Truck lifted along with container by port crane - photo

[Frank S]

"snip" Lifting a truck that high would more than likely be deadly if it became decoupled.

The king pin and 5th wheel are designed not to fail in circumstances as this, like when a truck goes over a bridge railing held from falling only by the trailer. or not to shear off in the impact of a head on collision. That doesn't mean they can't or won't fail though. Not sure what the designation of the steel in the king pin is now but it used to be forged Bearcat steel. strong wear resistant shock resistant with a super high tensile strength, but it is still just 2" in diameter at the smallest section. Not all 5th wheels are made equal either in the way they couple, then if you factor in the human factor of how well it had been maintained how well it has been kept adjusted, and how much wear it has on it. I sure wouldn't want to be the guy in the cab trusting my life to a 2' bar of steel.