Safe house - Trailer Magazine

While JOST may primarily be known for its success in fifth wheels, the OEM is advancing on a mission towards something greater.

Taking a deep dive into safety, a factor prevalent in transport today, JOST is looking to make a positive impact with its latest developments.

A regular issue within the transport industry has been the case of incorrect couplings which can result in dropped trailers and significant damages – a very costly error for those to experience it. Yet JOST looks to offer another solution through one of its latest innovations, Loc-Light.

“A key issue when trying to set up road trains, B-doubles and multiple trailer applications is there’s more than one fifth wheel on the vehicle,” says JOST Australia National Fleet Manager, Shane Harbridge. “So, to ensure that we’ve got the technology there for people to be able to have that second tier of safety when they hook up a B-double or a dolly is essential.”

As an extra preventative, JOST’s Loc-Light sensor system does just that. The system, featuring a dual sensor monitoring setup and LED illumination with orbital sounder, has the ability to ensure secure and reliable couplings while reducing the risk of errors.

Loc-Light is integrated with a green/red indicator near the handle of the fifth wheel, and how this works is very simple; when the handle and kingpin are properly locked, the light turns green which signals that the trailer has been coupled correctly.

However, if the handle or kingpin is not locked correctly, the light flashes red and the orbital sounder will give an alarm.

“Loc-Light wires into a power supply on the truck, trailer or dolly with its own independent light on the side of the fifth wheel,” Shane says. “If operators hook, say, a B-double or a road train up, when they walk down the combination and go to plug the hoses and everything in, they will also have a light display as an extra indicator in addition to their regular visual inspection.”

Loc-Light’s built-in orbital sounder will also alert operators if there is something wrong with the fifth wheel or the way that the trailer has been connected.

As Loc-Light rolls out in fleets across the country, JOST is confident that it will make the coupling process easier and the chances of dropped trailers and damages less likely. But, this isn’t the only solution that the OEM brings to the table in this area.

JOST also possesses other critical technologies such as Rockinger couplings which can be fitted with additional safety features such as jack-knife sensors, air operation and dash sensor displays with sensor lock indicators.

The latest addition to the Rockinger coupling includes the drawbar finder which is integrated with a camera for in-dash display.

Meanwhile, JOST’s unique Sensor Coupling System can tell whether a fifth wheel is coupled correctly or incorrectly. By being able to prevent false couplings and dropped trailers from occurring, it can provide operators with extra peace of mind when connecting trailers and prime movers.

It does this using three sensors fitted to the turntable – one on the plate surface to detect whether or not the skid plate on the trailer is in contact with the fifth wheel plate surface, one to detect the kingpin and ensure the lock jaw is secured around it and one on the handle latch to ensure the handle is in the fully locked position.

If any or all of these sensors detect an irregularity, the Sensor Coupling System will alert the driver that something is wrong and that the coupling process needs to be revisited.

The technology in some of these systems, according to JOST, is also what ultimately led to the successful development of its revolutionary automatic coupling system, KKS, which debuted in the Australian market at last year’s Brisbane Truck Show.

KKS basically automates the entire coupling and uncoupling process with the push of a button on a remote control, and JOST claims it has the potential to halve the time it takes to change a trailer while eliminating all physically demanding activities associated with the coupling/uncoupling process.

KKS is more than one single component. Relying on a unique combination of the fifth wheel coupling, connectors, electric landing leg gear and remote control, all of the individual components come together to ensure trailer swapping is fast and safe.

In addition to being a big efficiency gain, it is also reported to almost halve costs per truck trip depending on the transport order, driving and saddle time. The core of the product is a high-quality 2” cast saddle coupling KKS 42 which is tried, tested, reliable and highly functional.

Together with the KKS Connector (which is fitted under the body of the trailer), it forms the revolutionary sensor coupling system with Sensoric, LubeTronic and pneumatic opening cylinders.

The unique KKS Connector automatically and securely establishes all mechanical, electrical and pneumatic connections between the truck and trailer, thus eliminating the need for spiral lines for air, electrics and Anti-Lock Braking Systems (ABS) as well as Electronic Braking Systems (EBS).

KKS also eliminates the need for landing leg cranks, ensured by the robust KKS E-Drive landing legs. This is an electric support winch that is also controlled via the KKS remote control and replaces the time-consuming and physically strenuous cranking. By eliminating the crank, JOST claims the space requirement is reduced enormously.

In addition, KKS also helps reduce OH&S concerns when it comes to manually connecting or disconnecting vehicles such as pulling the fifth wheel handle, winding landing legs and climbing on and off the vehicle to connect hoses.

JOST’s KKS, Sensor Coupling System, Rockinger drawbar finder and Loc-Light are all innovations which build on the company’s already extensive product line-up of fifth wheels, landing legs, kingpins, ballraces and more.

Demonstrating a significant commitment from an OEM perspective, JOST is on the hunt for better safety measures in transport, pursuing one solution after the other.

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