Yard dogs do touch landing gear, it's part of the Pre-Trip, we check it for the departing driver, we have gotten loads rejected at Schneider with the Milk runs we do because there was a defect in landing gear.
Of course this is tankers, but even with Dryvan/intermodal we still were required to rotate them each way to ensure they move correctly before taking them to a door or a yard spot.
And I've had to lift up trailers and re-adjust the landing gear because of certain inclines at our site MCO5, so it really depends on the yard and the company policies, but never say yard dogs don't touch landing gear.
Probably, I've driven all 48 and seen a good amount check gear and lights besides hooking up the red line to move, mostly when I went to tanker most of those companies do Pre-Trip on trailers due to hazard or food grade, but I just wanted to clarify since you said they don't.
Yeah, I can’t speak for tankers honestly so I’ve got no reason to doubt you. Just speaking from my experience. Unless it’s a company that hauls their own freight (excluding some tankers) I don’t see hostlers doing pre trips. That’s the drivers job.
Yard dogs definitely do… idk about Walmart ones specifically but a place I drop, we have 1 truck and 4 trailers, I’ve always dropped it the same way and drop and pick up in the same 2 spots; about an inch or two above the ground, drop the bags, pull out.
Two weeks ago it was a bit high, few cranks on the handle and it was fine but last week the king pin would’ve cleared my entire fifth wheel by at least 4 inches, and of course the trailers were too close together to even turn the handle.
Hard dogs comes over and offers to pull it out for me, which he does and even cranks down the gear. He then stopped by my window and said something to tune of “I keep telling that dumb f—- to stop doing that! (Referring to another yard dog) I’ve had to come out here and lower at least 30 god damn trailers yesterday!”
So there’s at least 1 yard dog in the country that messes with the landing gear for some reason.
And yes, they have the usual yard trucks which jack up the fifth wheel itself… why he does it, I haven’t a clue.
They might if they had to pick up a high trailer that was dropped on a hump.
I ran a spotter at a paper mill, located near a river. There wasn’t a level spot to be found in most of the lots we serviced. Sometimes the tandems were in a dip-trailer too high.
Also, that suspension will drop if the trailer has not been moved for a few days.
Yeah, but you could just raise your fifth wheel right? You don’t have to crack the landing gears up if a trailer is too high. You have ramps and a hydraulic fifth wheel plate. I could see if someone dropped a trailer without lowering the landing gear at all maybe
Security called us “Yard Bitch.” The job itself blew, but the pay was great and the schedule was amazing. I only left, after 6 years, because I found something even better.
Yeah, I just got to cranking. But in 15 years of driving, I always thought you needed bags rated for and sized for over inflation. And I didn’t even know I can overinflate with the leveling valve. I love learning shit. All of the 26s moving forward in our Fleet will come equipped with the toggle on our dash. I can’t wait. I’m still in a 25.
Ours are a hit or miss between the local/bulk trucks, but sometimes we can't crank so we'll grab the goat driver or I've even hopped into the forklift myself and done it thay way
You know it when you see it lol. I got downvoted to oblivion for suggesting leaving 1-2 inches between the pad and the ground. And everyone saying it’s because the yards are uneven and un level. And getting down voted for saying not our DCs lol. If you know you know🤝
New driver here, how are you supposed to drop a trailer?
What I was taught is to crank it in high gear until you encounter resistance, then give it another 1/8 turn, pull the handle out, and let it hang (don’t stow handle when dropping, only when picking up). Is that not correct? Is that making it miserable for the next person who picks up the trailer?
You’re correct I’m not throwing the handle, but we leave an inch or two between the sand shoe and the ground. If you are loaded, dump your airbags wait till the Sandhu makes contact with the ground and pull out. If you’re empty, pull out slow make sure your trailer settles with your frame rails underneath it then you’re good to go.
If I dump my air and it still doesn’t touch the ground, should I keep cranking until it barely touches the ground, or just drop it as-is regardless of weight?
No, once it runs off your fifth wheel, it should be hitting the ground. If it doesn’t, and it’s sitting on your frame rails, you left your landing gear is too high.
Putting it on the ground then giving a quarter or half turn is the “correct” way to do it.
I had to retake my written test recently and that’s one i got wrong, thought for sure its just “until it makes contact” but nope, “give it an extra turn to make sure” i think was the wording which made me sure that wasn’t the right answer, but it was.
But in practical terms; I always drop it with about an inch or two but I only drop empties, it’s always the same truck and trailer, and our loads aren’t heavy at all even if it was fully loaded <10k lbs light)
Uhh are you sure that that was ACTUALLY the right answer or are you guessing that? Because I’m 99% sure on the written test the question about landing gear correct answer is “lower to ground then raise 1-2 turns up in high gear” in other words leave an inch between landing gear and ground…
Been a driver for awhile now, I crank it till there is an inch to an inch and half till the ground. If it's loaded I then drop the air let it finish lowering to the ground that way. If it's empty I just let it slid off.
That gives it enough drop so that the next truck coming lifts it up during the hook but not low enough that you risk a snake bite.
This is just my experience with dry vans that are not terribly heavy(I drive for walmart) I know different companies have different practices but I have only ever heard of your method when the load is super heavy.
With the handle it's hanging if the trailer is dropped and stowed when it's being moved.
Just to clarify, how heavy is heavy? Are we talking >80k or just towards the upper end of 80, because I’m on reefer and so far, I think I’ve seen two loads under 70k, but most of them are probably like 78k.
I was taught “gear down, handle down. Gear up, handle up.”
The idea was if you’re connected to the trailer, the handle gets stowed. If you drop the trailer, you leave the handle hanging down (not sticking out like when you’re in high gear). I don’t really know why though.
