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Truck Mechanical Issues – What to Do
If you run into a situation where you think your truck is not safe to drive, reach out to dispatch right away. All mechanical issues MUST be reported to the dispatch line.
If the issue happens before your tour, look for Eric or Rick (our Yard Safety guys) to check it out and see if it's something they can fix right away.
If no one is available, call dispatch for a new truck and report the issue on the Driver Hub — this sends a direct notification to Brian and Eric to check it out while it’s still in the yard.
DO NOT place the truck Out of Service on your own in this case. Let a Yard Safety person assess it first and advise next steps.
If a mechanical issue happens on the road, call dispatch immediately. Depending on the situation, we’ll get you towed, fixed on the road, or if its drivable brought back and assigned a new truck if HOS allows.
If you find an issue at the end of your shift during your post-trip, follow the same process as before you leave the yard:
Find Eric or Rick if they’re available in the yard.
If not, call dispatch and report it on the Driver Hub so they’re alerted right away.
Important: Just adding a note in Relay isn’t enough — we don’t get real-time alerts from Relay pre/post-trips, and there are too many for us to see them in time. Communicate directly through the steps above so we can catch and fix issues fast.
Another note: if there is an issue on the road- you can enter a mechanical delay on relay- enter notes about what's going on and if a tow or RS if needed 100% then you can request a call from ROC just keep dispatch informed.
🗨️Technician communication 💬
Amerit techs on site are extremely busy. Please contact dispatch or a Yard Safety guy if you have an issue. Speaking directly to the techs is not allowed.
Checking Oil
If the oil registers anywhere within the hash marks on the dipstick, there is no need to add oil, as per Amerit. Overfilling the trucks can lead to them being out of service until the oil is drained and removed from the crankcase breather system. You should NOT need to add oil! Click here for more information!
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT
A check engine light is a non-blinking orange light. This light can come on for numerous reasons, none of which can harm you or the engine to the truck. These lights still MUST be reported to dispatch along with a picture of the light. We will send this picture to the technicians on site right away. This is not to a reason to pull you from your tour. This light means the truck needs to be "checked". Unless there is a smell, or the truck is driving weird you will be told to continue the tour.
Driving with a "CHECK" engine light is not a DOT violation.
Driving with a "STOP" engine light is a DOT violation.
A stop engine light is RED and sometimes blinking. This can be accompanied by a warning message to stop the truck or damage will occur. Before damage to the engine occurs the truck will put itself in "limp mode" to ensure no damage can occur. This type of engine light, the tour will be cancelled, and you cannot drive the truck at all. A tow will pick up the truck and bring it back to the yard.
Regardless of what type of light/issue you are having you should always take a picture/video of it and send it to dispatch right away.
5TH WHEEL
Things that can cause a 5th wheel to become stuck (bind).
A driver hooking high or even too low can put the lockjaw in a bind causing it to not release the kingpin. Hooking high or low can also damage the kingpin, the 5th wheel plate, the locking jaws, the trailer apron, and in the case of an auto-release 5th wheel, the air line that runs to the 5th wheel release bar.
Weight in the trailer is not evenly distributed, with more weight on the front of the trailer than anywhere else.
A trailer on an incline or angle to the tractor, pulling or putting a bind on the 5th wheel. Think of the tractor and trailer in a straight line, if there is any bend in that straight line at the pivot point (5th wheel) it’s going to pull on the 5th making it difficult for the locking jaws to release.
The landing gear is not being extended enough to take the weight off the 5th wheel. The rule of thumb is to lower the landing gear until just off surface less than a quarter inch to just barely making contact. This will reduce damage to the landing gear during next “hook” because it will not bind against the surface when being coupled. The trailer may move side to side upto three inches during coupling. This will also make it easier to retract the landing gear once coupled and reducing strain and possible injury.
During cold weather, metal and springs become stiff making it more difficult to release the 5th wheel, especially on equipment that has sat overnight. Snow and ice can also cause issues. Ideally, drivers should keep snow and ice clear from the 5th wheel and its mechanisms to prevent issues. Also being cognizant of grease showing at the grease points during the pre-trip is doubly important during cold weather.
A properly greased 5th wheel. A 5th wheel should have sufficient grease on the 5th wheel plate to lubricate the slide of the trailer onto the 5th wheel as well as the movement and pivoting of the trailer on the 5th wheel. These are 2 metal parts sliding against each other and you most certainly do not want friction between these two. This should be looked at during the pre-trip of the tractor and again during the pre-trip of the trailer before the driver hooks the trailer.
A bent or damaged trailer apron. This is the metal plate under the front of the trailer. This should be looked at during the pre-trip of the trailer before the driver hooks it.
