Tampa shifter mishap

[freeloader]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/public...-two-telephone-poles-knocks-out-power/1138804

 

[raceanoncr]

Uh, oh. I predict 10 more questions added to the 10 (or is it 60?) point commentary!

 

[rod]

How can you drive a rig with the trailer raised higher than normal? Did he have a lift kit installed in the rear of his tractor?

 

[raceanoncr]

"Yard tractor, yard buggy, hostler, shifter, piece o chit". Whatever you wanna call it, it's those white or, used to be, yellow half-cabs that run around the yard and sometimes cross city or county streets (if they're licensed). Can raise 5th wheel more than a foot above normal so they don't hafta get out and crank legs up and down each time for hundreds of moves each day or night.

 

[pickup]

How can you drive a rig with the trailer raised higher than normal? Did he have a lift kit installed in the rear of his tractor?

I apologize for the music in this vid but at 1:50 or so , you can see a "shifter" hooked up to a set of doubles, notice how the front gets raised (looks like time lapse photography at that point, but you can see the front of the trailer is now raised)?

Sometimes shifters at various companies go off property for whatever reasons. When they do, they should not raise the fifth wheel but should just get under the trailer with the fifth wheel lowered and get out and raise the landing gear. Otherwise you run the risk of hitting telephone and power wires.
[video=youtube;jyrKVM7bs_4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyrKVM7bs_4[/video]

 

[raceanoncr]

^^^^^^^
This guy's BRILLIANT!!!

Gee, makes me wish I could go back and have some fun again. NOT!!!!!!!!!

 

[rod]

"Yard tractor, yard buggy, hostler, shifter, piece o chit". Whatever you wanna call it, it's those white or, used to be, yellow half-cabs that run around the yard and sometimes cross city or county streets (if they're licensed). Can raise 5th wheel more than a foot above normal so they don't hafta get out and crank legs up and down each time for hundreds of moves each day or night.

now it makes sense ----- thanks

we had something like that at our center for a few years but I think it was just a POS retired tractor that they painted white with a brush. If it had that up-down feature it must have been broke or else nobody knew about it because I never saw it operate that way.

 

[PhatAzz]

It's hard to see the "Trailer Jockey's" rouge with the video shot at night. Didn't even get a close up of their face. My wife wears rouge, too. Whatever floats your boat, right? Although we have had some female shifters operating the "Yard Bird" on our yard in the past. Not sure if they wore rouge while they were working though.

 

[freeloader]

I think they meant to use "rogue" instead of "rouge"!

There are usually 2 types of yard horses in use at UPS buildings - the 50 year old retired tractor that they refuse to get rid of (with 0 features) and the normal/modern yard horse that has the hydraulic 5th wheel that raises and lowers (also hydraulic 5th wheel disconnect). The hydraulic 5th wheel is used to raise and lower trailers so that you dont have to get out and crank the landing gear up and down. The hydraulic 5th wheel disconnect is used to unhook from the trailer without having to get out and manually pull the release handle.