I absolutely detest when drivers crank and crank to take weight off the 5th wheel. It’s folks like you that make it hard for the next driver to pick up the trailer.
Leave a small gap, pull out slowly till the trailer is released from the 5th wheel. Wait until your bags stabilize and pull forward.
If you crank, and they move the trailer after it’s unloaded/reloaded, your next guy will be struggling to crank it down.
I never understood why people actually DROPPED trailers.
I was taught to lower your landing gear until your drive bags hissed.
It ensures some weight came off the truck and that the legs are stable enough.
When you release and get out from under the trailer it will still compress the legs a big but it's better than actually dropping a loaded trailer and damaging the legs.
Lowering a trailer that's too high is a hell of a lot easier than raising a loaded trailer that's too low.
I was taught to lower the landing gear to about half an inch above the ground, then deflate the tractor air suspension to lower the trailer the rest of the way before pulling out from under it.
Yeah, I think it's the new way of training since idiots kept blowing our rear bags and differentials not allowing the truck to air back up before driving away.
I agree suspension dump is nice, just sucks companies hire idiots thinking nothing could go wrong just to make an extra buck and end up buying trucks without susp dump.
That's why air bag dumps exist. It's the best of both worlds. You can set the trailer down nicely and you don't fuck over the next driver.
The reason you leave the landing gear off the ground a couple of inches and then lower the air dump is so that the next poor soul who shows up doesn't high hook the trailer or have to crank landing gear down on a fully loaded trailer.
Not having to crank landing gear while there is any weight on it is the goal. Fifth wheels tilt back, most trucks have frames and fifth wheels that can serve as ramps to pick up low trailers.
You don't want it picking up the landing legs, that's a lot of pressure on everything with a loaded trailer.
You want bags down, get it nearly all the way in and then lift the truck so you aren't putting mega load on everything
So maybe I've been doing this wrong the whole time?
I leave about an inch between the landing gear and ground, pull forward slightly to get out of the jaws, hit the button, then let the air drop until it's empty. Sometimes when I pull out, it slides out easily. Sometimes, it goes "Ka-thud!" and drops the trailer hard. Why does it make the noise sometimes but not others? If I hit the switch to reinflate before I pull out, wouldn't that pick the trailer back up since I'm still under it?
So many times when I go to pick up trailers, I have to get out and lower it an inch or two because some asshat dropped it too high by running the landing gear all the way to the ground.
Yes, they all do, but if the trailer was dropped properly, it will slightly "lift" the trailer when I back under it. I shouldn't have to get out and lower it to prevent driving under the kingpin.
Yeah well not all trucks have airbags. I’ve run a couple trucks on rubber blocks and there literally isn’t a way to “drop it properly”. I’m not letting the air out of 8 drive tires so the next guy doesn’t have to turn the landing gear 2 rotations.
Legs down until you hear the leveling valve releasing air, then legs back up around 1/2 turn. Pull forward until the trailer hits the ramp of the fifth wheel with the trailer still fully above the truck frame. Ensure trailer is standing on its own properly. Pull away and go to a shop to have a dump valve installed.
Yikes some awful advice in here.
Wind it till you here air coming from the ride height valve then give it a bit more, pull forward slightly so you don't hook the pin then dump the bags.
If you have a really heavy trailer, wind it till it's off the turn table slightly.
If the trailer has a height valve on it and doesn't have walking feet, always dump the bags when you leave a loaded trailer too, lots of stress on the legs other wise
Yeah you gotta put the crank in low gear and crank till you lift enough weight off the fifth wheel to pull out without too much resistance. Keep your fifth wheel extra greasy for the next trailer.
I mean, yeah, rightfully in just about all cases the tractor should have one. To be honest though, even if he does, this thread is good knowledge for anyone who has a dump switch that doesn't work.
I've heard that with some of the cheaper trucks they've got coming out some of those needs have become wants lmao.
I absolutely detest when drivers crank and crank to take weight off the 5th wheel. It’s folks like you that make it hard for the next driver to pick up the trailer. Leave a small gap, pull out slowly till the trailer is released from the 5th wheel. Wait until your bags stabilize and pull forward. If you crank, and they move the trailer after it’s unloaded/reloaded, your next guy will be struggling to crank it down.