Ahh ok, you meant hanging loose not sticking out. Ya, that's fine. Every day though I see drivers dropping the trailer and leaving the handle sticking straight out. Just boggles me.
Walmart has 3 different trucks they are running right now. Peterbuilt, Freightliner, and International. That's not counting the 3 million mile plus drivers. It's a known thing that the International trucks are a little taller at the fifth wheel and sometimes will drop them a little higher if the driver doesn't pay attention.
The variance in height between trucks is way more than a couple inches. On my 45-ton crane the top of the 5th wheel is at neck height, over a foot higher than yours is mounted at.
Some trucks haul heavy and require double or even triple frame which raises the 5th wheel significantly. Also being able to dump and inflate your air suspension to gain 6"-10" of vertical travel helps.
No, you’re 100% right. I used to haul permit loads and ran a double frame. I just saying all the trucks that run in and out of our DC’s are all highway freight trucks. Unless they’re running bigger tires, they’re pretty standard on fifth wheel height
Well, then they might be specced differently. We have a huge Fleet and run freightliners, Peterbilt, Kenworth, and international, and they are all the same height.
OK, yes every plot that you build on has to be sloped for drainage, but we’re talking about minute amount otherwise you would get standing water. Nowhere you drop a trailer is going to be bubble level.
Not at my DC’s, I can tell you that. None of our drivers do this, it’s always subcontractors, and I can never figure out why. All of our DC’s are level and paved.
If Walmart warehouse is leveled, how would the rain drains into the storm gutters. Concrete is usually sloped 1 in 10. It may look leveled to the naked eye but most likely it is not leveled. The warehouse floor on the other hand may be leveled.
This is the answer right here. Yes drivers are stupid and drop them high sometimes. But more than likely it's not even yard and then take into account the yard guys never touch him they just moved the trailer and don't adjust the legs. If the ground slopes one way or the other it's either going to be dropped high or low and then think about it going someplace with the opposite ground contour that gets dropped by the yard jockey and boom I picked up one last week that was a foot off a foot a foot that's a whole f** foot in for a 65-year-old guy like me that's a whole lot of f**** cranking
Dude it can be brutal it use to rare but ever since we got this new driver he always drops trailers like 3+ inches above the ground. Now it’s like once a month I get a trailer that my tires can’t even come close to getting under. It definitely fucking sucks
I live haul chickens and our plant drop area is gravel/sand. So, I can’t complain about other drivers and the cages are empty when picking up. However, it’s always an adventure picking up a trailer. Often I can’t back up under a trailer without the tires damaging the trailer winches. Dumping the airbags doesn’t make the tires smaller. I feel your pain.
I have a tall fifth wheel. I do that every time and still the trailer is to high for most. I would have to risk dropping a trailer from a height I'm not comfortable doing.
I’m going to have to agree with you. Here where I’m at we have 3 drivers. Me a 24 Volvo, one a 25 freightliner, other a 25 Volvo. We all leave about an inch, but I’ve had both a high hook. And a low where kingpin hit crossmember before the fifth wheel. One side of yard is flat. Other side has an inch and half lift before hookup.
No lower is better. People do this. And then hostler drivers(yard dogs) hook up take them to the door to be loaded or unloaded. And how they place them down and it then locks the landing gear. All you need to do to get out of it is have the hostler driver hook up and lift it off the ground and raise the landing gear. That why when i drop a trailer i lower my landing gear to about a half of an inch to a an inch off the ground and then lower my air bags. Then drive off
I was just in a situation 20 mins ago watched a guy drop a trailer. I was supposed to pick it up and take it to door. In a day cab. He put it to high and locked the landing gear. I had to call a hostler to picknit up and unlock the gears.
I feel like this pops up once a month at least. Truck heights are different, lot isn't level, and the yard dogs dont ever touch the landing gear. Start cranking
That’s why I have started keeping the landing gear 2/3 inches above the ground before I drop the tractor air so everyone after me never has to deal with this
Your airbags deflating will drop about 3-4 inches. If you drop the trailer correctly by detaching from kingpin and staying under the apron until air is dumped and landing gear is to the ground or very close, it's not an issue.
I'm assuming they're exaggerating or don't know what 2-3 inches looks like, and in reality they're almost touching the ground and then dumping the bags before disconnecting.
you're good people for doing that, wish more drivers would think about next guy like this. had to deal with gear that was cranked all way down so many times and it's such pain in ass to fix
should be standard practice. i didn’t know that when i first started. one time i dropped and hooked for a swap, came back the next day for my swap again that was loaded with 35,000 lbs and had to crank on that thing in the low gear for probably 20+ mins to not be high hooking it. an old timer at that job told me what to do and just laughed.. last time i made that mistake!!
Uneven parking lots. Often, when you hook, it was dropped somewhere else in the lot, moved, loaded/unloaded, moved again. Unless it's all perfectly level, even your own 5th wheel won't match trailer height exactly. Realizing that really made me more forgiving ong haha
Would you rather find the too high or too low? I mean we all want it to be just right but that’s never going to happen 100% of the time. I’d rather them be too high. Just ease under it and lower the gear until it touches. It’s just a little work, it’s not going to hurt you.
Yeah, too high, definitely. It’s not terrible when needs must. I was just saying that this one in particular was wayyyy high. A good five or 6 inches above my fifth wheel plate. None of the trucks I see pulling our trailers ride that high.
When I was otr, I pulled a RGN with a mechanical gooseneck. It’s designed so you set the dumb your bags, get every ready to drop the trailer and then just pull out. But when you back back under it, the rear frame rails of the truck have a slant where it can force itself under and lift the trailer up as you hook up to it. Useful for otr, less parts to maintain compared to its hydraulic counterpart.
