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XPO | Quick dolly question

Bigfoot,
Glad you're okay physically.
I know what you mean about them old tractors. They must have gave me the oldest one they had that night. Very sloppy! I was told by another driver that they were supposed to have retired it 3 times already.

All hooked up and ready to head back home, I went inside to log my departure. When I came back out and turned the key, the wipers were moving in very slowly. The lights were all dim. Though it was an air start, she just wouldn't kick over, and I ran out of air.

Mechanic must have heard me from inside, because he came running out with an air hose. He charged the air tank back up, but then he couldn't get her started either. I showed him the fuel tanks were full. When he turned the key on, I looked up and noticed the 2 clearance lights on the left side went very dim, then out completely. He finally shot some ether, and got it started. All the lights came back on.
I was afraid it would die on the way home, as well as making it back before the 14th hour, on top of the unstability. Arrghh!

When I got back, I was afraid it would shut down while lowering the gear and pulling the pin, so I kept reaching in and hitting the pedal with my hand every so often. Got the tractor out, parked it, and found myself another tractor to break the set apart.
What a long night! I started out soaked from fueling in the rain for a few hours before I even headed out.
 
Oops, almost forgot the best part......

another driver pulls into our barn right behind me. As he's backing his trailer in, he notices that bay 28 door is open, and there are beer cans all over the place.
Apparently, someone broke in and had themselves a party. Other driver said he couldn't understand how this could happen with a security guard there all night.

He called our TM to let him know, so us Linehaul guys wouldn't be blamed.
Don't know if anything was missing out of any of the trailers or not. I guess we'll find out today. :shift:
 
I would never drive a set with the pintle hook not working properly. It is very unsafe. There are two ways that this plunger will not come out. If you look up underneath behind the wall where the pintle hook is you will see a cam it looks like a brake cam. Either the cam is no good or the air line to the cam is broken. Do not drive it that way, you could lose the rear trailer. Its a easy fix if its just the air line, Not so easy if its the cam. Every thing gets all rusted out up in there.
 
Our "snubbers" have a rod that comes out of a "brake can", which is mounted right on the dolly itself.

Which brings up another question....................

Do we have two seperate kinds of snubbers at Con-way?

Last night I noticed that some will engage and stay engaged as soon as activated with air, while others only seem to work when the brakes are applied, and then rod "returns" once you let off the brakes.

Sorry for all the stupid questions. I could probably answer this myself if I were to trace the air lines, but it is always dark, and I always seem to be rushed.

Thanks in advance. :shift:
 
PedalPumper said:
Our "snubbers" have a rod that comes out of a "brake can", which is mounted right on the dolly itself.

Which brings up another question....................

Do we have two seperate kinds of snubbers at Con-way?

Last night I noticed that some will engage and stay engaged as soon as activated with air, while others only seem to work when the brakes are applied, and then rod "returns" once you let off the brakes.

Sorry for all the stupid questions. I could probably answer this myself if I were to trace the air lines, but it is always dark, and I always seem to be rushed.

Thanks in advance. :shift:
Click to expand...

The snubber rod should be tight when trailer brakes are released. The point of this is to keep slack out of the pintle hook so trailers don't sway going down the road.
 
Thanks Bigfoot,
That's what I had thought, but was second guessing myself..
I really appreciate your reply (and your patience).

The last couple dollies that I picked would only activate with the service brakes applied, and then they would retract back when you let off the brakes. (and I don't know why)

I even had someone else step on the brakes a few times for me (instead of using the blue button), and I witnessed the rod move in and out. driver told me it was normal, but I didn't think so.
I will start red tagging them tonight.

:shift:
 
PedalPumper said:
Thanks Bigfoot,
That's what I had thought, but was second guessing myself..
I really appreciate your reply (and your patience).

The last couple dollies that I picked would only activate with the service brakes applied, and then they would retract back when you let off the brakes. (and I don't know why)

I even had someone else step on the brakes a few times for me (instead of using the blue button), and I witnessed the rod move in and out. driver told me it was normal, but I didn't think so.
I will start red tagging them tonight.

:shift:
Click to expand...

No problem. If you have questions pretty much everyone out here is willing to help. Unless it is otherwise stated, pretty much everyone is giving you an opinion. You have to take everything and weight it out and see what you come up with. More than just one opinion is always helpful. :shift:
 
What would be the purpose of deploying the snubber only when the brakes are applied?
 
Okay, I finally figured out what was happening.
The driver that was applying the service brakes for me, was also playing with the red protection valve at the same time. :rolleyes1:

Now it makes sense. :shift:
 
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