Dropped Trailer Catastrophe

I stopped two days ago at the big Joplin 44 truck stop in Missouri at exit 4. Nice, big place started by the Moon family. These are the same folks that run the Iowa 80, the Oak Grove 70, the Portage Petro, etc. Highly recommend you check these out if you have time. I was setting up to park in the rear lot for my daily break, slowly eyeballing out a perfect spot: angle, location, easy out exit in the morning, direction the sun would set, etc. As I'm tooling along in third gear, I noticed a reefer trailer nose-down beside another truck. What's that all about? After I'm all parked and ready to head inside for something to eat, I decide to mosey by to see what happened. The 21-year driver told me he'd hooked up, did a tug test, hooked up his air and electrical feed, then proceeded to exit. When he made the left out of his spot, "I don't know what happened, but the trailer popped of my fifth wheel", his words. I asked him if he had gotten underneath the trailer with a flashlight and looked at the coupling to check to see if the jaws were completely locked? No was his answer. Oviously. It was a 39,000 lb loaded, 53' refer. TWO semi wreckers later, it was up and re-connected to his KW once more, on their way to a trailer repair shop for more money. Lessons learned: always check your trailer connection thoroughly.

Wow! That's what I'm always afraid of. I always climb underneath when I hook up, as well as if a different driver just returned with the truck I'm taking. It really only takes a few seconds and could save you a few hours. Not to mention the cost and embarrassment. Also, anytime I've been away from the truck just a quick glance to make sure nobody's pulled the pin.

If I walk away from the truck, I check it when I return. I tug it forward twice and push it back twice whenever I couple. I don't want to be that guy, or ever have to make that phone call to dispatch.

Checking that the lock plate is covering the kingpin is important and required. Yes.

Don't forget to check if there is any space between the fifth wheel and the upper coupler (the flat area surrounded being the trailer Kingpin) to verify a totally positive hook.

I am still a big proponent of the G.O.A.L. before getting completely under the trailer. Fairly easy to determine the potential for a high-hook before under the trailer.

Definitely do a G.O.A.L. when you back up and get right up to the trailer. Different height nearly every time. I've jumped the fifthwheel a few times myself (luckily no damage). I've also had the new trailer so low, it bumped the drive tires, even with the bags deflated.