Biggest drawback to me was when picking it up with heavy load, drivers have a habit of slamming into it a bit too hard and rattling the whole rig, my self included a few times. My cats and partner were not big fans. The cats would hide every time they heard the back up alarm..
The frame rails design on the other hand, I think should just be the default. It keeps the kingpin high enough as it comes up to not hit that crossmember that’s so prone to damage with low trailers. And would make it a bit easier to get under a trailer on the yard that’s been dropped a little to low of sunk into the ground.
Yeah, heavy haul trucks have ramps where at the end of the frame rails they rolled down towards the ground to get under low stuff. And also pour whatever reason it’s just freightliners, but I’ve seen a lot of freightliners with bolted on ramps on the frame rails leading up to the fifth wheel plate, which I always thought should be standard.
Diameter is greater than 2 inches, 24s are about 7 inches tall than 22s. Always experienced this kind of thing all the time. Most of the time it was tire size that made the height difference.
Well, to be fair, I had to be out of the truck to take the picture and I wasn’t gonna lower it with my mind bullets. But you’re not wrong, little Work never hurt anybody.
Soon our Fleet will be full of those. We only started getting them with our 26s moving forward. I’m still in a 25. The guys that are able to overinflate love them.
Wouldn’t run down the highway like that and obviously there’s limits to how far you can go. But it it’s just to back under this trailer and lift it and inch you’d normally be fine
I was a hostler for a while so I've seen a lot but too high and I can't complain too much, too low and 45k+ and me and the driver will have to have a conversation
There's two doors on the north side that aren't graded properly. We have to move the landing gear down at least a whole foot sometimes two, for the trailer to be level enough for the lock to come up and the dock plate to come down so the forklifts can get in and out without ramping into or out of the trailer.
Sometimes when I pull the north side doors there's 90 other trailer move requests going on and I forget or don't have time to move them back.
I am very happy to come out and lift the weight off them though so you can take them down a notch. Just gotta flag me down or ask the traffic gal to radio me.
If the trailers on level ground, connect your air lines and release the brakes, this can make cranking it down significantly easier, if there’s tension on the landing gear ! Just be careful
Almost every trailer I take out of the big grocery dc in my region. I’ve been told “it’s probably one of the dedicated drivers, they can’t dump their airbags” but it happens way too often. Good workout but sometimes I don’t need the workout and don’t have the extra 10 minutes to play with the landing gear. Really sucks when it’s an old 120xxx trailer.
The yards i grab from the yard dogs like to have the king pin a solid 6 inches from any skid plate I've ever seen pull in. Always have to crank away for like 5 minutes to get it low enough. Every pick up.
That's a Walmart trailer most likely at a DC which most of them are moved by a yard jockey, even the mechanics use yard jockeys, and possible that it was worked or PM'd and most likely they worked the legs up and down while hooked to spotter then dropped it like that, just be happy it's not loaded and too low.
Dropped somewhere with a dip under landing gear,, moved by yard truck with hydraulic fifthwheel, they dropped without dip. Now it is sitting a foot too high. Get over it and crank the handle.
As a yard driver at a Wal-Mart DC (but not one that actually works for wal-mart) the only drivers I see dropping yalls trailers this high is the outside carriers Wal-Mart contracts with to pick up the extra loads. Every one I see an actual Wal-Mart driver dropping I don't have to move my 5th wheel at all to hook to. So my guess is this was an outside carrier dropped this trailer at this location and of course the yard driver ain't gonna crank it. 😄
Yeah, you’re not wrong. Way better high than low especially when the trailer is grossed out. But this was ridiculously high. My plate was tilted up and it was still always off.
That's fair, but too high requires cranking down no matter how much. Too low doesn't require cranking unless your truck literally cannot get under the trailer. Anything in between your truck can pick it up.
The amount of drivers I see cranking as hard as they can to get the landing gear lower baffles me. I just use the shunt to pick it up so no bother for me. But when their buddy comes to pick it up I laugh.
Drop the suspension. Back under the trailer enough so your frame rails are under it. Stick a 4x4 between frame and trailer. Raise the suspension. Crank up the gear enough 3" (you know how to measure that, right?). Drop the suspension. Remove the 4x4 and stow it somewhere the sun doesn't shine. Resume your hookup process just the way your trainer taught you.
I know that trick, done it lots, I was specifically referencing the European trucks that actually have a “raise suspension” function. It would be a pretty cool feature to see on an Edison truck…
One of the trucks I used to drive was several inches taller than all the others on the yard, so when driving it I got into the habit of dumping my air before dropping the trailer so that it would be closer to the right height for the next person.
People crank down the landing gear till they hear air hissing out the airbags thinking that they are stopping it level by its actually stopping the trailer higher than the ride height of the tractors frame. That is why the air is hissing. I've also seen drivers lowering landing gear after the suspension was dropped.
Other factors play into this as well though. When a yard truck moves atrailer from one location to another, the ground may be different from when it was originally dropped causing a height difference. Trucks also have different ride heights.
There are several factors that can all lead to someone dropping a trailer too high or too low. I personally just bring the landing gear down till I feel that resistance in the handle and that's it. You might have to lower it a few cracks but better that then way too high or especially way to low.
We run the landing gear to the ground. All our trucks are the same height. If we drop them to low it's to hard to get underneath them when loaded with 100000 pounds
Well, I can’t speak to that, I don’t pull that weight. Do you go to the ground and then keep cranking until you can’t anymore? Because it looks like this guy did. My fifth wheel was tilted up and it was still a ways off.
BB5er@reddit
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
I can’t speak to number four. But 1,2,3
Lol Yard dogs don’t touch landing gears. They don’t need to.
