Pre Trip Inspection

[Fifth Wheel]

Maybe in Fl. In Tennessee you can not touch anything UNDER the truck.
You have describe each item. You can only point to the component. Example you can not go under the truck to check slack adjusters. You have to say where they are and point to the area they are located. I have 2 state licensed examiners at my school and they warn
not to go under the truck or trailer. Most everything has to be talked out except the brake checks. You have to do the "Tug" and Pump Down...ect.

Kermit

[AskTheTrucker]

Thanks for that. That's another reason I said ( if possible) in the response. It is a good idea though to make it clear; allowing everyone to be aware of this and not assume ...OR We may just have people crawling all over and under the truck trying to touch everything....:)

So, for the record, you have to use common sense AND know your specific states laws and requirements,

[Loon]

I just want to add this. Always check the fifth wheel jaws by noting the position of the pull bar AND ...... Get under with a flashlight and check that the jaws are locked and the safety is in place. Learn from sight what the many different fifth wheels look like when latched fully.
Excessive grease, cold weather, snow packed in the jaws because you didnt clear it from the plate and jaw crevice before hooking and debris all can prevent the jaws from latching fully. Fifth wheels are about $3500 new and are often rebuilt when worn out to save money. An improperly latched fifth wheel MAY hold when you test it with the hand valve leading you to think its ok. Usually the first turn out the barn is when the trailer falls off. Ive even seen some go a mile before the trailer slides off.
The point is that its your responsibility to protect the public, the freight and equipment. Get under and check those jaws day or night. Turn the tractor on an angle to see up in there if there isn't much room to crawl under.

PS, Little trick to keep your pin from getting pulled when your parked...... apply trailer emergency brakes then put tractor in gear and put a little tension on the fifth wheel jaws by putting slight gentle forward motion (take up the slack/slop) to tractor then apply tractor brakes. Very hard to pull the bar out like this.

[Fifth Wheel]

Loon, that's great advice! What we can allow is school is a lot different then the real world of trucking. Our road instructors always tell the student they must check the securement of the 5th wheel and the instructor uses a flashlight to check before the truck leaves the yard. Our students do a pretrip everyday. It is so important.

[Frtgy89]

You may have a crappy day ahead of you.

If you do a crappy pretrip/postrip.

It will just get crappier!!!!

P.S. gauge your tires (warm) at least once a week.

[zathlon]

definitely check the fifth wheel locking jaw, in two years of driving I've had the jaw not close all the way 2 or 3 times... and remember it only takes once to cause a huge catastrophe.