hey everyone just going tell you about my first run out,i had a 3am start got to the job to find a nice 08 plate iveco strallis 450 already coupled up an ready go.so i did my checks an off i went, it felt great and so easy driving an auto it leaves you so much time for observation an makes driving easy,it was all going fine i arrived at my destination dropped my trailer and went to see what trailer i was taking back,this is where it all turns to ■■■.
Im taking an empty off bay 8 no probs, i reverse just under the trailer nice and square put my fifth wheel to full height ,select reverse slow on the gearbox and start to reverse i felt the fifth wheel catch so i accelerate a little bit so it will click together nicely but instead of a nice little jolt to a stop i shoot straight under the trailer squashing my side wind deflector and squashing my red suzie between the trailer and cab,Boll***s!!!
So by now im ■■■■■■■■ myself first run out an this happens the only thing to do is phone the transport office and tell them what id done and wait for the recovery to come and replace my red suzie,the thing is when the recovery guy gets there he said i hadnt got a chance of catching the trailer even with my fifth wheel on full height because the trailers been left high.when he had fixed my truck i had to wind the trailer legs down a fair bit until i could catch the pin.
i thought all the trucks could only go to the same height,i know its my fault and im a bit gutted to be honest i wanted it to go smoothly,filled my accident form in so just got wait see what the fleet manager 
Ouch! Not wanting to state the obvious, but were you not taught during your training to visually check the height of the 5th wheel before you back under the trailer?
i know its my fault i did get out and check,i put my fifth wheel on full height ,where i made the mistake was thinking that as long as i was on full height it had to catch,it turned out what i thought was the pin on the trailer slotting in to place was it actually skimming over the top, im so pi**ed off with myself
Yes OK you made a ■■■■ up by not actually looking to see how things were lining up, doubt you will make that mistake again.
However i have three comments.
Firstly this would not have happened with a manual gearbox, as you feathered a clutch you would have felt the lack of resistance of the trailer, as it is the stupid bloody on/off switch that is the automatic clutch has no feel whatsoever, those boxes cause more damage than enough as they have no finesse.
Secondly, and i know instructors will say no, but instructors don’t have to do the bloody job at the coal face, they talk a good walk.
If you open the drivers door and lean out as you reverse up, whilst holding onto the open door handle, you will be just able to see the edge of the 5th wheel as you back up, you’ll see it either start to pick the trailer up, or not if a plonker has dropped the trailer legs fully with a Scania middle lifter raised for instance, far higher than anything else.
Thirdly, no one with an ounce of sense winds the legs fully down when dropping an empty trailer, and the proper driver makes sure any tractor tag or lift axle is down before dropping, putting the tractor into approximate loaded running height.