And our DC’s are always level and paved
AshamedHome@reddit
Yard dogs do touch landing gear, it's part of the Pre-Trip, we check it for the departing driver, we have gotten loads rejected at Schneider with the Milk runs we do because there was a defect in landing gear.
Of course this is tankers, but even with Dryvan/intermodal we still were required to rotate them each way to ensure they move correctly before taking them to a door or a yard spot.
And I've had to lift up trailers and re-adjust the landing gear because of certain inclines at our site MCO5, so it really depends on the yard and the company policies, but never say yard dogs don't touch landing gear.
The more you know my friend!
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Most don’t and ours don’t either. You’re talking about a small percentage I think. Most Hostler don’t need to do a pre-trip.
AshamedHome@reddit
Probably, I've driven all 48 and seen a good amount check gear and lights besides hooking up the red line to move, mostly when I went to tanker most of those companies do Pre-Trip on trailers due to hazard or food grade, but I just wanted to clarify since you said they don't.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I can’t speak for tankers honestly so I’ve got no reason to doubt you. Just speaking from my experience. Unless it’s a company that hauls their own freight (excluding some tankers) I don’t see hostlers doing pre trips. That’s the drivers job.
Lazy-Comment7542@reddit
You drive for Walmart. No TF they aren't I have probably been to more Walmart DCs than you have and most of them are definitely not level. 🤣
Cool_Algae4265@reddit
Yard dogs definitely do… idk about Walmart ones specifically but a place I drop, we have 1 truck and 4 trailers, I’ve always dropped it the same way and drop and pick up in the same 2 spots; about an inch or two above the ground, drop the bags, pull out.
Two weeks ago it was a bit high, few cranks on the handle and it was fine but last week the king pin would’ve cleared my entire fifth wheel by at least 4 inches, and of course the trailers were too close together to even turn the handle.
Hard dogs comes over and offers to pull it out for me, which he does and even cranks down the gear. He then stopped by my window and said something to tune of “I keep telling that dumb f—- to stop doing that! (Referring to another yard dog) I’ve had to come out here and lower at least 30 god damn trailers yesterday!”
So there’s at least 1 yard dog in the country that messes with the landing gear for some reason.
And yes, they have the usual yard trucks which jack up the fifth wheel itself… why he does it, I haven’t a clue.
BB5er@reddit
They might if they had to pick up a high trailer that was dropped on a hump. I ran a spotter at a paper mill, located near a river. There wasn’t a level spot to be found in most of the lots we serviced. Sometimes the tandems were in a dip-trailer too high. Also, that suspension will drop if the trailer has not been moved for a few days.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah, but you could just raise your fifth wheel right? You don’t have to crack the landing gears up if a trailer is too high. You have ramps and a hydraulic fifth wheel plate. I could see if someone dropped a trailer without lowering the landing gear at all maybe
Responsible_Web5514@reddit
We prefer the term yard goat
BB5er@reddit
Security called us “Yard Bitch.” The job itself blew, but the pay was great and the schedule was amazing. I only left, after 6 years, because I found something even better.
BB5er@reddit
“When I grow up, I want to be a yard dogger in a giant toilet paper factory”. Said absolutely no little boy, ANYWHERE!!!
Responsible_Web5514@reddit
U wot m8
TruckinTuba@reddit
Taller truck dropped it, use your airbag over inflates
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I just got to cranking. But in 15 years of driving, I always thought you needed bags rated for and sized for over inflation. And I didn’t even know I can overinflate with the leveling valve. I love learning shit. All of the 26s moving forward in our Fleet will come equipped with the toggle on our dash. I can’t wait. I’m still in a 25.
TruckinTuba@reddit
Ours are a hit or miss between the local/bulk trucks, but sometimes we can't crank so we'll grab the goat driver or I've even hopped into the forklift myself and done it thay way
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah, gotta get pressure off those legs
Both_Personality_859@reddit
A third party pulling a load I guarantee, they do t work for Walmart for a reason
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
You know it when you see it lol. I got downvoted to oblivion for suggesting leaving 1-2 inches between the pad and the ground. And everyone saying it’s because the yards are uneven and un level. And getting down voted for saying not our DCs lol. If you know you know🤝
EnolaNek@reddit
New driver here, how are you supposed to drop a trailer?
What I was taught is to crank it in high gear until you encounter resistance, then give it another 1/8 turn, pull the handle out, and let it hang (don’t stow handle when dropping, only when picking up). Is that not correct? Is that making it miserable for the next person who picks up the trailer?
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
You’re correct I’m not throwing the handle, but we leave an inch or two between the sand shoe and the ground. If you are loaded, dump your airbags wait till the Sandhu makes contact with the ground and pull out. If you’re empty, pull out slow make sure your trailer settles with your frame rails underneath it then you’re good to go.
EnolaNek@reddit
If I dump my air and it still doesn’t touch the ground, should I keep cranking until it barely touches the ground, or just drop it as-is regardless of weight?
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
No, once it runs off your fifth wheel, it should be hitting the ground. If it doesn’t, and it’s sitting on your frame rails, you left your landing gear is too high.
EnolaNek@reddit
Roger.
Any idea why we are taught to lower the feet all the way to the ground when it’s a massive PITA to deal with?
Cool_Algae4265@reddit
Putting it on the ground then giving a quarter or half turn is the “correct” way to do it.
I had to retake my written test recently and that’s one i got wrong, thought for sure its just “until it makes contact” but nope, “give it an extra turn to make sure” i think was the wording which made me sure that wasn’t the right answer, but it was.
