The Rotator Cuff Reality: Why I Stopped Being a Hero

We all know that sound—the metallic clunk of a 5th wheel release handle that refuses to budge. I was dropping a heavy trailer in a yard in Chicago. The landing gear was down, the lines were disconnected, but the locking jaws were binding.

I did what I always did: I grabbed the release handle with both hands, planted my feet on the slippery grease of the frame, and yanked with everything I had. I felt a tear in my shoulder that brought me to my knees. The pain was blinding. I was out of work for six weeks doing rehab on a strained rotator cuff.

When I finally got back in the cab, I bought a 5th Wheel Pin Puller. It’s just a simple steel hook, about 30 inches long, but it changes the physics. It gives you leverage and reach.

Now, I stand on the ground, hook the handle, and pull without jerking my shoulder out of the socket. It keeps the grease off my clothes, too. I learned the hard way: save your body for your grandkids, not the load.