I start feeder next week any advice

diesel96

Well-Known Member
yes, Last month the air line on my rear trailer pop off in the middle of rush hour doing about 68 mph. All I saw was smoke in my mirrors and cars locking them up as well. Managed to drag my set a long way to the shoulder luckily without hitting anybody only to to find my trailer tires exposing the steel belts....My advice, don't panic and change your underwear when you get home....Good luck and get some sleep.
 
Yes.don`t drive like your still in package. Slow down and use your head. Space and Vis are your friends. Watch your clearances,know where your corners are at all times.
 
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pickup

Guest
nefarious , i assume the training is going to culminate in you taking the road test for a cdl a?
 
yes, Last month the air line on my rear trailer pop off in the middle of rush hour doing about 68 mph. All I saw was smoke in my mirrors and cars locking them up as well. Managed to drag my set a long way to the shoulder luckily without hitting anybody only to to find my trailer tires exposing the steel belts....My advice, don't panic and change your underwear when you get home....Good luck and get some sleep.

68? Whats the truck speed limit in Fl?
 
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pickup

Guest
yes, Last month the air line on my rear trailer pop off in the middle of rush hour doing about 68 mph. All I saw was smoke in my mirrors and cars locking them up as well. Managed to drag my set a long way to the shoulder luckily without hitting anybody only to to find my trailer tires exposing the steel belts....My advice, don't panic and change your underwear when you get home....Good luck and get some sleep.

I am only using this as an example of what can happen when your airlines are not completely secure. When you hook up your airlines, the fit is usually pretty secure, but SOMETIMES , the fit is loose and if so, the probability of them coming off is greater . What you can do is take a hammer and lightly bang the groove (lack of better word) on the trailer glad hand and move it slightly so that the gladhand is snugly in place and hence your airline will stay coupled. If you do it right, the airline will come off when you take it off and you did a favor for anyone else driving that trailer in the future. Also, when you cut a sharp turn in the yard after hooking up.. When you straighten out, take a look at your glad hands of airlines . Have they moved at all? If they did, ,its hammer time. Two Slight tap is all that is needed sometimes. My method, not ups's , but never had a glad hand come off during a trip. But that is for the future, if you are training to take a road test, let us know, because you can't driver a feeder if you can't pass the road test (which can be arbitrary depending on who in the dmv is grading you)
 

diesel96

Well-Known Member
68? Whats the truck speed limit in Fl?

70 mph--I 95 65mph in busier urban districts.....no triples

I am only using this as an example of what can happen when your airlines are not completely secure. When you hook up your airlines, the fit is usually pretty secure, but SOMETIMES , the fit is loose and if so, the probability of them coming off is greater . What you can do is take a hammer and lightly bang the groove (lack of better word) on the trailer glad hand and move it slightly so that the gladhand is snugly in place and hence your airline will stay coupled. If you do it right, the airline will come off when you take it off and you did a favor for anyone else driving that trailer in the future. Also, when you cut a sharp turn in the yard after hooking up.. When you straighten out, take a look at your glad hands of airlines . Have they moved at all? If they did, ,its hammer time. Two Slight tap is all that is needed sometimes. My method, not ups's , but never had a glad hand come off during a trip. But that is for the future, if you are training to take a road test, let us know, because you can't driver a feeder if you can't pass the road test (which can be arbitrary depending on who in the dmv is grading you)

MT Chasis trailer FSTU 600 series missing the glad handle safety guard are nortorious, I carry duct tape now. Good advise Pickup on making sharp turns, especially with flat bed A4 air trailers......
 

diesel96

Well-Known Member
I'm off to train next week any advice or good stories about your experience in feeders...

Don't worry...you will suck shifting/downshifting and backing. We all did our first time, even driving manuel and clutch vehicles all my life....it's all about shifting in the RPM sweetspot barely depressing the clutch, it will get better:peaceful:....
 

UPS Lifer

Well-Known Member
If you took your training during the day - you really had no reason to look at your clearance lights on the trailers. You will probably be driving at night - get use to watching those lights in your mirrors at night.
 

upandcomer

Well-Known Member
Don't worry...you will suck shifting/downshifting and backing. We all did our first time, even driving manuel and clutch vehicles all my life....it's all about shifting in the RPM sweetspot barely depressing the clutch, it will get better:peaceful:....

When I was younger I drove part-time in college at a local lumberyard.
How does UPS teach their drivers to shift? I am curious because I assume UPS teaches double clutching because that is the "correct" procedure. I never learned to actually do this, I always did the: gas, neutral, gas, gear method, and never had a problem.
 

blaeux35

Active Member
dont get frustrated building sets, it gets easier. also, if at all possible dont have an empty chassis box as your rear trailer. the air line can pop of very easily once it hits the chassis on bumpy roads.
 

rushfan

Well-Known Member
Get out of the "package car" frame of mind. Be careful and slow down.

They taught us to double clutch just for the state exam. After that, there's no need to.

I weave a tarp strap between the glad hands and light cord to secure them on the chassis boxes. We've had glad hands come off, and as you know, blue/black is coming from you tires.

If your training is intense as mine was, expect to make mistakes. I think they look for someone who will succeed even after training. You may loose sleep over it. I did since I never drove anything bigger than a u haul prior.

If you pass, don't act like you know everything-you will learn quite a bit after training. Expect a phone call early in the morning to cover a run that just came up.

It's an ongoing learning process.

After 2 years of doing this, I still cannot back a dolly when connected to a trailer.

After a while, you'll enjoy it more than package, and will never want to go back.
 

outta hours

Well-Known Member
Congratulations. You now work for a different company. Like the other guys said slow down. Keep your routine the same every time you hook up,drop,snap a set together,etc. That will eliminate careless mistakes. Realize that you will learn more from other drivers than you could possibly learn from your 2 week training with your on road.

The learning process is ongoing in feeders. So many different situations that will come up there is no way you could cover all of them in advance. Ask questions. If your not sure if your skill level will be able to complete the task don't be too proud to admit it. Many times especially at CPU accounts you will look at where the trailer is supposed to be spotted and think "no freaking way" I can I get it in there. Plan your path on backing. If 10 people have to move their car for you to get it in, so be it ask them to move.

Enjoy your new job stay relaxed. And as always ask questions here and these guys can give you lots of help.
 

mattwtrs

Retired Senior Member
Let us know if they have you learn the definition of a "Defensive Driver". I seem to remember it starting out like, "A defensive driver does not allow the lack of experience...." I went to feeder school back in 1974 and we had to learn that along with the 5 Seeing Habits.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Let us know if they have you learn the definition of a "Defensive Driver". I seem to remember it starting out like, "A defensive driver does not allow the lack of experience...." I went to feeder school back in 1974 and we had to learn that along with the 5 Seeing Habits.

I don't recall much Defensive driving training---they always wanted us to be AGGRESSIVE- BUT UNDER CONTROL. (what ever the hell that means) :happy2:
 

yeldarb

Well-Known Member
They will tell you never to backing a trailer and dolly but it is a good skill to have, when your sent to shag a trailer at an on or off ramp in a storm. I had a cpu away from everyone and everything which I had to hook a set, and I kept practicing there, without having to worry about anyone watching, or hitting anything. Just make sure the height and alignment is good.
 

City Driver

Well-Known Member
backing a pup with a dolly into another pup is one of the hardest things there is to do with truck driving in my opinion......i can do it, but it takes me a while....most of the guys at my terminal are the same way, or they cant do it at all
 
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