A bent or damaged kingpin. This should be looked at during the pre-trip of the trailer before the driver hooks it.
If trailer apron or kingpin are damaged the trailer needs to be out of service.
How to release a stuck manual 5th wheel video.
This procedure to get a manual 5th wheel unstuck also applies to an auto release 5th wheel as these can get stuck too.
39262 is a Manual release 5th wheel
The Jost 5th wheel needs to be done a certain way. The way it is done in these videos. If not, it will appear stuck, and forcing it will break it.
What if there is an ABS light on in a trailer?
When you hook up to a trailer, if there is an ABS light on and its an empty, choose a new one. If its a loaded trailer contact dispatch and let them know. You can not haul a trailer with an ABS light on.
If the ABS light comes on after you have been driving it, it is ok to proceed to your destination. Very worse case scenario would be, if pulled into a weigh station you would get a 'fix it ticket'. This would go away once the fix is completed and faxed to DOT. This is the responsibility of Amazon to complete the repair and send it in.
The fix it ticket would not impact driver CSA score.
1st trick: If the trailer lights are not working or only the clearnace lights are out, the driver can try wiggling the socket while plugged into the trailer. If the lights flicker on they can try the following trick to tighten it up: use old metal or plastic seals to tighten up the connection. These are abundantly found on the ground at sites.
Pigtail not connecting/loose or reporting clearance lights or rear lights not working on the trailer
The cause of a bad trailer socket AND pigtail is drivers forgetting their pigtail and the air lines are still attached to the trailer and uncouple/pull away from the trailer snapping the lines. Pigtails don't typically just go bad unless they are faulty, to begin with, or are old. So, if it’s not because it’s an OLD pigtail and needs to be replaced, you can bet a driver forgot to unplug the pigtail and the air lines before pulling away from the trailer or ran the lines over because they did not secure them in the holders on the back of the tractor. Either of these 2 things can damage the pigtail, air lines, and even the electrical outlet on the tractor that the pigtail plugs into.
If the pigtail is not tight in the electrical socket (outlet) on the trailer, it will cause clearance lights and rear lights to not work on the trailer. Older trailers are usually notorious for this issue because of wear and tear, as many years of a pigtail being pushed and pulled out of the socket erodes the plastic/rubber housing. The quickest way to know this is wiggle the pigtail plug in the trailer electrical outlet (socket). If the lights in question that were not working suddenly come on with the movement of the plug then you know its a loose connection. Find an old seal or plastic or even a piece of paper folded up held next to the plug as its inserted into the trailer socket can tighten up the connection, allowing the trailer lights to work properly.
Here's a video with an explanation of the pigtail and the air lines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sltxhnuu7hY
2nd trick: Unplug the pigtail from the tractor and turn it around, plugging the "bad" end into the tractor and the end that was plugged into the tractor into the trailer. I know it sounds weird but sometimes there's an issue with the prongs making contact with the trailer's socket but is not an issue on the tractor side.
These are just 2 things that can be done to get a driver through a leg with a bad trailer or through a tour with a bad pigtail. Less downtime waiting for RS and less canceled legs is always a good thing. ( if just clearance lights are the issue it may very well be the fuse and most likely is).
Changing Fuses
Kenworth T680
This truck has 3 fuses for the trailer. If the trailer has no lights on the top -it’s one fuse, if there are no lights on the bottom; it’s another fuse.
On the picture if you magnify it you can see a list of fuses and location on the panel, for the top lights it’s marked as J5 30A TRLR MARKET LP.
These fuses related to the lights on this truck:
J8 30A TRLR STOP
L1 25A TRLR ABS
Click on the picture to learn more!
Changing fuses is almost the same for Volvo.
On Volvo trailer fuses are as follows.
FE1
FE2
FE3
FE20
FE21
Our lead driver Oleg, shared an insightful video on the differential lock in our trucks. This crucial feature plays a significant role in maintaining traction and stability in challenging road conditions.
Watch the video to get a better understanding of how the differential lock works and when to use it. Safe driving is our top priority, and knowing your equipment inside out is key to ensuring a smooth and secure journey.
Will I still be paid for my day if I experience a breakdown?
Yes! Even if your day gets cut short you will be paid the rest of the day. We will have to go through all the steps of recording the issue to determine validity. Then there will be another truck assigned to you or tasks assigned to be completed at the yard.
Our lead driver has shared an informative video on how to effectively use the traction control feature in our newer Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks. Traction control plays a crucial role in optimizing stability and grip on the road, enhancing safety during diverse driving conditions.
Check out the video to understand the ins and outs of using traction control. Whether you're navigating through slippery surfaces or challenging terrains, this knowledge can make a significant difference in ensuring a smooth and secure ride.
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