Crap day!!
Michael_walk
Posts: 38 ✭✭
Well boys I had just an absolute crap day today. My trailer I was pulling caught on fire as I was going down the freeway. As I was attempting to get in and out of the truck several times, I jumped down with a fire extinguisher and tweaked my left knee really bad. Didn't realize how bad it was till my adrenaline, and nerves wore off. So I'm sitting here in the family room with my leg elevated and have an old set of crutches out. The only good thing of my day, is I got the cigars from Peter. Thank you sir!! I will get on vherf asap. 
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Comments
yeow, my sympathy, that sucks. What was the cause of the fire?
Apparently the recent service left the brakes out of calibration. They where too tight, and caught on fire.
Oh, geeze, I hope you feel better soon.
Glad your knee is the worst of it for you brother. Here's to a quick recovery!
Damn that’s is a rough day. Hope you are moving again quickly! Glad the Fire was contained before it got to your rig.
If you want to bomb me send it to Tony @0patience
If you are a newbie I got Dem nachos....
@Michael_walk
Pre-trip?
Sorry, the mechanic in me came out and I couldn't resist.
Brakes? Hubs aren't melted, so it wasn't bearings.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
I should have read this before I replied.
Now, I'm trying not to be a d!ck, but I have to be a d!ck, because I've done enough DOT forensics on trucks to be a little pissed off by something like this.
Brake adjustment checking is YOUR responsibility.
In order to get your CDL, you must show that you have aptitude to be able to check your brakes.
Your pre-trip inspection is specific in that you verify and certify that they are not our of adjustment. Regardless of the fact that they were just serviced.
I get that you had a bad day, but hauling an 80,000+ truck down the road and catching the brakes on fire isn't good. And the danger to the public around you is great.
I know I sound like I am on my high horse, but I've seen it all and some I hope no one ever has to see.
What ever shop did the service, they should have to be properly trained before they do any more brakes, or fired.
There is no excuse for that.
Glad no one was hurt and sorry for your crappy day.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
Thank you all for the well wishes. I was quick enough to get the rig away from the trailer asap, that was the last thing I wanted going up. > @0patience said:
Brother, I don't take you as being mean hearted. During my pre-trip, the brakes looked good. They don't give us gauges too check this crap, that's what we have mechanics for. They tell us to look in there, make sure the brakes look good, and don't seem way out. That's the best we can do.
I get that and understand what you are saying.
But, and you knew there would be one.
Never trust auto slack adjusters. Ever.
Never use moly grease on self adjusters.
If you are driving the same truck all the time, know where the slack adjuster angle is, when they are in adjustment, with the brakes set.
On size 30 cans (usually truck and most trailers) 2" max stroke. Some states will let you by with 2 1/4" stroke.
If you aren't trailer swapping, then get yourself some clip on indicators, which you install with the brakes release, tires chocked and slide them all the way to the can. When you set the brakes, you can see how far the stroke is on each.
Meritor M820625 SimpleCheck Air Brake Stroke Indicator Tool
They are about a buck a piece and worth it. Especially when weighmaster sees them.
Anything more than 2 1/4" is danger. Stopping sucks.
Anything less than 1/2" is danger. Lets the smoke out.
The shop who did the work, please tell me it isn't a company shop.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
We drop and swap trailers all the time. I actually bobtailed up to Princeton Indiana to pick up that empty trailer for another drivers route. We slip seat as well. That trailer WAS just serviced by a company shop. The trailer actually didn't even belong to my company.
Well, it sounds like their shop isn't that qualified. Sorry.
Just realize that after what you have been through, you can't put too much faith in their work. Brake adjustment isn't even 1st year apprentice ****.
More like the basics before you start. Any mechanic who can't adjust brakes should pack up and go home. I have no problem telling any of them that. I've done it at my work, even though I caught hell for hurting the wittle feelings.
Any heavy truck/equipment mechanic who isn't making enough money to do the proper job, probably isn't that good. A mechanic is there to make sure the operator/driver has a safe piece of equipment. If they crash it or screw it up, that's on them.
I once watched a log trailer tube slip out of the reach of the trailer, cut loose from the truck and spin a log trailer with the 30' reach of large steel tube spin wildly on the insterstate. Fortunately, the trailer didn't hit anyone and missed my car with my wife and kids in it, by 12', which is alot, but not when it looks like it's coming at you.
Come to find out, there was a bolt that holds the compensator tube into the reach tube and some mechanic forgot to put it in. So the whole assembly seperated.
See picture for the style of trailer.
Ok, I'm off my soap box.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
Your good brother. I know just as many **** drivers that don't do pre or post checks as I do **** mechanics. I'm fortunate enough that MY shop has good mechanics. We are stuck pulling crap trailers from a different company because we all haul for a MUCH larger company/ automotive manf.
I will say this though, the truck I drive, I have to roll across the scales.
And you can bet that if any of us field techs get a fail on one of our trucks at the weigh station, we will NEVER hear the end of it. Mostly because we are always "on our high horse" about safety. I got inspected across the river (In Oregon, across the river is Washington) and I wasn't so concerned about if something failed, but the flack I would catch if the truck failed. LOL!
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
Sorry about your knee, and all that other stuff. Hope you heal up real good.
Sorry @Michael_walk hope your knee isn't wrecked. And glad it wasn't worse
Thanks again all.
It sounds like a really bad day. I had one of them and a buddy said, "Smile, things could be worse." So I smiled and sure enough, things got worse!