I'm new to the trucking business and am just learning about coupling and uncoupling. I found this video very informative. It's definitely going to help me pass the written test, because now I understand what the guide book means. Thanks for posting.
Great video! I am a visual learner, so I read the material, while practice the cdl test app, then watching these types of videos is like the cherry on top for me to understand everything completely.
when you have a friend with a truck, or a company, or a paid school helping you get your CDL, its much easier.. a lot of it's common sense.. but for the average joe studying on his own for a CDL for a job he wants who's never seen a truck up close, you don't understand things like 'landing gear' and 5th wheel plates until you actually see them.. then once you see what they're talking about it clicks.. thank you to this man for a clear visual of how the coupling and uncoupling process works. i learned a lot of it on my own already, but if I had seen the detail in this video when I first started, I'd be miles ahead in my test prep..
Wow the only video that actually shows that you must connect the lines (Air/Elec) prior to hooking up to the trailer, as you must do in your CDL Test! Thanks
Reading the book I was honestly confused as all hell i was worried how i was going to pass this part of the test since i had no idea what the book was talking about. this visual was very helpful.
At 2:15 he says about applying trailer brakes, but he applied the tractor Park brake in the video. Also he never does a tug test to make sure the trailer is indeed coupled.
Its best to listen for the fifthwheel to latch. visually duck you your head behind fifthwheel make sure the jaws are engaged.them make sure pull handle is in all way.takes a few seconds but well worth it.better than pulling out and having trailer slide off your frame.seen it done many times
when you dropped the landing gear you dropped the feet all the way to the ground. if trailer is full, you suggest dropping the landing gear even more. I find that this makes it difficult for me, or someone from another truck, to raise the landing gear later since the crank becomes much more difficult to spin. my technique is to drop the trailer by lowering the landing gear to the ground, then back off the crank a spin or two to leave a slight clearance between the feet and the ground. Then I go into the cab and release my air bags to gently drop the trailer to the ground. I slide out easily and anyone picking up the trailer can do so without gorilla effort.
Your way makes sense Jerry. Question, should a tug test be done prior to hooking up the air lines so you know the fifth wheel jaws are locked around the kingpin? Or do you attach the air lines and do a tug test in order to check the trailer brakes? Also, it seems like it would be a good idea to chock the wheels of the trailer prior to coupling to make sure the trailer doesn't move. I'm a brand new driver and would really appreciate your feedback.Thanks
After connecting the Air Lines to the trailer and making sure they're not crushed Etc, from the cab push in the Air Supply knob and move the tractor protection valve from the emergency to the normal position to Supply Air to the trailer brake system. You wait until the air pressure is normal. Check the brake system for cross Airlines. Shut engine off so you can hear the brakes, apply and relief trailer brakes and listen for sound of trailer brakes being applied and released. You should hear the brakes move when applied an air Escape when the brakes are released. Check air brake system pressure gauge for signs of major air loss. When you were sure trailer brakes are working, start engine. Make sure air pressure is up to normal. Then you pull out the Air Supply knob and move the tractor protection valve control from normal to emergency. Only then do you back under the trailer using the lowest reverse gear and avoiding heading the Kingpin too hard and stopping when the Kingpin is locked into the fifth wheel.
Very clear and easy to understand! Ok, look... I'm actually just playing grand theft auto 5, a video game, and I'm driving semi trucks. I like to pretend its real life so I watch thus video and copy it in the game!
Seems some hook up air and electrical and some don't before backing all the way up and locking in the king pin. Can't seem to find explanation for either method.
This is a hell of a lot more check-this-check-that then I'm accustomed to although I damn sure recommend what you say as well as tugtesting with engagement of the trailer brake AFTER connection of the airlines. If you've done a visual verification as well as tugging immediately after you believe you've hitched then that's 3x assurance on the hitch as well as that your airlines + trailer air brakes are operative.
I recall pulling into a yard with an eleven Ft. wide 7 axle to pick up a machine. It was next to a "truck driving school." The instructor came over to the fence and acted like we were old buddies then his class showed up. While watching them learn a bunch of worthless useless garbage I laughed so hard I nearly wet my pants. It's no wonder we have people driving 5 axle rigs who don't even have the faintest idea of what they're doing. As a really old timer told me once, "The golden years of truck driving are long gone." Now I know what he meant.
1. It doesn't make any sense to chock your trailer wheels on the front side - if you push it, it's gonna go back. 2. Before you couple (after connecting air hoses and electric) you take off those chocks. Then why not to supply some air into the trailer brakes and not to secure it ???
Like damage the kingpin your truck should lift the tailor when you back up a little bit under it if it does lift its the right height. But if your truck go str8 under that means it's to high need to be lower down some.
You might have the kingpin a little bit to the left or to the right. If you back up and don't notice it will go up and over the fifth wheel now you won't be able to get out of it unless your trailer legs can come down alot
"pull out the trailer parking brake control knob to lock the trailer" what and where is the trailer parking brake control knob?Is it traitor parking brake control knob?
You would hitch by Lowering them, then reversing to come under, Raising, then continuing to reverse until hitched (where 5th wheel height is enough to permit). Tug test then get out and inspect + retraction of legs and connection of lines and lights. Unhitch by releasing turntable, pull forward slightly out, Lower the bags, continue forward completely out, then Raise or equalise them .. or keep them lowered if the immediate next action is another coupling
Either you forgot to put a tug test in or you haven't learned that a tug test is one of the main instructions to do while uncoupling and coupling the trailer.
Wrong. It is now taught now that you hook the gladhands and you unhook the gladhands working from blue to red. blue should always be connected first and disconnected last.
I don't know what these "drivers" do now since I've been retired over 26 years. But in my day if I fiddled and farted around like this expert does I'd have been looking for a job. And then again I'd like to see them show how make a flying truck and trailer hookup. From what I've seen on the highway there's one thing I've found. These truck herders have no common courtesy for each other in any way. A real driver knows how to use his lights to help others. The people driving 5 axle rigs now act like a bunch of self centered inconsiderate asses.
As a safety coordinator, I appreciate a little fiddle-farting around. I found this video looking for a guide so that me, a person who never hauled a trailer in his life outside of the army, can show these truck hauling veterans how to do their job. Thanks to this video, it was very easy to point out which step was skipped that just cost my company upwards of $10,000 dollars. Safety is no accident. Sure, do it quickly. But I'll take someone who wastes a minute ensuring they do all the right steps over someone willing to roll the dice with someone else's money. I also agree driver's can be inconsiderate a-holes, but this isn't limited to truck drivers. At least these drivers are working. I always give them room and the benefit of the doubt.
