Bit of a discussion at work after our latest round of training. I’ve always dropped the suspension then backed under the trailer before lifting it again. Get out and check nothing bad is going to happen then back onto pin. Other drivers just lift the suspension up and reverse under trailer using the run up bars. What do you guys think is best?
Drop suspension, back under, stop, raise suspension and then continue back on to the pin.
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i never touch it just go under as it is.
Nite Owl:
Bit of a discussion at work after our latest round of training. I’ve always dropped the suspension then backed under the trailer before lifting it again. Get out and check nothing bad is going to happen then back onto pin. Other drivers just lift the suspension up and reverse under trailer using the run up bars. What do you guys think is best?
You ask what’s best but you have already answered your own question ,get out and look as you’ve said . 
Always been taught to drop suspension, drive under, lift suspension then continue back until you hear the pin click. Told it saves the trailer legs and if you ever get a unit without overriders it’ll save your mudguards
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Here we go, you’ll set off Carryfast now, a man who hasn’t picked up or dropped a trailer in over twenty years telling us all how is done. 4 pages at least if someone bites
I’m an advocate of:
- Lower the suspension.
- Reverse under the trailer.
- Lift the suspension until the trailer legs are off the ground.
- Gently reverse to the pin.
In my opinion it’s near impossible to go under the pin with this method and there’s usually no need to get out of the cab.
I hate hearing people bang the unit onto the pin 
tachograph:
I’m an advocate of:
- Lower the suspension.
- Reverse under the trailer.
- Lift the suspension until the trailer legs are off the ground.
- Gently reverse to the pin.
In my opinion it’s near impossible to go under the pin with this method and there’s usually no need to get out of the cab.
I hate hearing people bang the unit onto the pin
^^^^^^
This . and it means the fifth wheel grease stays where its supossed to be (theres a clue in the name ) not all over the front of the trailer , the lines and the back of the cab .
Beef:
Drop suspension, back under, stop, raise suspension and then continue back on to the pin.Sent from my SM-G800F using Tapatalk
That ^^^^ no reason to prolong this thread.
beefy4605:
it means the fifth wheel grease stays where its supossed to be (theres a clue in the name ) not all over the front of the trailer , the lines and the back of the cab .
…Or cream carpets
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As above, drop, reverse under enough not too much, get out and have a look, all good?, lift and reverse onto pin, job done.
Not only does this save the legs, it’s more gentle on the vehicle overall, and it keep the grease on the fifth wheel where it belongs.
First job when connected, shine a torch up the 5th wheel’s skirt and check for the locking bar engaged.
switchlogic:
Here we go, you’ll set off Carryfast now, a man who hasn’t picked up or dropped a trailer in over twenty years telling us all how is done. 4 pages at least if someone bites
" Steel springs " wasn’t it Luke?
I actually like CF though, it takes an impressively disturbed mind to turn any thread into Thatcher, paranoia or V8’s 
dont forget to check the trailer brake is on as we dont want to chase the trailer backwards across the yard… i know this is unlikely but it happens even in yards where the policy is to always brake on its a usual shunter time saver not too
switchlogic:
Here we go, you’ll set off Carryfast now, a man who hasn’t picked up or dropped a trailer in over twenty years telling us all how is done. 4 pages at least if someone bites
Go on please bite!! 
switchlogic:
Here we go, you’ll set off Carryfast now, a man who hasn’t picked up or dropped a trailer in over twenty years telling us all how is done. 4 pages at least if someone bites
I’ve never seen an articulated council depot gritter?
We have the same drama with trailers, my process is drop suspension, back under, raise suspension & then reverse to secure pin. Others seem to do as they want resulting in smashed rear unit lights if picking up some urban trailers & also smashed up cabs on the back.
What process do you follow to drop a trailer?? Wind down legs until an inch or so off the ground, pull out until pin releases & then drop suspension to lower trailer to ground before pulling out from under trailer.
See many a driver just wind down legs & pull straight out & trailer dropping onto the legs, then same drivers moan about trailer legs being hard to wind up & down.
our procedure is this
check trailer park brake is on.
reverse towards trailer, stop short and apply unit park brake and switch off engine.
get out and check heights.
get back in.
adjust suspension to just go under.
reverse partly under.
raise unit suspension.
reverse all the way to engage king pin.
do 2 tug tests.
We are also supposed to take keys out as well when we are out of the cab…
and we are audited on this several times a year…
I drop and catch 5 times a night. but paid by the hour, so if it takes another hour to do my shift then so be it …
I still remember the good old days though…
selby newcomer:
We have the same drama with trailers, my process is drop suspension, back under, raise suspension & then reverse to secure pin. Others seem to do as they want resulting in smashed rear unit lights if picking up some urban trailers & also smashed up cabs on the back.What process do you follow to drop a trailer?? Wind down legs until an inch or so off the ground, pull out until pin releases & then drop suspension to lower trailer to ground before pulling out from under trailer.
See many a driver just wind down legs & pull straight out & trailer dropping onto the legs, then same drivers moan about trailer legs being hard to wind up & down.
Why do you do this? You do realise that it is the year 2018 where every unit has air suspension, and not 1978? It’s something that every driver over the age of 50 does, “because that’s what we had to do in 1978 when we were on springs”. 
Just wind the legs all the way to the ground, get in cab, pull forwards a couple of inches to disconnect pin, dump air until fifth wheel is clear of trailer and pull out. That’s it. It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that as the front of the trailer will naturally settle an inch or so lower when there’s nothing supporting it. This leaving-the-legs-3-inches-off-the-ground BS is particularly annoying when the trailer has weight on it as it settles even lower and then it makes life more difficult than it needs to be for the next guy who has to couple up to it.
And don’t give me any crap about “if you don’t leave a gap the trailer is too high to reach for the next guy” because it’s BS. The yard I mostly worked out of had pretty much every model of tractor unit on the market and there were never any problems coupling up to empty trailers except the rare occasions where it had been dropped by one of those idiiots that winds the legs all the way to the ground, then winds them another 4 turns just for good measure .
Whats all this stopping the engine multiple times ■■■■■■■■, must put the starting and charging systems through extra strain for no reason at all.
I got re-assessed a month or so back, did the drop and re-pick up routine as requested, never once stopping the engine, got the all clear with no issues to correct.
Anyone ever forgot to pull the king and smacked into the pin?
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