If you drive a truck and stop for a rest, you may end up forgetting to pull your key out before locking it as you head inside for a bathroom break or some snacks. If there are other trucks nearby or you drive with a fleet then you can ask to borrow their key and should be able to open your truck.
If you drive a Freightliner Cascadia and there are other Freightliner Cascadia drivers around, then their key should open your door easily since they all use the same key or similar enough keys. However, even if there are only other kinds of trucks, with a little bit of maneuvering you should be able to open your Cascadia. Read on to find out more.
How Do I Open My Freightliner Door with a Different Key?
If you are at a rest stop and locked your keys in the truck, look around and if there are other trucks nearby, ask one (or more) of the drivers if you can borrow their key for a couple of minutes.
It very well could save you wasted time at the truck stop as well as money to get a replacement key by trying the following:
- Insert the key. If it is another Freightliner key, simply turn the key to the right and the truck should unlock and you are good to go. If it is a different kind of key, continue to the next step.
- Wiggle the key around. Sometimes this is enough to move the locking mechanism enough that it should unlock.
- Pull the key in and out and try wiggling at different points. For example, insert the key halfway, then wiggle it around and try to turn it to the right. If that does not work, try inserting just the tip of the key and turning it to the right.
Keep trying, and it should eventually work. Now, let’s take a look at how you can unlock your Freightliner Cascadia door without a key.
How Do I Unlock My Freightliner Door Without a Key?
Now you know that it is possible to unlock your Freightliner with a different key, but what happens if you locked the door while the key was still in the transmission, but there are no other trucks around. Not to worry.
Take the following steps to access your key and unlock the truck:
- Open the hood of the Freightliner. At the back on the right side (driver’s side), you should see a metal plate with four bolts.
- Use a T40 Torx Driver bit to unscrew the bolts. These are very large bolts, so they need more than a standard screwdriver.
- Once you have removed the bolts, make sure to place them in a baggy or a bowl. You do not want them to roll away or get lost.
- Remove the metal plate. Place it with the bolts.
- Move aside the foam insert in between the plate and the cab of the truck, making sure not to tear it or pull it completely out. Once the foam is out of the way, you should be able to reach inside.
- The keys will be directly on the right. You should have no problem reaching in and pulling them out.
- Once you have removed the keys, put the metal plate and bolts back on and close the hood. Unlock the Freightliner and carry on with your day.
Now you know everything about opening your Freightliner Cascadia’s door when you’ve locked it from inside out.
Conclusion
Locking your keys inside your vehicle is one of those stressful and frustrating things that has happened to just about everyone at some point or another. Luckily, if you drive a truck like a Freightliner Cascadia, you do not necessarily have to wait for a locksmith to come out.
You simply need to reach out to your fellow truck drivers and ask to borrow their key for a few minutes. More than likely, you will be able to open your truck in minutes.
Even if you do not have the same kind of key, jiggling a similar-sized key in the lock, inserting it halfway, or just the tip, and moving it around, will often catch on the right spot so you can turn it and unlock it. If you left the key in the ignition and locked yourself out, you can reach the key by opening the hood, unscrewing the metal plate, and reaching in to take the key out.
