Ok To Run With No Brake Lights Or Turn Signal On Trailer.

I'm not sure, Dave. But I think it is, since it gets the same final effect. I was talking to TSB about it, and he remembered that when we traded our reefer in on our flatbed, he thinks it STILL had a line dimed on it....oopssssss

Basically, when you put the dime in the line, then reconnect the line. it stops the flow of air to the damaged air bag, or brake cylinder, and in doing so, allows air to build up for the rest of the system.

My first thought is how a pretrip might have been beneficial in this case, would have circumvented the whole nightmare.

Wow a pretrip what a great idea I should have thought about that. I did do a pretrip that is how I got green lights through every scale house from California to Florida. I do my pretrips and enroutes like i'm supposed to. This problem was not able to be picked up on a pretrip.

I had a headlight go out two days in a row, on my school bus, and it was caught by the same driver each day. Both worked during pretrip. Things blow and usually not when it's convenient.

Wow Bob you really dug up a fossil of a thread here lol.

I had a headlight go out when driving a few months ago all of a sudden it went dark on the left side of the road.

I also lost all lights on my rear trailer after I picked up a set at a meet, it made 250 miles fine I took it from the other driver and when it started raining all lights went out due to a bad connection under the trailer.

Sometimes things break in route but a good pretrip does help.

Wow Bob you really dug up a fossil of a thread here lol.

I had a headlight go out when driving a few months ago all of a sudden it went dark on the left side of the road.

I also lost all lights on my rear trailer after I picked up a set at a meet, it made 250 miles fine I took it from the other driver and when it started raining all lights went out due to a bad connection under the trailer.

Sometimes things break in route but a good pretrip does help.

I've had a headlight go out, lucky someone from the shop told me the low and high beams use the same bulbs, so I pulled over to a safe place when I could to switch out the low beam for the high beam bulb and went on my way until I got to one of our yards to get it replaced.

On top of that, I've taking my fair share of chances on lights and things alike to avoid downtime as I know from experience itll take hours for roadside service, so I usually try to make it to one of our yards or a shop at TA or Loves, etc and then I'll call Schneider and they'll setup service for me or suggest that I go to one of our OCs if I'm near one.

Now they won't directly tell me to do anything unsafe or that might risk me a ticket, like when my air tank was hanging down after the strap broke, I waited hours to hear back from the back down department, and I asked about using bungee cords and straps to secure it for my like 300-400 mile run to the yard to have it fixed and they didn't really agree or disagree, but basically I took all responsibility if anything happened.

I carry wire, butt connectors, tape, strip tool, spare pigtails, and spare lamps. I've saved myself tons of time by being willing to make a field fix rather than wait for mobile service, or worse, take a chance that I'm not gonna come to the attention of the folks with the unusual hats.

If you don't know how to do it, no worries. I do know, so I fix it if I need to. I'll always DVIR after the fact to have my work redone by mechanics with heat shrink connectors etc. Field expedience...

On a side note - submitted a DVIR for a lighting issue - trailer corner lamp opening bent when trailer got bunged up, lamp would not stay in the grommet in the hole. I fixed using duct tape and some pallet scrap. I put in comments "Marker light ass'y not secure in trailer, Driver repaired using Field Expedients". Got a oh-crapoh-gram from the shop to the effect of - "Did you pay for that service out of pocket? We don't have a repair contract with Field Expedient, don't see them listed. Will need contact information. In the future, we will provide you with contracted service rather you getting your own mobile." I laughed loudly. Then called and explained with a "FE" was....

Wondering here, can a driver carry along some spare bulbs to replace stop lights etc

Yap, most definitely. Some of the lights, like trailer lights, are pretty cheap and easy to carry around. Some of the lights like headlights have gotten pretty expensive.

Sometimes you can ask the mechanics at your company shop for some spare bulbs and fuses. They may give you some, they may not. If a company has 8,000 trucks and they hand out spare parts, it's going to cost them a fortune. So it may depend on the mechanic you speak with or the company policies.

I always carried around at least one spare headlight and a few trailer lights.

Wolding gives every driver a kit to carry with spare bulbs, etc.

I’ve had to spread the pins on the electrical connector on the trailer that get lights to work before. They were squeezed together and weren’t making connection

There is a shop in Pensacola that would've come to you at the MM 30 rest area. I'm assuming that's where you were. Knowles on site repair. Great shop

I’ve had to spread connections open with a screw driver or pocketknife. It’s usually Hyundai trailers that it happens to for some reason.