Yeet
Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider
DMVGenie helped me. It’s a free app. Just kept taking the tests over and over until I started consistently passing with a 98% or better.
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BigUnionGuy
Got the T-Shirt
Anyone having issues with their shop disconnecting the automatic 5th wheel release and making them manual? There’s been some issues with getting parts for the 5th wheels but it’s been found that if they’re kept well lubed it’s not so much a problem. My shop will automatically disconnect them even if there’s no issue.
2Down2Many2Go
Well-Known Member
You must have a 251 Freightliner or newer, either way I thought the tractors with automatic release could not be released manually.
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
Yes.
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quad decade guy
Well-Known Member
Not true.
They can be released. However, it can be very difficult. I drive one and have a puller in case.
Road calls occur when faulty.
Mgmt doesn't like road calls....thus the deactivation.
I love my auto release. Really useful and sure is cleaner and safer on the body.
2Down2Many2Go
Well-Known Member
Right so they can't be released manually without being deactivated by the shop ? Either way a driver I know couldn't get the fifth wheel to release manually, and that's how he learned about the automatic release.
Yeet
Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider
You can still manually pull the pin on auto release tractors. It’s a pain in the ass, but you can do it. I’ve been told it’s more of a quick yank motion rather than pull like the older fifth wheels.
Yeet
Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider
Not here. All of ours are still functional and I’ve only ever had one instance where it didn’t work and that’s only because the entire panel was fried. 4 ways, bag dump, auto release, LDW, TC, the whole board. That one went back to the dealer.
trickpony1
Well-Known Member
Yeet
Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider
I wouldn’t do it repeatedly. Just to get you out of a pinch and red tag it as soon as you get it back to the yard. Yanking on a pin like that will definitely mess you up.
HEFFERNAN
Huge Member
The shop gave us a can of chain lube to use periodically on the connector.
Haven't had a problem since with the automatic release.
I do seem to have issues connecting to the pin which scares me.
Sometimes takes 2-3 backs to get it to hold. Not sure if it's just my tractor.
Regardless, I'll never hook up with a trailer unless I can pull-test it immediately.
Haven't had a problem since with the automatic release.
I do seem to have issues connecting to the pin which scares me.
Sometimes takes 2-3 backs to get it to hold. Not sure if it's just my tractor.
Regardless, I'll never hook up with a trailer unless I can pull-test it immediately.
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
Mine was doing the same thing. Whenever the automatic release was acting up, it wouldn't hook on the first try with the next trailer, like the lock jaw wasn't resetting right or something.
BigUnionGuy
Got the T-Shirt
There was a case out of Local 135, where a guy dropped his back box because of it.
Johney
Well-Known Member
I was going to say, I hope you also do a visual inspection every time because I've had a time or two when the tug test seemed fine, but when doing a visual you could clearly see the latch was not fully locked.
Me too. You're a hack if you're not doing a visual of the latch.
Yeet
Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider
You’re basically asking for it if you don’t. I’ve caught a few times it wasn’t fully latched. Got back in and hit reverse, same thing. Dropped the legs, uncoupled and slammed it again. Then it was fine.
Dispatch asked me to do a CPU to wrap up my day one day. Headed there, did my swap and I’m on the way back. I wasn’t there for 15 minutes. On the way back I see a YRC driver dropped a set on the other side of the road, blocking the entire road on that side. I just missed him or I would have been stuck behind him with no way to turn around.
Johney
Well-Known Member
One night about 3 a.m. I saw an ABF guy lose his back box in the middle of I-95. Drove by and seen him sitting with the front box and dolly about 100 yards down the road then saw the rear in the middle of the road. Weird thing is there was no pads or ABF buildings anywhere.
Yeet
Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider
95 is cursed at night. I ran Palm Bay for 2 years and I can’t tell you how many times FHP had to shut it down due to a fatality. So glad to be off that run.
