Hood question..Cascadia Freightliner

[TowZone]

11-17-2016: Ian Tomei Wrote,

 

Last night my driver went to tow a Freightliner Cascadia in from  disablement. When my driver arrived on scene at 12 midnight, owner had unit spun around for a rear tow. After hooking my driver start to repair shop the hood blew open.

 

The driver as soon as he saw it pulled over but it was too late ..the hood hit the pavement. My driver and the owner (who was present at hookup) realized that my driver never looked under hood! The driver of the disabled opened the hook and obviously didn't lock the hatches, my driver never thought of looking at the latches because on a Cascadia they are not in plain site,nor could see them because it was dark out.

 

Has this ever happened to any of you? And how do you handle it?..I offered to replace the hood!! I purchase a used one..but he said it wasn't good enough for his unit!.. I was trying to get him back in service for his night run.. Just listening for input!

 

Eds Towing said:

That's a tough situation.... I have thought about it but honestly I probably wouldn't of checked either. I feel that people need to be held accountable for their own actions. If your driver saw the hood up when he arrived or something then yea maybe he should've checked it. But how would he know? Should he of checked if someone loosened the steer tire lugs? Where does it end? If it was me, they would have to take me to court over this.

A while back I towed a Freightliner tractor from a truck stop to the dealer. Like a 10 mile tow. So I get hooked up & get in the cab when he asks me to wait a second to get something out of his truck. He gets back in & we head out...At the dealer I unhook the truck and as soon as my forks come out from his rear, the truck rolls away! It went a few feet & ran in to a tree & some brush. The guy looks at me like he's pissed and I said well who released the brakes? He said he didn't...to which I reminded him that I hooked up to it on an incline in the parking lot and hadn't been near the cab since! He then admitted that when he went back to get his cigarettes that he released the brakes. Freakin jerk off....I told him It was on him & I didn't want to hear about it....

 

Wreckerboy said:

To be honest, i ran into this many times that the hoods were not latched. The first hood that came open , no damage to the hood, but my lightbar got some battle scars till i knew the hood came open in the dark. Since that I always make sure the hood is latched and many since that were not latched.

 

towgodess14 said:

Given the intelligence and training that represent the modern day steering wheel holder, I check everything that might possibly come open, or undone. I trust no one anymore.

 

beaucecarnavalman said:

Bingo never trust anyone double check everything yourself.

 

Colotow said:

drivers are idiots.
lost track of how many times a driver has left a hood unlatched, released brakes, left a door not shut tight, or untied a steering wheel and not said anything.
I just had to make it a habit to expect the worst from all of them, I take the key and lock the doors, if they need to get back in they have to ask me.
On that same note, another habit is to always pop the red line off the trailer before I start hooking, 95% of drivers don't set the trailer brakes, and if they release them while I'm under it, (a) I know there are dangerous and stupid, and (b) it still won't move

 

Mack6X6 said:

Same here - many years ago when I was just pulling out of the lot I saw the hood bounce a little in my mirror.  Stopped, went back and sure enough - unlatched.  I always check for that now among other things.  Good luck to you sir, Steve.

 

TFS123 said:

We have a check list...hoods,mirrors,blue/red coil lines,green power cord,wind flares,doors and glass,and all loose side panels along with battery box covers..you have to protect yourself from claims weather its your fault or not..this unit was in your care..custody..and control...protecting yourself from being in a situation like this is always my first priority in my world......I would say ...you could try to make it right for the customer..like meeting half way with responsibility of the damages...don't loose a lot sleep over this...learn from it...knowledge is power ...and ignorance is the tool that gets you there faster.

 

Mark said:

I always check the hood latches,well 90% of the time. I've had it happen to me but luckily with no damage. Not that I think that I would be responsible for it. Just saves the argument.

 

EagleOne said,

I constantly run into this. Unlatched hoods, drivers wanting to help by releasing brakes before I get hooked up and wanting to help me unhook causing damage to their own truck (scratches usually) and wanting to blame the light bar. I have to find something to occupy driver or put him in my truck so I can work safely.

 

Towgodess14 said:

I always worry when i put them in my truck all alone. I keep thinking they will play with knobs and buttons and such.

 

Carl4tow said:

had one on a hill onetime pulled up backed up got close got out the truck I was going to tow is rolling down the side of the fwy driver standing there looking stupid luckley I got it stopped. He said you didn't whet the park brake on did you.

 

Towtruck03 said:

just beware I have had 2 t 880 hoods come open on be during tansport both hoods were checked before transport no damage but they will come unlatched

[Towmanjc]

11-17-2016: Ian Tomei Wrote,
 
Last night my driver went to tow a Freightliner Cascadia in from  disablement. When my driver arrived on scene at 12 midnight, owner had unit spun around for a rear tow. After hooking my driver start to repair shop the hood blew open.
 