But in practical terms; I always drop it with about an inch or two but I only drop empties, it’s always the same truck and trailer, and our loads aren’t heavy at all even if it was fully loaded <10k lbs light)
TwistedAirline@reddit
Uhh are you sure that that was ACTUALLY the right answer or are you guessing that? Because I’m 99% sure on the written test the question about landing gear correct answer is “lower to ground then raise 1-2 turns up in high gear” in other words leave an inch between landing gear and ground…
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
I agree with not slamming your landing gears on the pavement. But you can achieve the same thing by dumping your bags you know?
texancoyote@reddit
Just in case the legs can’t take the small drop when the weight of the trailer comes off.
Justwanttosellmynips@reddit
Been a driver for awhile now, I crank it till there is an inch to an inch and half till the ground. If it's loaded I then drop the air let it finish lowering to the ground that way. If it's empty I just let it slid off.
That gives it enough drop so that the next truck coming lifts it up during the hook but not low enough that you risk a snake bite.
This is just my experience with dry vans that are not terribly heavy(I drive for walmart) I know different companies have different practices but I have only ever heard of your method when the load is super heavy.
With the handle it's hanging if the trailer is dropped and stowed when it's being moved.
EnolaNek@reddit
Just to clarify, how heavy is heavy? Are we talking >80k or just towards the upper end of 80, because I’m on reefer and so far, I think I’ve seen two loads under 70k, but most of them are probably like 78k.
Justwanttosellmynips@reddit
I've had loads like that, only 1 loads has been over 80k so far. Most of mine are closer to the 60k mark though
Raeezordazetoo@reddit
Who the hell is teaching drivers to not stow handles? You honestly want that crap sticking out and potentially getting knocked off?
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
No don’t stow as in don’t tuck it. Leave it hanging, not leave it engaged and sticking out.
EnolaNek@reddit
I was taught “gear down, handle down. Gear up, handle up.”
The idea was if you’re connected to the trailer, the handle gets stowed. If you drop the trailer, you leave the handle hanging down (not sticking out like when you’re in high gear). I don’t really know why though.
Raeezordazetoo@reddit
Ahh ok, you meant hanging loose not sticking out. Ya, that's fine. Every day though I see drivers dropping the trailer and leaving the handle sticking straight out. Just boggles me.
aghostofrazgriz@reddit
Difference in 5th wheel height. At my company the Petes have a higher 5th wheel than our Kenworths and they always have to crank the trailers down.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
How big is the difference between the two?
aghostofrazgriz@reddit
Probably 1-3 inches.
msnthrop@reddit
Fifth wheel height isn’t standardized, different trucks may drop higher or lower than your truck
aerorider1970@reddit
Walmart has 3 different trucks they are running right now. Peterbuilt, Freightliner, and International. That's not counting the 3 million mile plus drivers. It's a known thing that the International trucks are a little taller at the fifth wheel and sometimes will drop them a little higher if the driver doesn't pay attention.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah, but that’s why you leave an inch or two in between the sand shoe and the ground
Sure_Try6958@reddit
Dropping the trailer especially loaded at an inch or two damages the landing gear
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Not if you dump your airbags until your sand shoes are in contact with the ground
Riyeko@reddit
Not all trailers have sand shoes...
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
And what trailers would those be?
Riyeko@reddit
Give me a few hours to get some pics from work.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah you gotta send me those. I don’t know of any trailer you can land without a pad. I’ll be asleep though, but I’ll get up around 1300.
Alive-Worldliness-27@reddit
This is the way!
ShadowMonarch57@reddit
The variance in height between trucks is way more than a couple inches. On my 45-ton crane the top of the 5th wheel is at neck height, over a foot higher than yours is mounted at.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Ok but boom trucks are built big. I understand that. That’s not your standard dock to dock - dock to store type of work most trucks do
ShadowMonarch57@reddit
Some trucks haul heavy and require double or even triple frame which raises the 5th wheel significantly. Also being able to dump and inflate your air suspension to gain 6"-10" of vertical travel helps.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
No, you’re 100% right. I used to haul permit loads and ran a double frame. I just saying all the trucks that run in and out of our DC’s are all highway freight trucks. Unless they’re running bigger tires, they’re pretty standard on fifth wheel height
Thewildhighroller@reddit
At my company we have a little of all brands represented and just out small fleet of 100 trucks I can tell ya aren’t all the same
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Well, then they might be specced differently. We have a huge Fleet and run freightliners, Peterbilt, Kenworth, and international, and they are all the same height.
I know it’s not the same for every company though
hera_the_destroyer@reddit
Yards also are not completely flat. A lot can change from drop in the yard, to door, to a different area of the yard.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Not at my DC‘s or not. Everything is level and paved, and I don’t get under trailers that aren’t from my company.
Riyeko@reddit
That's not accurate. There are plenty of DCs I went to that looked flat, but in all actuality they're all sloped to allow for water runoff.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
OK, yes every plot that you build on has to be sloped for drainage, but we’re talking about minute amount otherwise you would get standing water. Nowhere you drop a trailer is going to be bubble level.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Not at my DC’s, I can tell you that. None of our drivers do this, it’s always subcontractors, and I can never figure out why. All of our DC’s are level and paved.
sudrama@reddit
If Walmart warehouse is leveled, how would the rain drains into the storm gutters. Concrete is usually sloped 1 in 10. It may look leveled to the naked eye but most likely it is not leveled. The warehouse floor on the other hand may be leveled.
No_Inflation7432@reddit
This is the answer right here. Yes drivers are stupid and drop them high sometimes. But more than likely it's not even yard and then take into account the yard guys never touch him they just moved the trailer and don't adjust the legs. If the ground slopes one way or the other it's either going to be dropped high or low and then think about it going someplace with the opposite ground contour that gets dropped by the yard jockey and boom I picked up one last week that was a foot off a foot a foot that's a whole f** foot in for a 65-year-old guy like me that's a whole lot of f**** cranking
FileCareless@reddit
I’ll take this over being to low my tires don’t even get under it. Down is easy, up fucking sucks when it’s loaded
Riyeko@reddit
As an ex OTR trucker that leashed themselves to a yard....
