> 1. You are trying to unhook from a trailer...your 5th wheel pin will
> not release...what can be the causes and what do you do? The pin may be back
against the jaws. Set your trailer brakes first and the gently back the tractor
up a little and while your foot is on the brakes, set the parking brakes.
>
> 2. You are dispatched to pick up a load of palletized coil steel to
> be loaded in a dry van...how do you secure the pallets so they do not
> slide?

Most states require that over the top securement is necessary, but few dry vans
are set up for it. When I haul pallatized steel coil, If I have a trailer that
has E channels for logistic straps, after nailing down 2x4's along the sides and
in front of the pallets, I put as many logistic straps as possible in front of
the back set of coils...most times they are loaded in two sets, so many pallets
in front and so many in the back part of the trailer. If the trailer does not
have logistic strap channels, I try to beg enough old pallets to go in between
the two sets high enough to hit the coils and use load locks to hold them in
place to stop the forward motion of the coils if I have to hit the brakes.
>
> 3. There is an oversized loaded truck in front of you and you want
> to pass, when and how do you do it? I watch ahead until I see a long straight
stretch with no bridges...then if the driver is on channel 19, I ask if it is
convienient for me to come around...then go, go, go to get on by quickly.
>
> 4. Your company tells you to run with the cruise on to save
> fuel...when do you NOT run with the cruise on? On bad wet or icy or snowy
roads, in construction zones, on two lanes or tightly curved roads. Or in heavy
traffic...
>
> 5. You see a back up ahead of you...what do you do to warn others
> behind you that you are slowing down? I always turn on my flashers.
>
> 6. There has been a wreck ahead of you and the road is closed. You
> have the option of taking a detour or sitting and waiting for the
> road to open...what do you do and consider to decide which choice to
> take? Unless it is a short detour or a fatality accident that just happened,
usually I have found that it is actually quicker to sit and wait it out.
>
> 7. What is an escape route and when and how do you figure out where
> it is? Escape routes are something that one should always be processing and
are used in case something really bad happens like a car coming across the
median or a wreck happens right in front of you. Things to be considered are
the types and widths of shoulders, the depth of ditches, on or off ramps, cross
roads...anywhere you can take the rig with the least damage to property, your
rig or yourself. The whole point in developing this is that in case of
emergency, you can act instead of react.
>
> 8. What are the options to secure your truck from break-in while
> sleeping besides the door locks? Running the seat belt through the door
handles, using a motorcycle strap between the doors. There is a new strap
available specially designed for this called the Sleep Safe Strap that is
available at the Women In Trucking Association website.
>
> 9. What is an easy way to determine tread depth on a tire? A penny...the
tread should be touching lincoln's head.
>
> 10. Besides all the other things we do in a day, what is the most
> important one besides staying safe? Why? Communicating with dispatch and
doing a good trip planning. Dispatch cannot find you another load if you are
not letting them know how you are running. You cannot deliver safely and/or on
time without a good trip plan.
>
> 11. Who is responsible for making sure that the load is legal weight? The
driver always.
>
> 12. You get pulled over for a roadside inspection...can the officer
> legally search your truck? Yes they can. One thing they have in their favor
on this is a little known regulation that during an inspection it must be
determined that the floor of the truck is solid so that exhaust cannot
enter...GOTCHA!
>
> 13. You have just finished fueling and have gotten back into your
> truck to pull forward...what do you look for and how fast do you pull
> up? You do the same thing you would do when crossing an unmarked RR
track...look left, right, left again and keep looking as you idle forward
slowly.
>
> 14. How far back to you stay when someone is backing into a space or
> a dock and when do you go in front of them? I stay back at least a truck
length to give them manoevering room...and turn off the headlights though I will
leave the marker lights on at night.
>
> 15. Making a turn onto a 4 lane road...which lane do you turn in to?
Whatever lane you can turn into safely without hitting a car or median or light
pole. I was taught to take as much room as possible.
>

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The only stupid question is the one you do not ask...

> 5. You see a back up ahead of you...what do you do to warn others
> behind you that you are slowing down? I always turn on my flashers. GP's answer , I usually tap my brake pedal before applying the brakes this gives them a flash of brake light , plus i will pop on my flashers .
9. What is an easy way to determine tread depth on a tire? A penny...the
tread should be touching lincoln's head . GP says : I learned something interesting yesterday and I am not sure if all the DOT guys do it , but we have a DOT fella that measures from the top of the wear bar , if it is less than 4/32 on the steers from the top of the wear bar he will put a truck OOS .

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just a bucket truck driver .member #10829-D