Coupling

Some people do it a little different, but all steps do get followed. You just need to have a routine and do it the same way everytime.

You said that you have the pre-trip down, so I will just do the couple and uncouple.

Assuming you already spotted your dolly, hook to the front trailer. Make sure you hear the click or clunk of the 5th wheel locking around the kingpin.

Put the tractor in 2nd gear or drive and do your tug test.

Pull out yellow knob. This sets the tractor brakes.

Get under trailer and verify jaws are locked.

Attach lines. Easier to attach furthest one first. Blue, light cord, red. (Some will crank the legs now, or apply air first and then crank legs as you pre-trip.)

Get back in tractor and push in red valve. This supplies air to the trailer releasing the spring brakes.

Pull down hand valve. This does 2 things. It engages the trailer air brakes so that you can check for any air leaks, and it also turns on the trailer brake lights.

Start your pre-trip, remembering to crank the legs up.

When done, release hand valve, push in yellow valve and away you go, not forgetting your stop test.

Back to your dolly. Pull the yellow knob to set your tractor brake.

Place dolly on pintle hook, close flapper and insert pin. Attach chains and lines. I like to start from the furthest first. I reach across dolly and attach the chain and light cord. I then attach the chain on this side, red line to the dolly and then the blue line to the trailer.

You have already verified trailer height and all that, so back under rear trailer listening for the click of the dolly. Put tractor in 2nd gear or drive and do your tug test.

Pull yellow valve, setting the tractor parking brake and pull down the hand valve. (The red valve is already in applying air to the front trailer.)

Get under rear trailer and verify jaws are locked around kingpin.

Put lines on rear trailer, blue, light cord, red.

Turn on the air valves on the front trailer to supply air to the back trailer. Turn the service valve first (blue line coming from dolly to the front trailer) This applies the brakes to the dolly and rear trailer so that it will not roll in case you have not coupled correctly.

After turning on the service valve, turn on the emergency valve, red line.

Push in the snubber and continue with your pre-trip, not forgetting to raise the trailer legs.

When you get back into tractor, release the hand valve (releasing the trailer brakes) push in the yellow valve (releasing the tractor brakes) and do your brake check again.


Uncoupling

When you stop to where you want to drop your rear trailer, pull your yellow knob (setting the tractor brakes) and pull down your hand valve (applying your trailer brakes)

However you do your post-trip, just have a routine. I always go around the front of the tractor and down the right side of the set. As I come back up the left side of the rear trailer, I can crank the legs down.

Turn off air valves on front trailer, remove the lines to the rear trailer, drain the air from the dolly, and then slide the dolly release handle to the right. (I hang my tire thumper from the dolly air drain cable to drain the air as I unhook things.)

Get back in the tractor, release the hand valve, push in the yellow valve and slowly pull out from under the rear trailer.

When you get to where you want to drop your dolly, stop and pull the yellow valve. Go back to the dolly, pull the snubber valve to release the snubber, unhook the chains and lines, remove the pin from the pintle hook, lift flapper and remove dolly.

When you get to where you want to drop your front trailer, pull the yellow knob (setting your tractor parking brake) pull the red knob (removing air to the trailer and setting the trailer spring brakes)

You don't need to pull down the hand valve since you already did your post-trip and checked your brake lights and air leaks. If you only came in with a single, you would pull the hand valve to check brake light and air leaks.

Lower legs, remove lines and pull pin on tractor 5th wheel.

Just remember, legs, lines, latch when you uncouple, and the reverse when you couple, latch, lines, legs.

@Sweeper posted this





In order to pre-trip, you need to check lights and air. Hook to it first, then pre-trip.

I start from the driver's side, I give the air tank cables a tug to drain moisture, then move down the set for the post-trip.

 

[trickpony1]

For some reason I always like to do my air lines last. I get out, check pin, raise the landing gear then go to air lines. Then begin my pretrip.

That will work until you get tired of climbing up and down off the tractor unnecessarily.

Kick it back.

 

[barnyard]

That will work until you get tired of climbing up and down off the tractor unnecessarily.

Kick it back.

or you get everything done and realize that the trailer should have been red-tagged for something you would have seen had you hooked your light cord and air lines 1st.

 

[Rick Ross]

Checking pin first , no matter how you never ever forget to look at the pin !!!

Agreed, after coupling I check the inspection date, locking handle on 5th wheel and then go under and check that the kingpin is locked every time. I check the rear DOT inspection date when I spot my dolly.

I don't know if this has been covered, if you're building on the wall notify the loaders inside the trailer before backing under any trailer. Failure to do this in my building can case some trouble for you.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Agreed, after coupling I check the inspection date, locking handle on 5th wheel and then go under and check that the kingpin is locked every time. I check the rear DOT inspection date when I spot my dolly.

I don't know if this has been covered, if you're building on the wall notify the loaders inside the trailer before backing under any trailer. Failure to do this in my building can case some trouble for you.

Same. I park in front of the trailer (don't hit it). I check to make sure it's clear (couple awareness) and go inside if need be. While going back to the tractor I'll check the fed and reg. Get in, hit it, check pin, raise legs, air lines, pull off wall then pretrip.

 

[trickpony1]

Same. I park in front of the trailer (don't hit it). I check to make sure it's clear (couple awareness) and go inside if need be. While going back to the tractor I'll check the fed and reg. Get in, hit it, check pin, raise legs, air lines, pull off wall then pretrip.

You're getting the "hang" of it. Safety first.
Not "balls to the wall" like in pkg.

 

[Yaba Daba Do]

Not "balls to the wall" like in pkg.

Careful... all this talk of balls and packages might get him worked up.

 

[Indecisi0n]

Careful... all this talk of balls and packages might get him worked up.

I feel a tingle....