I have NO issue going over and spending 10min helping you lift weight off the gear so you can lower or raise it.
I don't understand why some yard truck drivers that I encountered had an attitude about it.
Send-Me-1-Dollar@reddit
I’ve never had a trailer so low that dumping my airbags didn’t solve it. That would suck trying to raise a loaded trailer
FileCareless@reddit
Dude it can be brutal it use to rare but ever since we got this new driver he always drops trailers like 3+ inches above the ground. Now it’s like once a month I get a trailer that my tires can’t even come close to getting under. It definitely fucking sucks
MegaDuck71@reddit
I live haul chickens and our plant drop area is gravel/sand. So, I can’t complain about other drivers and the cages are empty when picking up. However, it’s always an adventure picking up a trailer. Often I can’t back up under a trailer without the tires damaging the trailer winches. Dumping the airbags doesn’t make the tires smaller. I feel your pain.
Alive-Worldliness-27@reddit
I’ve seen this a lot of times on rail boxes it seemed like it was good until the tires got pinched and it was about 65%
SnooCakes1586@reddit
All your downvotes are non Walmart drivers lol
The only correct way is to leave 1-2 inches everything else is just wrong
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Preach, Snoo! you know it when you see it lol. What DC are you out of?
SnooCakes1586@reddit
I don’t want to fully disclose but east Texas
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Hell yeah. I was going to send thoughts and prayers if you were out of Lancaster lol
Fuzzy1598@reddit
I have a tall fifth wheel. I do that every time and still the trailer is to high for most. I would have to risk dropping a trailer from a height I'm not comfortable doing.
Mechanik_J@reddit
That usually means yard jockey...
Main_Section_1641@reddit
This all day. Let the truck do the work not your shoulder trying to crank
roadie1569@reddit
I’m going to have to agree with you. Here where I’m at we have 3 drivers. Me a 24 Volvo, one a 25 freightliner, other a 25 Volvo. We all leave about an inch, but I’ve had both a high hook. And a low where kingpin hit crossmember before the fifth wheel. One side of yard is flat. Other side has an inch and half lift before hookup.
Ferny956@reddit
So you can get down and get a workout in driver! Now stop being a princess you don’t work at Disney land
Mikey_BC@reddit
Well, better too high than too low
OffWalrusCargo@reddit
Ehh depends, you can use the trucks air bags to lift a low trailer.
OneMulatto@reddit
Don't have any
OffWalrusCargo@reddit
Im sorry for your back
darklorddoone@reddit
No lower is better. People do this. And then hostler drivers(yard dogs) hook up take them to the door to be loaded or unloaded. And how they place them down and it then locks the landing gear. All you need to do to get out of it is have the hostler driver hook up and lift it off the ground and raise the landing gear. That why when i drop a trailer i lower my landing gear to about a half of an inch to a an inch off the ground and then lower my air bags. Then drive off
Mikey_BC@reddit
I was solely referring to cranking, usually easier to crank a loaded trailer down than up.
darklorddoone@reddit
I was just in a situation 20 mins ago watched a guy drop a trailer. I was supposed to pick it up and take it to door. In a day cab. He put it to high and locked the landing gear. I had to call a hostler to picknit up and unlock the gears.
ohhrangejuice@reddit
Apparently not for OP
geneticdeadender@reddit
Some tractors sit higher and or have different sized wheels.
Initial-Relation-696@reddit
be glad its down and get to work
howaboutclark@reddit
I have to do this almost every day … hate it .. got a high hook once…. NEVER again
SchadDad@reddit
I feel like this pops up once a month at least. Truck heights are different, lot isn't level, and the yard dogs dont ever touch the landing gear. Start cranking
Shut_It_Donny@reddit
Because different trucks have different ride heights. Crank it down and quit your bitchin’.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Donny, shut it.
Shut_It_Donny@reddit
Phone’s ringing, Dude.
deezkeys098@reddit
That’s why I have started keeping the landing gear 2/3 inches above the ground before I drop the tractor air so everyone after me never has to deal with this
icaaryal@reddit
What could possibly go wrong dropping 10 tons of weight 2-3 inches onto the landing gear assembly?
deezkeys098@reddit
And by dropping the air in the tractor I mean hitting the lower airbag switch that starts letting the air out aka dropping the tractor lower…
Lazy-Comment7542@reddit
Your airbags deflating will drop about 3-4 inches. If you drop the trailer correctly by detaching from kingpin and staying under the apron until air is dumped and landing gear is to the ground or very close, it's not an issue.
Rothyn1@reddit
I’m pretty sure he meant two thirds of an inch. At least that’s how I read it.
clanlornac@reddit
Dropping it with air, like he said
COATHANGER_ABORTIONS@reddit
I'm assuming they're exaggerating or don't know what 2-3 inches looks like, and in reality they're almost touching the ground and then dumping the bags before disconnecting.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
I always do this. They actually train us to do this where I work
Mobile_Bet1554@reddit
you're good people for doing that, wish more drivers would think about next guy like this. had to deal with gear that was cranked all way down so many times and it's such pain in ass to fix
iCall_itWhoopieTbh@reddit
should be standard practice. i didn’t know that when i first started. one time i dropped and hooked for a swap, came back the next day for my swap again that was loaded with 35,000 lbs and had to crank on that thing in the low gear for probably 20+ mins to not be high hooking it. an old timer at that job told me what to do and just laughed.. last time i made that mistake!!
