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XPO | Proper trailer drop height.

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Savedbygrace

TB Lurker
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Does anyone else have a problem with
trailers that are dropped either too low
or too high?
Seems like a good rule of thumb would be,
When dropping using an airride tractor,
lower the legs until they touch the ground.
Maybe one more crank after that to take
up the slack in the foot.
And when dropping rear trailer, leave about
2 inches before reaching the ground because
the 5th wheel on the dolly is higher than the
one on the tractor.
Seems like with the rash of new drivers in
'04, this idea got lost along the line.
Any other ideas?
 
Savedbygrace said:
Does anyone else have a problem with
trailers that are dropped either too low
or too high?
Seems like a good rule of thumb would be,
When dropping using an airride tractor,
lower the legs until they touch the ground.
Maybe one more crank after that to take
up the slack in the foot.
And when dropping rear trailer, leave about
2 inches before reaching the ground because
the 5th wheel on the dolly is higher than the
one on the tractor.
Seems like with the rash of new drivers in
'04, this idea got lost along the line.
Any other ideas?
Click to expand...
You hit the nail on the head!
 
I think some of our drivers use dolly cranking as a replacement for going to the gym, and they must have really big muscles!
 
just don't forget to drop the air bags before you pull out.if you blow an air bag it is counted as an accident.
and if you have a truck with air bag and the trailer is low you can drop the bags and get under it most of the time.
 
some trailers are dropped so low it's a if the driver let the air out of the airbags then went & rolled down the landing gear. It sucks when that trailer is your kite.
 
brutus said:
after the legs are down. you drop the bags just before you pull out from under the trailer.
Click to expand...
I do know that, wonder how many do not? And the ones that do not, this would explain the low drops. It seems the problem got worse around '01 when we first got air ride.
 
Next time they should remember.

brutus said:
after the legs are down. you drop the bags just before you pull out from under the trailer.
Click to expand...
I forgot to dump the air bags a couple of times - after the bounce that the trailer gave me I quickly learned to dump the air bags before pulling out from under the trailer.:1036316054:
 
A couple points of observation fellas...

1) some of the guys are bumping the dock, dumping their airride and then cranking the dollies down. This causes the trailer to be too low. Also, the new trailers (pups) have two pieces of round stock welded on the front plate, running parallel to the kingpin. If you back under one of these new trailers, having been dropped low, the trailers slide easily left or right of center hindering your hooking process.

2) when dropping your trailers with the airride, crank the dollies down before dumping your air. A good rule of thumb... dump the air when returning to the tractor to pull out from under the trailer.

3) when dropping the trailer, pull SLOWLY forward to disconnect from the fifth wheel and then pause in your movement to dump your airride, with the front edge of your fifth wheel just visible, but with the weight of the trailer still on it. By doing this you won't cause the fifth wheel plate to "hang" from the kingpin, which causes an opposite kind of stress on the components.
 
Help a Freightliner guy out, fellas?

Savedbygrace said:
Does anyone else have a problem with
trailers that are dropped either too low
or too high?
Seems like a good rule of thumb would be....
Click to expand...

Having read all your posts, I've come to the conclusion that none of you drive a Freightliner. They sit lower than a Sterling even when the airbags are full (and a Sterlings are deployed!). I drive one all the time however, I used to drive a Sterling and occasionally still do when mine goes in for service.
I have to go out and crank down the landing gear almost every night and it really sucks when the landing gear is bound up because the trailer pitched forward while getting loaded! Then you're cranking her down in high-speed taking an extra 5 minutes on your "hook-time" and breaking an un-necessary sweat, if people would just leave 2 inches when dropping the trailers (3"-4" on the back box, due to the dolly).
You're supposed to lift the trailer off the ground when backing in to hook, relieving all pressure off the legs. Consequently, when dropping the back box...pull forward slowly and gently let the trailer slide off the 5th wheel plate and pause for 2 seconds before pulling away. This pause ensures you catch the trailer on the dolly frame, should the landing gear fail (has happened to me once!) and/or the freight has shifted (i.e; bulk liquid containers with sloshing liquid [God forbid] loaded in the nose)...
Also, I've rarely had a problem hooking to any trailer previously dropped when using my rule of thumb (which I learned at A.F.).
Disclaimer:
Bare in mind that you have to know the company you work for and its kingpin/landing gear location (we're ok at Con-Way), to do this. This method cannot be done for certain LTL companies, because loaded...these trailers could tip over because the landing gear in some cases, is a foot farther back. That's why you see trailer stands underneath some of the competitors' 28'-trailers and some of the older LTL's...

