What's new

FedEx Freight | Dolly Injuries, tell your story

Jeff

Jeff

Looking for Trolls
Administrator
Super Administrator
Credits
612
The Dolly is a wonderful piece of equipment but will also get you hurt if you are not careful.

I know drivers who have had hands mashed and broken because of Dollies.

Help the n00bs know the do's and don'ts of handling Dolly equipmentg here.

Tell the stories of injuries from a Dolly to help somebody else keep from getting hurt.
 
Do Not EVER grab the eye of the dolly. Please remember, these weigh about the same as a small car... Once they get moving even on a slight grade, they can smash fingers, arms, legs.... I recently had my arm pinned between a dolly and trailer helping another guy hook up.. this after 8 1/2 yrs playing with these things... Main thing I can say,,, if they get rolling,,, GET OUT OF THE WAY !!! Your saftey is far more important than a small dent in a trailer somewhere..... Think about it.......
 
I was also helping another driver that was hooking up near me in the old KCY yard, he backed his dolly up to the trailer next to mine and after he stopped and set his brakes I went to unhook his dolly.

He was backed in a little crooked to get his dolly lined up, so when I pulled the top of the pintle hook, the crookedness caused his dolly to jump up a little, pinning my left thumb in between the top of his pintle hook and the frame of his truck.

Completely ripped out the bottom of my thumbnail, the only part of it still attached to my thumb was the very tip (like where you clip em!)

I got 12 stitches across where my thumbnail used to be (it had to be removed) and it took over a year for it to grow back completely.

roog
 
Ouch.......We had a couple guys get their fingers caught in the last couple of years. Both men said the same thing as you guys........take your time, keep your fingers away from the pental hook and slack adjuster. If it gets away, you get away!! I usually see how much grease I can get on myself while hooking one!!LOL DS.
 
One night I droped a dolly on my foot the landing leg was on the left side not the right side.I think people herd me yellin for a few miles around but it did not break
anything.Another night I helped a driver unhook He grabed the dolly and pulled up as I had my hands on top it it only pinched 3 fingers that night ouch!
 
top cat said:
One night I droped a dolly on my foot the landing leg was on the left side
Click to expand...

I've banged the side of my shin on those west coast dollies, with the leg on the right side instead of in the center like the east coasters, OUCH!

roog
 
I tore my bicep away from the bone just lifting one off the back of my tractor to spot it in front of the rear pup . I was off work for 4 months. I've lost about 5% use of my rotation ability. Hazard of the job I guess. I finished hooking up my set and then finished my run.
 
When hooking in SO. Philly one nite 2 guys were climing the fence and in a hurry i pulled a groin muscle and left gate open. Got a letter for unsafe work habit and a letter for leaving the gate open. The moral of this story is i'm alive.
 
slider said:
we had a driver drop the hook on his foot many weeks of light duty
Click to expand...

I hate those big hooks like on the Monon dollies, I much prefer the double chains with the smaller hooks a la Silver Eagle.

roog
 
Those Silver Eagles are my choice by far ! They seem to weigh a thousand pounds less than the old Monon's. So much easier to move around,, and with the 5th wheel latch handle in the front, there is no bending the back to reach under the trailer. Much safer on the body in many ways. I've turned down many "hooked sets" just so I could keep my Eagle !!!! And yes mine is a single wheel,,, I do know the possibility of blowing that one tire,, but when it comes to moving them by hand,, they are sweet !!! Much better on my tired old back...
 
365Volare said:
Those Silver Eagles are my choice by far ! They seem to weigh a thousand pounds less than the old Monon's. So much easier to move around,, and with the 5th wheel latch handle in the front, there is no bending the back to reach under the trailer. Much safer on the body in many ways. I've turned down many "hooked sets" just so I could keep my Eagle !!!! And yes mine is a single wheel,,, I do know the possibility of blowing that one tire,, but when it comes to moving them by hand,, they are sweet !!! Much better on my tired old back...
Click to expand...

How do you get to keep the same dolly?
 
I guess I have made freinds with the dispatchers at hub I drive to. There are a few drivers under me from our yard to the hub, so they ask me "or used to", if I want a hooked set. Since I always say no, they don't ask much anymore.(they know I want to keep my dolly). At our yard, you take out the dolly you pulled in. About the only way I loose mine is if it goes in for service and they are too busy (or don't care) to get to it.
 
Just a few tips:

look at the terrain you are on. Is it flat, up, down, rough, smooth? as soon as you lift the pad off the ground, gravity is going to take over. It's better to be prepared when it does. rough terrain will jerk the dolly side to side, better to be ready for that also.

Use the Tractor as much as possible to move the dolly.

When lifting the dolly, try to get yourself in the best position for the lift. Try to focus on mainly using your legs while keeping your back straight.

As others have said...if it gets away from you, get out of the way.

Be safe, gettin hurt is no fun.
 
bottlerocket said:
What bout those dollies with NO counter weight? Those will make you strain something in a hurry!
Click to expand...

Again thats why I think the Eagles are so much better,,, light weight, no need for "extra weight",,,, easier by far to unlatch,,, etc.... My opinion....
 
Safety man

Long time ago we had a driver trainer showing his trainee how to hook a set of pups on a cold night.He had gloves on.Grabbed the jif by the ring.Hooking on a small incline,so it got away from ,mashed his finger.Took his glove off and shook the finger out,it hit the ground,so did his trainee.They made him safety man for a while,couldn't do much else.I'll do some research,see if I can find out his name.
 
The dollies I hate the most are those in the D36xx-37xx range, the Monon air rides, those things are horrible. I've heard they are better with the Super Singles, but they are never balanced right and are HEAVY!

roog
 
roogie said:
The dollies I hate the most are those in the D36xx-37xx range, the Monon air rides, those things are horrible. I've heard they are better with the Super Singles, but they are never balanced right and are HEAVY!

roog
Click to expand...

I totaly agree Roogie, thats the kind that got me. I won't help that guy hook anymore, just because of that.
 
never been attacked by one but when I was Hostling seen a road driver split his hand wide open that was before I started driving I learned to respect them things real quick. Ever hook a set in the old Ardmore OK Terminal, that was fun loved those boulders in the lot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top