Different Experience Today. My Wheels Fell Off.

I agree I wouldn't think the average driver regardless of mechanical aptitude would need a torque wrench to torque their own wheels that is the garage personnel responsibility. I believe the drivers responsibility could be covered by having the lug nut tags or marks on the lugnuts. I could be wrong but I think that would cover their side so to speak.

Don't even think it would go that far - as far as "responsibility" goes. But what does one do to prevent (or at least identify) the type of issue that precipitated the original post?

Now - if I had an assigned tractor - I might drop the $100 to buy them for the tractor (100 pack on amazon - you can write it off as a non-reimbursed expense), have the shop check torque on all the tractor wheels, and then drop these on. Makes the tractor easy to PTI for lugs.

You don't get an "assigned trailer" - so it doesn't make a lot of sense to try and do the trailers.

Rick

We used these in one of the fleets I worked for. I'm actually surprised not all fleets use them a wheel off is a big liability for the company.... sorry straying front topic again. I am curious to how much of this original problem could be "blamed" on the driver. I have often worried about this while pursuing my entrance into driving.

I would want it more.for.the convenience. Sure, loves will receive torque for free, but there are times when you may not cross a Loves for awhile, and then, it.can be a pain to exit, check in, and sometimes wait for them to get to you. Usually it's not a problem, but if you had one of these, you could pull off into a rest area, and in 5 minutes, you are on your way.

Also, I'd like the flexibility to be able to retorque my wheels every couple of weeks, just for my own peace of mind sake.

Like I said, it's something where may look into it at some point, just not right now.

We used these in one of the fleets I worked for. I'm actually surprised not all fleets use them a wheel off is a big liability for the company.... sorry straying front topic again. I am curious to how much of this original problem could be "blamed" on the driver. I have often worried about this while pursuing my entrance into driving.

Depends on how far one thinks the driver needs to go to check these. PTI says "none loose, missing". Not even sure whether a roadside inspector takes out a TQ wrench and starts checking lugs. Typically, you look for rust, white/silver dust, holes starting to round out.

In the OP - I would think that wheel set would have started to seriously wobble with it being that loose, since no studs were broken. But he's no newbie either, so he went around and did an inspection before he rolled.

Can you imagine how much longer a PTI would take, if you had to break out a TQ Wrench and check 40 lugs on a every trailer you hooked? I'd almost rather throw chains.

I would want it more.for.the convenience. Sure, loves will receive torque for free, but there are times when you may not cross a Loves for awhile, and then, it.can be a pain to exit, check in, and sometimes wait for them to get to you. Usually it's not a problem, but if you had one of these, you could pull off into a rest area, and in 5 minutes, you are on your way.

Also, I'd like the flexibility to be able to retorque my wheels every couple of weeks, just for my own peace of mind sake.

Like I said, it's something where may look into it at some point, just not right now.

No one is telling you NOT TO - if that floats yer boat. I just think YOU would be the first instance heard of here, that actually purchased/carried an expensive tool (not to mention a fairly large one to store), and went through the huge gyration to do this.

Every couple of weeks? You're talking just the tractor you're driving I hope - you could conceivably be grabbing a different trailer nearly EVERY DAY.

There are pneumatic TQ guns specifically for trucks that DO TQ to spec correctly. They probably would NOT get enough air off the truck compressor to run them though.

Rick

Operative word in the pre-trip is inspection.

My issue with taking it any further than what Rick described? What-if (and Matt would know better than I), there is an underlying problem causing this, that because of my superficial mechanical knowledge, I wouldn't see. Cause and effect...I drive the truck if I deem it to be safe. Yes I will make minor repairs or adjustments but certainly not the type requiring me to stow a $500 wrench. Besides considering my advanced age (LOL) do I really want to risk an injury tightening all the wheel nuts? No. The mechanics fix the truck.