Freightliners sit lower, so that could be some of the reason you guys see some really low boxes to hook into...hopefully, the Freightliners will be replaced with the Sterling Single-Axle Sleeper (which has been rumored for the ESL lanes) and the problem will go away...:1036316054:
 
The old freightliners suck for LTL period. They were OK OTR equipment for their day, but it’s like using a 5lb sledge for finished carpentry.

With their reduced visibility and larger turning radius they are a bear to use in the city. With a pup it is not too bad, but with a van it can get ridiculous. When I was new it once took me 30min of back 5’ & GOAL to hit a door blindside at a customer with a 53’.

At my terminal 2 of the 3 that we have don’t have pintle hooks on the back, so you have to pester the hostler to spot a gear in front of your kite. It’s a given that you will have to adjust the height on your front box.

On the plus side the long wheelbase gives them a smooth ride and the extra screw is handy in winter.
 
Merdock said:
A couple points of observation fellas...

1) some of the guys are bumping the dock, dumping their airride and then cranking the dollies down. This causes the trailer to be too low. Also, the new trailers (pups) have two pieces of round stock welded on the front plate, running parallel to the kingpin. If you back under one of these new trailers, having been dropped low, the trailers slide easily left or right of center hindering your hooking process.

2) when dropping your trailers with the airride, crank the dollies down before dumping your air. A good rule of thumb... dump the air when returning to the tractor to pull out from under the trailer.

3) when dropping the trailer, pull SLOWLY forward to disconnect from the fifth wheel and then pause in your movement to dump your airride, with the front edge of your fifth wheel just visible, but with the weight of the trailer still on it. By doing this you won't cause the fifth wheel plate to "hang" from the kingpin, which causes an opposite kind of stress on the components.
Click to expand...
Yea but what if my truck doesn't have air ride on it, should I drain my air tanks down all the way before unhooking, hahaha:biglaugh:
 
3nCounting said:
...if people would just leave 2 inches when dropping the trailers (3"-4" on the back box, due to the dolly)...
:1036316054:
Click to expand...

Last night, I actually noticed that I leave more like 1-1/2" of ground clearance on (when dropping) the back back box. For some reason I was thinking it was more...With the Sterling last night, I cranked the landing gear down to the ground when cutting loose on the front box...then let the air out of the bags. :shifty:
 
trailers dropped too low

The reason we have trailers dropped too low is because of FAT LAZY drivers that dont want to get between there ans perhaps get dirty!!! they crank them down most of the way and back it in pull the pin and drop it

I have also witnessed a driver EVERY night he spots his kite in front of the door at the FAC puts his lead away, backs under the kite DOES NOT hook up airlines just shoves it back into the door, climbs on the catwalk unhooks airlines then pulls the pin drives away..In other words he weakens or brakes the welds so the next guy who drops this trailer drops it , further weakening the welds and some poor sucker who drives in the trailer and the trailer legs collapse quite possibly badly injuring or killing some one
GROW up stop being so lazy
 
I am finding that trailers are being dropped too high. I was taught that when hooking, my trailer should raise an inch or two. Most that I back under, I have a hard time cranking the landing gear up. Recently, I backed under a trailer in Toledo and it was so high that I jumped the pin.
 
I'm glad somebody brought this thread back to life. I too am noticing more and more trailers dropped too high. Pups and City Vans. Almost everyday I'm having to get out and crank down the landing gear. The DOT manual states that you must lift a trailer slighty when backing under it. This is to ensure the proper locking of the Kingpin.:1036316054:
 
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