A few weeks ago, a driver shared a video on the company group app showing a trailer on a loading bay. Ever time the forklift drove into or out of the trailer, the front of the trailer and the legs tipped upwards about a foot.
I was just wondering what the reason for this might be? Want to make sure I don’t make any mistakes when dropping a trailer on a bay.
Not your problem really but if loading or unloading heavy items with a fork lift, props should be placed under the front of the trailer.
You haven’t made a…
Mistake when you dropped it. Fork lifts are ■■■■ heavy things, add the weight of what ever they’re carrying and you’ve got quite a few tons rolling up the trailer. Because all that weight is right at the back of the trailer, the axles act as a fulcrum and the front of the trailer will rise if sufficient weight is driven in. The further up the trailer towards the headboard the load goes, the more the trailer will drop back down.
steve4545:
Not your problem really but if loading or unloading heavy items with a fork lift, props should be placed under the front of the trailer.
It’s rare to see props under the front of unaccompanied trailers but it can be a good idea if you’re loading heavy pallets with a heavy forklift as you mentioned, I used to drop trailers off at Unilever Thurrock and you had to put a prop under.
But answering the OP it’s not your responsibility if nothing is provided.
don’t know if any driver can beat this one,worked for B&Q in swindon as agency for a while,came back one day to see a trailer’s rear about 20 ft in the air on a loading bay,obviously really heavy stuff on the headboard and no support legs at the front,did make me laugh as team leaders and managers were standing around it scratching their heads and talking not quite knowing what to do
Find it strange how the same firm operates different rules at different sites same company but one site uses them and another doesn’t. But same products going on and same weights?
Possibly suspension set in drive position or trailer dropped to high/low, coupled with a forklift and heavy pallet = trailer flex.
Would have to see the video though.
Can you post the video so we can see what type of trailer it was and acces what could be done to help reduce this drama.
Trailer bounce is often normal with a uncouple trailer being unloaded by forklift.
I used to drive forklifts into trailers and you could feel the rear end drop down as soon as you went into them. When your doing it at speed though then things get fun.
I remember pulling low ride tilt trailer many years ago and they had landing gear at the back as well, which you were meant to lower when dropped on a bay. I think they put them on as they were so low that the dock levelers would drop off the back when a forklift went in and out.
truckman020:
don’t know if any driver can beat this one,worked for B&Q in swindon as agency for a while,came back one day to see a trailer’s rear about 20 ft in the air on a loading bay,obviously really heavy stuff on the headboard and no support legs at the front,did make me laugh as team leaders and managers were standing around it scratching their heads and talking not quite knowing what to do
20ft ■■ Seems very high to me.
A trailer should never move of the legs ie unless its a very heavy pallet being loaded first, as it hits the back it will rise a bit after one or two are put in, after that the front will balance the legs with the axles
I had to put the video up on youtube to provide a link as I couldn’t post it direct to TN. It’s only 23 seconds and pretty boring but gives you the idea.
We have a couple of single axle urbans that nose dive if you put 3 ton infront of the legs. Seen it happen once. Chuffing hilarious as it was the owner that made the mistake
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bald bloke:
steve4545:
Not your problem really but if loading or unloading heavy items with a fork lift, props should be placed under the front of the trailer.It’s rare to see props under the front of unaccompanied trailers but it can be a good idea if you’re loading heavy pallets with a heavy forklift as you mentioned, I used to drop trailers off at Unilever Thurrock and you had to put a prop under.
But answering the OP it’s not your responsibility if nothing is provided.
At every single one of our depots we use tressles. When we drop a trailer on the bays at our depot, the shunter has to come along to find them up again to place the larger tressles undernearth.
I used to collect and deliver at Potters near Kidderminster. I recall a big sign on the side of the warehouse with a graphic illustration, warning FLT drivers not to load pallets at the front of the trailer first. I watched them work and they would bring one pallet out and put it on the back to hold it down, then start at the front as normal.
I worked for a car parts company that used horrible euro-trailers with small wheels and low floors. They had legs at the back, but many of them had holes in the floor where heavy FLTs had driven in - a combination of lightweight floors and a big drop from the loading dock. They were supposed to be loaded with pallet trucks.
I’ve seen one FLT driver very carefully drop two pallets at the back of an empty trailer then load from the headboard back at a brewery. Once he finished that trailer he went and started tipping anothe dropped trailer from the back all the way to the tipping point and beyond.
nsmith1180:
I’ve seen one FLT driver very carefully drop two pallets at the back of an empty trailer then load from the headboard back at a brewery. Once he finished that trailer he went and started tipping anothe dropped trailer from the back all the way to the tipping point and beyond.
Yes, standard practice when loading a dropped trailer where I work. Typical ■■■ covering exercise, because when it’s a part load, once the shunter picks up the trailer, the single pallet at the rear needs to be picked up, and placed tight to the rest at the front. And then the trailer is dropped in the trailer park, with all the pallets in front of the legs…
(Oh, but by then it’s not the responsibility of the brewery anymore. …)