First class 1 shift on my own

cooper1203:
Just compleated my first shift so feeling kinda chuffed. However i had a couple of issues

  1. Picking up the trailer to take up to the main depot I hooked up how i was shown on my 3a and have done for the rest of the week when i was shadowing someone. However when it came to wind up the legs i couldnt even in slow gear. I thought it must of been me but i asked someone else and they struggled with it as well. all of a sudden there was a “crack” and they freed off enough for me to be able to wind them up in slow about 3" off the deck then i could do it in normal gear. When it came to drop the trailer at the other end the legs behaved perfectly and i could lower them down no problem.

  2. Picked up the second trailer to bring back down all ok however this time when it came to drop it back at the starting point i couldnt pull the pin. I asked someone else and they suggested reversing back sharply with the trailer brake on which allowed me to pull the lever but i had to really yank on it.

what could i possibly be doing wrong to cause these issues please

  1. Possibly there was still weight on the legs, and they had been distorted a bit as you did your tug test. The “crack” was when you wound them enough to take the weight off and they sprung straight again.
    Raise as much as possible on the suspension so that the legs are off the ground before winding up.
    And if you cant do that let vehicle "rest" in neutral with brakes off for a second or two after tug test so legs arent under strain and slightly twisted from the tug.

  2. The pin will be harder to pull if the jaws are knife is against the pin. As said pushing back (gently is fine!) against the braked trailer will take that pressure off.
    Also a vertical force on the knife will make for a hard pull. If the unit air is dropped so the 5th wheel is hanging on the pin will do this.
    When the legs first touch the ground pull the pin, then wind a bit more to ensure all the slack is taken up.