The driver as soon as he saw it pulled over but it was too late ..the hood hit the pavement. My driver and the owner (who was present at hookup) realized that my driver never looked under hood! The driver of the disabled opened the hook and obviously didn't lock the hatches, my driver never thought of looking at the latches because on a Cascadia they are not in plain site,nor could see them because it was dark out.
 
Has this ever happened to any of you? And how do you handle it?..I offered to replace the hood!! I purchase a used one..but he said it wasn't good enough for his unit!.. I was trying to get him back in service for his night run.. Just listening for input!
 
Eds Towing said:
That's a tough situation.... I have thought about it but honestly I probably wouldn't of checked either. I feel that people need to be held accountable for their own actions. If your driver saw the hood up when he arrived or something then yea maybe he should've checked it. But how would he know? Should he of checked if someone loosened the steer tire lugs? Where does it end? If it was me, they would have to take me to court over this.

A while back I towed a Freightliner tractor from a truck stop to the dealer. Like a 10 mile tow. So I get hooked up & get in the cab when he asks me to wait a second to get something out of his truck. He gets back in & we head out...At the dealer I unhook the truck and as soon as my forks come out from his rear, the truck rolls away! It went a few feet & ran in to a tree & some brush. The guy looks at me like he's pissed and I said well who released the brakes? He said he didn't...to which I reminded him that I hooked up to it on an incline in the parking lot and hadn't been near the cab since! He then admitted that when he went back to get his cigarettes that he released the brakes. Freakin jerk off....I told him It was on him & I didn't want to hear about it....
 
Wreckerboy said:
To be honest, i ran into this many times that the hoods were not latched. The first hood that came open , no damage to the hood, but my lightbar got some battle scars till i knew the hood came open in the dark. Since that I always make sure the hood is latched and many since that were not latched.
 
towgodess14 said:
Given the intelligence and training that represent the modern day steering wheel holder, I check everything that might possibly come open, or undone. I trust no one anymore.
 
beaucecarnavalman said:
Bingo never trust anyone double check everything yourself.
 
Colotow said:
drivers are idiots.
lost track of how many times a driver has left a hood unlatched, released brakes, left a door not shut tight, or untied a steering wheel and not said anything.
I just had to make it a habit to expect the worst from all of them, I take the key and lock the doors, if they need to get back in they have to ask me.
On that same note, another habit is to always pop the red line off the trailer before I start hooking, 95% of drivers don't set the trailer brakes, and if they release them while I'm under it, (a) I know there are dangerous and stupid, and (b) it still won't move
 
Mack6X6 said:
Same here - many years ago when I was just pulling out of the lot I saw the hood bounce a little in my mirror.  Stopped, went back and sure enough - unlatched.  I always check for that now among other things.  Good luck to you sir, Steve.
 
TFS123 said:
We have a check list...hoods,mirrors,blue/red coil lines,green power cord,wind flares,doors and glass,and all loose side panels along with battery box covers..you have to protect yourself from claims weather its your fault or not..this unit was in your care..custody..and control...protecting yourself from being in a situation like this is always my first priority in my world......I would say ...you could try to make it right for the customer..like meeting half way with responsibility of the damages...don't loose a lot sleep over this...learn from it...knowledge is power ...and ignorance is the tool that gets you there faster.
 
Mark said:
I always check the hood latches,well 90% of the time. I've had it happen to me but luckily with no damage. Not that I think that I would be responsible for it. Just saves the argument.
 
EagleOne said,
I constantly run into this. Unlatched hoods, drivers wanting to help by releasing brakes before I get hooked up and wanting to help me unhook causing damage to their own truck (scratches usually) and wanting to blame the light bar. I have to find something to occupy driver or put him in my truck so I can work safely.
 
Towgodess14 said:
I always worry when i put them in my truck all alone. I keep thinking they will play with knobs and buttons and such.
 
Carl4tow said:
had one on a hill onetime pulled up backed up got close got out the truck I was going to tow is rolling down the side of the fwy driver standing there looking stupid luckley I got it stopped. He said you didn't whet the park brake on did you.
 
Towtruck03 said:
just beware I have had 2 t 880 hoods come open on be during tansport both hoods were checked before transport no damage but they will come unlatched

So what the final outcome of this? Ian

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[ecruzllc]

I too don't trust any one and even go back and check everything before I head down the road. I even pull over after a mile or so at the nearest safe spot just to do another walk around before I get up to a serious highway speed. I have not had anything worse that a door fly open. But luckily, nothing got damaged.

[Louwo]

I'll admit I've left my hood unlatched once. Found out in front of a local pd station stopping short at a red light. Kinda a shocker when you can't hop out when you see the hood pop up. Oops. Learning lessons of the past when I first started driving commercially.

Of all the years now I be sure myself I know what the condition the vehicle is. If I get a heavy I'll remember to check the hood since the towed vehicle is my load I need to be sure any and all objects are secured.