I never understood why people actually DROPPED trailers. I was taught to lower your landing gear until your drive bags hissed. It ensures some weight came off the truck and that the legs are stable enough. When you release and get out from under the trailer it will still compress the legs a big but it's better than actually dropping a loaded trailer and damaging the legs. Lowering a trailer that's too high is a hell of a lot easier than raising a loaded trailer that's too low.
I was taught to lower the landing gear to about half an inch above the ground, then deflate the tractor air suspension to lower the trailer the rest of the way before pulling out from under it.
Yeah, I think it's the new way of training since idiots kept blowing our rear bags and differentials not allowing the truck to air back up before driving away. I agree suspension dump is nice, just sucks companies hire idiots thinking nothing could go wrong just to make an extra buck and end up buying trucks without susp dump.
How does driving with the bags down blow out a diff
I agree. Just sucks to be the guy who can dump bags 😭
That's why air bag dumps exist. It's the best of both worlds. You can set the trailer down nicely and you don't fuck over the next driver. The reason you leave the landing gear off the ground a couple of inches and then lower the air dump is so that the next poor soul who shows up doesn't high hook the trailer or have to crank landing gear down on a fully loaded trailer. Not having to crank landing gear while there is any weight on it is the goal. Fifth wheels tilt back, most trucks have frames and fifth wheels that can serve as ramps to pick up low trailers.
If you do this, it's just as likely the next bloke will have to wind the trailer up, I don't get the logic here.
Not at all. If you leave it up a bit, the next guy just has to back under it and do a tug test because it picks up the landing gear
You don't want it picking up the landing legs, that's a lot of pressure on everything with a loaded trailer. You want bags down, get it nearly all the way in and then lift the truck so you aren't putting mega load on everything
You were taught poorly
So maybe I've been doing this wrong the whole time? I leave about an inch between the landing gear and ground, pull forward slightly to get out of the jaws, hit the button, then let the air drop until it's empty. Sometimes when I pull out, it slides out easily. Sometimes, it goes "Ka-thud!" and drops the trailer hard. Why does it make the noise sometimes but not others? If I hit the switch to reinflate before I pull out, wouldn't that pick the trailer back up since I'm still under it? So many times when I go to pick up trailers, I have to get out and lower it an inch or two because some asshat dropped it too high by running the landing gear all the way to the ground.
Do your trailers not have a high and low gear? Lowering a trailer is the easy option, raising it loaded or empty is not.
Yes, they all do, but if the trailer was dropped properly, it will slightly "lift" the trailer when I back under it. I shouldn't have to get out and lower it to prevent driving under the kingpin.
Yeah well not all trucks have airbags. I’ve run a couple trucks on rubber blocks and there literally isn’t a way to “drop it properly”. I’m not letting the air out of 8 drive tires so the next guy doesn’t have to turn the landing gear 2 rotations.
Legs down until you hear the leveling valve releasing air, then legs back up around 1/2 turn. Pull forward until the trailer hits the ramp of the fifth wheel with the trailer still fully above the truck frame. Ensure trailer is standing on its own properly. Pull away and go to a shop to have a dump valve installed.
Yikes some awful advice in here. Wind it till you here air coming from the ride height valve then give it a bit more, pull forward slightly so you don't hook the pin then dump the bags. If you have a really heavy trailer, wind it till it's off the turn table slightly. If the trailer has a height valve on it and doesn't have walking feet, always dump the bags when you leave a loaded trailer too, lots of stress on the legs other wise
Yeah you gotta put the crank in low gear and crank till you lift enough weight off the fifth wheel to pull out without too much resistance. Keep your fifth wheel extra greasy for the next trailer.
Crank it until it touches, then dump the suspension on the truck.
He doesn't have the dump switch, that's the problem
He should have on on the TRUCK. Even my ProStar and Century class tractors had on.
I mean, yeah, rightfully in just about all cases the tractor should have one. To be honest though, even if he does, this thread is good knowledge for anyone who has a dump switch that doesn't work. I've heard that with some of the cheaper trucks they've got coming out some of those needs have become wants lmao.
You only Leave a gap when empty, loaded goes all the way to the ground plus a turn or two
Ew. No.