surplus_labor@reddit
I get it, but if it’s the worst thing that happens today… 🤷🏽
roytwo@reddit
I hated high droppers
FloridaRon@reddit
You can get under a high trailer without scraping all the grease off the 5th wheel
HarryDiMondick@reddit
Uneven parking lots. Often, when you hook, it was dropped somewhere else in the lot, moved, loaded/unloaded, moved again. Unless it's all perfectly level, even your own 5th wheel won't match trailer height exactly. Realizing that really made me more forgiving ong haha
25_Unknown_Devices@reddit
Would you rather find the too high or too low? I mean we all want it to be just right but that’s never going to happen 100% of the time. I’d rather them be too high. Just ease under it and lower the gear until it touches. It’s just a little work, it’s not going to hurt you.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah, too high, definitely. It’s not terrible when needs must. I was just saying that this one in particular was wayyyy high. A good five or 6 inches above my fifth wheel plate. None of the trucks I see pulling our trailers ride that high.
25_Unknown_Devices@reddit
When I was otr, I pulled a RGN with a mechanical gooseneck. It’s designed so you set the dumb your bags, get every ready to drop the trailer and then just pull out. But when you back back under it, the rear frame rails of the truck have a slant where it can force itself under and lift the trailer up as you hook up to it. Useful for otr, less parts to maintain compared to its hydraulic counterpart.
Biggest drawback to me was when picking it up with heavy load, drivers have a habit of slamming into it a bit too hard and rattling the whole rig, my self included a few times. My cats and partner were not big fans. The cats would hide every time they heard the back up alarm..
The frame rails design on the other hand, I think should just be the default. It keeps the kingpin high enough as it comes up to not hit that crossmember that’s so prone to damage with low trailers. And would make it a bit easier to get under a trailer on the yard that’s been dropped a little to low of sunk into the ground.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah, heavy haul trucks have ramps where at the end of the frame rails they rolled down towards the ground to get under low stuff. And also pour whatever reason it’s just freightliners, but I’ve seen a lot of freightliners with bolted on ramps on the frame rails leading up to the fifth wheel plate, which I always thought should be standard.
Traditional_Ad_1360@reddit
Diameter is greater than 2 inches, 24s are about 7 inches tall than 22s. Always experienced this kind of thing all the time. Most of the time it was tire size that made the height difference.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Holy shit, that’s a way bigger height difference then I would’ve imagined. Yep, that was probably it then. Good call out.
jonnybags3406@reddit
Get out of the truck and crank the gear. Will probably do you some good
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Well, to be fair, I had to be out of the truck to take the picture and I wasn’t gonna lower it with my mind bullets. But you’re not wrong, little Work never hurt anybody.
ChaceEdison@reddit
You could also just lift your air bags up too by over inflating a bit
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Soon our Fleet will be full of those. We only started getting them with our 26s moving forward. I’m still in a 25. The guys that are able to overinflate love them.
ChaceEdison@reddit
Just lift the leveling valve manually.
Unless you don’t have air ride?
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
I thought you had to have bags rated and sized for over inflation?
ChaceEdison@reddit
No, they’ll all do it
Wouldn’t run down the highway like that and obviously there’s limits to how far you can go. But it it’s just to back under this trailer and lift it and inch you’d normally be fine
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
This is killer knowledge. Appreciated. Will it auto level or do you want to dump the bags and refill?
ChaceEdison@reddit
When you reconnect it it will auto level. That’s how the leveling valve works
clanlornac@reddit
Mind bullets is the best thing I've read all day
LazarusOtter@reddit
That's telekinesis, Kyle!
Ghettoman1315@reddit
Trucking rules state you can only use your mind bullets on people who wake you from sleeping and lot lizards.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
😂Thanks for the award, fren!
clanlornac@reddit
You are welcome Sir, you earned it
Traditional_Ad_1360@reddit
You probably are running 22s and the truck that dropped that railed probably is running 24s.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah that’s not a 5-6 inch difference is it? My plate was tilted up and it was still about 2 inches off
Dabnbf@reddit
I was a hostler for a while so I've seen a lot but too high and I can't complain too much, too low and 45k+ and me and the driver will have to have a conversation
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I feel you on that
amazingmaple@reddit
Oh the horror! You had to get out and crank the jack. Oh my God😱😱😱
AugustusTheVictor@reddit
Lowering a loaded trailer is a lot easier than raising a 40k load. Just get out and look before hooking and keep it pushing.
This complaint always has been silly to me.
Riyeko@reddit
As a yard truck driver I can answer this.
There's two doors on the north side that aren't graded properly. We have to move the landing gear down at least a whole foot sometimes two, for the trailer to be level enough for the lock to come up and the dock plate to come down so the forklifts can get in and out without ramping into or out of the trailer.
Sometimes when I pull the north side doors there's 90 other trailer move requests going on and I forget or don't have time to move them back.
I am very happy to come out and lift the weight off them though so you can take them down a notch. Just gotta flag me down or ask the traffic gal to radio me.
Agnosticprick@reddit
If the trailers on level ground, connect your air lines and release the brakes, this can make cranking it down significantly easier, if there’s tension on the landing gear ! Just be careful
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
That’s always where it becomes a pain in the ass, is if there’s tension on the landing gear.
kumquat731@reddit
Almost every trailer I take out of the big grocery dc in my region. I’ve been told “it’s probably one of the dedicated drivers, they can’t dump their airbags” but it happens way too often. Good workout but sometimes I don’t need the workout and don’t have the extra 10 minutes to play with the landing gear. Really sucks when it’s an old 120xxx trailer.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yep, you know it, bro
LoicenseToGirth@reddit
The yards i grab from the yard dogs like to have the king pin a solid 6 inches from any skid plate I've ever seen pull in. Always have to crank away for like 5 minutes to get it low enough. Every pick up.
