Coldworld
60 months and counting
You try just pushing in the red button??
Ask a Feeder Driver, Feeder Driver FAQ
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Indecisi0n
Well-Known Member
Yes but it wouldn't hold.
Coldworld
60 months and counting
The hand valve would engage the trailer brakes with the red and yellow buttons pushed in but for some reason it flipped up then the set could roll...
Indecisi0n
Well-Known Member
Which is why I don't want to check it that way.
Do not ever, for any reason, get out of the tractor with both those buttons pushed in.
Indecisi0n
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't have tried just based on the theory. That's why I was asking. Just trying to understand how everything works.
Funny, they only pay us mileage for personal vehicle, not hourly for driving our own vehicle. Is there wording in the contract about this?
govols019
You smell that?
If you put the trailer number in the IVIS and dispatch doesn't send you a schedule update before you get to the gate then you are "supposed" to call it out.
Sorta sounded like you were thinking about it so I just wanted to be very clear.
Coldworld
60 months and counting
I don’t think that pushing in the yellow button is part of the methods... that’s just the rigs brakes and should always be pulled out whenever you are stopped in the yard for any length of time..
Coldworld
60 months and counting
Did they teach you to do that??
Rick Ross
I'm into distribution!!
That lever is sometimes called by another name, a Johnson bar. That will probably be your favorite name ever!
trickpony1
Well-Known Member
The older hand levers used to have "not to be used for parking" printed on the handle.
The hand lever is used to secure your trailer when you back under it and to provide brakes, so your truck doesn't roll, at stop lights. Nothing else.
The hand lever is used to secure your trailer when you back under it and to provide brakes, so your truck doesn't roll, at stop lights. Nothing else.
trickpony1
Well-Known Member
EDIT:
...and to check your brake lights during pre trip.
...and to check your brake lights during pre trip.
Dracula
Package Car is cake compared to this...
Sounds like the air wasn’t built up enough to hold the trailer brakes. When you’re doing your pre-trip, and you set your brakes, meaning red valve (trailer brakes) in and hand valve engaged (valve down), you ALWAYS keep your yellow valve (tractor brakes) pulled out.
Anytime you step out of that tractor, always, ALWAYS, pull the yellow valve out, setting the tractor brakes. If you don’t, you’re gonna have a rollaway.
With very few exceptions, the only time your red valve will be out is when you are getting ready to separate from the trailer.
When you’re doing a pre-trip, the red valve is in, yellow valve is out and the hand valve is down. You do this for three reasons.
One, yellow valve out, to keep your equipment secure, because the tractor brakes are on.
Two, red valve in, turning on the air to the red lines, which controls the trailer brakes. You do this to check for air leaks on the red glad hands, lines and brake chambers.
Three, you drop (set) the hand valve, which is part of your service lines, same as your brake pedal. These are your blue lines and blue glad hands. This engages the trailer brakes and all of your brake lights. This lets you check for air leaks in your blue glad hands and lines, and your brake lights.
The hand valve is also used for your very last check, which is, you put it in drive, drive forward a few feet and drop it. This is to check that your trailer brakes are working. Your trailers should abruptly stop. If they slowly stop, you can still drive with them, but they should be red-tagged when you get where you’re going as, “slack adjusters need adjusting.” If the trailers don’t stop at all, then, obviously, your trailer brakes aren’t working, and you need to go to shop.
One more redundancy an old-timer showed me, is during the pre-trip, when you’re at the back trailer, turn on both of your valves below the the glad hand connections. You should hear air hissing. If not, you forgot to turn on your air, either in the cab, or at the front trailer.
I do this all by muscle memory, but typing it, I’m hoping I haven’t overlooked anything. But just remember, yellow valve out, red valve in and hand valve down. And if your hand valve won’t stay down, write it up.
Dracula
Package Car is cake compared to this...
And when I say if you dont pull your yellow valve when you leave the tractor every time, I mean as a rule. When you’re pre-tripping, and the hand valve is down, nothing is going to move while you are hooked up. I’m referring in general. When you stop on the road, you don’t pull your red valve, only the yellow. If you forget it then, it could get ugly.
Just keep it in your head, opening the door, make sure that yellow valve is pulled.
Just keep it in your head, opening the door, make sure that yellow valve is pulled.
trickpony1
Well-Known Member
Inde needs to print post #4159 and read it numerous times while he's waiting in the yard.
We don't want a thread by Inde entitled, "I had a roll away and got fired...what should I do?".
I use the seatbelt to hold the hand lever down.
We don't want a thread by Inde entitled, "I had a roll away and got fired...what should I do?".
I use the seatbelt to hold the hand lever down.
retiredTxfeeder
cap'n crunch
Some tractors I drove, the hand valve wouldn't stay engaged unless you went all the way down.
Johney
Well-Known Member
I know you did.
Dracula
Package Car is cake compared to this...
And almost all rentals won’t hold. They have that “test light” button, which cycles through all of your lights, like the new KWs. Except that won’t let you detect a leak in the service lines.