Just the way it is I guess.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
That is fking brutal
suthrnboi@reddit
That's a Walmart trailer most likely at a DC which most of them are moved by a yard jockey, even the mechanics use yard jockeys, and possible that it was worked or PM'd and most likely they worked the legs up and down while hooked to spotter then dropped it like that, just be happy it's not loaded and too low.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Good eye but this was at a Sam’s Club DC and they don’t have mechanics there
suthrnboi@reddit
Then it was some jack off being an ass, no reason for it being that high unless his suspension is overflated.
Other-Taro-3213@reddit
Blame the yard jockeys
J-Rag-@reddit
Just give the landing gear a few cranks. You walmart guys are spoiled enough, don't need to complain about actually doing a little work.
Lazy-Comment7542@reddit
Dropped somewhere with a dip under landing gear,, moved by yard truck with hydraulic fifthwheel, they dropped without dip. Now it is sitting a foot too high. Get over it and crank the handle.
CalmAnxitey87@reddit
My company disables the air bag switch in the truck so I can't even raise or lower my 5th wheel ;-(
Raeezordazetoo@reddit
As a yard driver at a Wal-Mart DC (but not one that actually works for wal-mart) the only drivers I see dropping yalls trailers this high is the outside carriers Wal-Mart contracts with to pick up the extra loads. Every one I see an actual Wal-Mart driver dropping I don't have to move my 5th wheel at all to hook to. So my guess is this was an outside carrier dropped this trailer at this location and of course the yard driver ain't gonna crank it. 😄
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Thank you bro, lol that’s what I’m saying! What DC are you out of?
Raeezordazetoo@reddit
Grove City, OH. Work for Rehrig, the company that handles the pallets and boxes out back in the old centrepoint building.
R34CTz@reddit
It's really not a big deal. It's unfortunate, but it's better than being too low and fully loaded trying to crank it higher.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Yeah, you’re not wrong. Way better high than low especially when the trailer is grossed out. But this was ridiculously high. My plate was tilted up and it was still always off.
DANO8503@reddit
Because a guy whose never had to crank landing gear dropped it
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Lol this is the damn right answer right here
truckinfarmer379@reddit
I’d rather lower it than have to crank for 10 minutes in low gear to get it high enough….
CobraWasTaken@reddit
That's fair, but too high requires cranking down no matter how much. Too low doesn't require cranking unless your truck literally cannot get under the trailer. Anything in between your truck can pick it up.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Valid
nospmiSca@reddit
The amount of drivers I see cranking as hard as they can to get the landing gear lower baffles me. I just use the shunt to pick it up so no bother for me. But when their buddy comes to pick it up I laugh.
unloader86@reddit
Turning the handle to lower a trailer never killed anyone lol. Having to raise it however? Maybe 😂
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Lol you’re not wrong there. I’ve had to be resuscitated three times raising trailers😂
Inside-Finish-2128@reddit
Drop the suspension. Back under the trailer enough so your frame rails are under it. Stick a 4x4 between frame and trailer. Raise the suspension. Crank up the gear enough 3" (you know how to measure that, right?). Drop the suspension. Remove the 4x4 and stow it somewhere the sun doesn't shine. Resume your hookup process just the way your trainer taught you.
lord_nuker@reddit
That is way we lower or raise the rear on airbags
Hanox13@reddit
Most North American trucks don’t have a raise function, only “lower” and “ride height”
ChaceEdison@reddit
You can easily lift the leveling valve manually. It’s usually just a rubber tab you pop off the road on
Hanox13@reddit
Hey Chace! Huge fan!
I know that trick, done it lots, I was specifically referencing the European trucks that actually have a “raise suspension” function. It would be a pretty cool feature to see on an Edison truck…
Spare-Good-5372@reddit
One of the trucks I used to drive was several inches taller than all the others on the yard, so when driving it I got into the habit of dumping my air before dropping the trailer so that it would be closer to the right height for the next person.
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
This is the way
Ok_Pack_5136@reddit
Aside from the drop height, how do you like those Hyundai trailers?
dragongamer365@reddit
People crank down the landing gear till they hear air hissing out the airbags thinking that they are stopping it level by its actually stopping the trailer higher than the ride height of the tractors frame. That is why the air is hissing. I've also seen drivers lowering landing gear after the suspension was dropped.
Other factors play into this as well though. When a yard truck moves atrailer from one location to another, the ground may be different from when it was originally dropped causing a height difference. Trucks also have different ride heights.
There are several factors that can all lead to someone dropping a trailer too high or too low. I personally just bring the landing gear down till I feel that resistance in the handle and that's it. You might have to lower it a few cracks but better that then way too high or especially way to low.
Milk_MAN1963@reddit
We run the landing gear to the ground. All our trucks are the same height. If we drop them to low it's to hard to get underneath them when loaded with 100000 pounds
Thegrandestpoo@reddit (OP)
Well, I can’t speak to that, I don’t pull that weight. Do you go to the ground and then keep cranking until you can’t anymore? Because it looks like this guy did. My fifth wheel was tilted up and it was still a ways off.
Milk_MAN1963@reddit
We stop right when it hits the concrete. Just makes it easier so all the drivers do it the same way
Alubsey@reddit
Because 😭
Milty379@reddit
Put your purse down and start cranking
nick_soccer10@reddit
This is all day everyday at Sysco, way too low, or way too high… get to cranking or call the spotter
Substantial_Steak704@reddit
Been noticing a lot of high drops lately, must be those new Freightliners
post_mah_bone@reddit
Soft hands. Should be inspecting the king pin before hooking up anyway.