When you’ve got a load of weight on to a point where you can see the trailer bending a little in front of the legs when dropped, do you put the air up on the unit a bit before winding the legs down so the dropped position is a little higher, or do you do not bother and leave the air level and let the unit come out with a bang as the trailer hits on the run up ramps?
I usually put the air up, not to max but enough so i can get out without any bangs or grease being spread everywhere or the wing tops getting damaged. Plus it makes it easier for the next driver
I drop the trailer at normal height, but after pulling the pin I pull forward a foot or so to clear the jaws, then drop suspension so I can pull out cleanly (fnar, fnar…).
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I always dropped the suspension to pull out anyway - the opposite of what one does when coupling up.
Suspension can be lowered as well as raised of course.No need at all to just pull out and let it bang.
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As I find that some trailers tend to bend at the front I lift it up slightly before winding down the legs so the front of the trailer ends up at a reasonably normal height, this enables the next person to couple up normally
Lift unit up a wee bit,
Drop yellow line off
Wind legs down, then do a full turn on low speed.
Drop trailer suspension down
Hand brake on
Remove lines
Pull out nice and slowly, dropping unit down as you Go.
Sorry forgot to add. I know you put the air down anyway to pull out, but when it’s really heavy you see sometimes when a driver drops at normal height, even when lowering the air the unit comes out with a bang, then because of the bend at the front of the trailer it then makes it really difficult for the next driver to get their unit under even with the air fully lowered. I always put the air up about a quarter to half of how much it will go, then wind the legs, pull forward, then lower the air as much is it will go before pulling all the way out. That way the trailer doesn’t bang on the unit as the unit comes out and it makes it easier for the next driver.
Personally I do like Roymondo and just leave the legs down at std travelling height. Sometimes it’ll bang a little as the front drops especially on double deckers if you have 8 IBCs on the front.
It also means the next person can drop air, go under and lift it right up clearing the legs off the ground which makes them easier to wind up esp when loaded.
Best way I’ve found is put legs down at normal height, then ten or so turns of the slow wind. Just helps to brace it all up before you pull out (whilst dropping the suspension).
Most drivers I see just drive out abit quicker when the trailer is heavier. I do what Santa ^ said.
Just an additional point: if it’s that heavy. Make sure you’re dropping it on solid ground, i.e. concrete or tarmac. Seen a few trailers where the legs are sunk in so far the pin is touching the ground.
And if it’s been part tipped already so all the weight is forward of the legs, be careful it doesn’t do a nose dive and leave all the wheels in the air!.
Drop it on solid ground? You want to see our old yard If you want a laugh. Neither solid nor level. Surprised more trailers didn’t end up on the ground.
DickyNick:
Drop it on solid ground? You want to see our old yard If you want a laugh. Neither solid nor level. Surprised more trailers didn’t end up on the ground.
Yeah our yard is awful at the moment. I half expect to encounter a squadron of German infantry hidining out in some of the potholes.
In fairness they are concreting the remainder of it but the people doing it aren’t exactly cracking on…
biggriffin:
Lift unit up a wee bit,Drop yellow line off
Wind legs down, then do a full turn on low speed.
Drop trailer suspension down
Hand brake on
Remove lines
Pull out nice and slowly, dropping unit down as you Go.
Great idea.Lift the unit so it’s even higher then wind the legs into the ground then wind them a bit more in low gear just to make sure.What could possibly go wrong when it’s re coupled on the basis of high trailer v low unit.With this type of logic it’s only a matter of time before a lost trailer causes carnage in traffic.
Meanwhile old school steel suspension we left a decent gap under the legs regardless of how heavy the trailer was and relied on the fifth wheel ramps to drop it gently without the need for any supposed free fall drama.Just as we relied on the ramps to lift it.Yes grease got everywhere but the upside was we didn’t mis couple or lose any trailers because they were too high v the unit when coupled up. 
Bit heavy on the front.
biggriffin:
0Bit heavy on the front.
Now just imagine for a moment if the driver dropped that trailer on that bay and lifted the suspension a bit “to make it easier for the driver picking it up”. 2 hours later, the warehouse staff have been running in/out of the trailer on their electric pallet trucks and taken all the weight off. Front of trailer now sits several inches higher. How is that going to make the next driver’s job any easier…?
If there’s that much weight on it I’m surprised there isn’t one of those support post things under the front end so the trailer doesn’t end up on it’s nose with someone in it when all the weight is forward of the legs.
DickyNick:
If there’s that much weight on it I’m surprised there isn’t one of those support post things under the front end so the trailer doesn’t end up on it’s nose with someone in it when all the weight is forward of the legs.
Doesn’t really have any relevance to the subject under discussion - as those “nose jacks” don’t get put in place until after you’ve dropped the trailer…
Roymondo:
DickyNick:
If there’s that much weight on it I’m surprised there isn’t one of those support post things under the front end so the trailer doesn’t end up on it’s nose with someone in it when all the weight is forward of the legs.Doesn’t really have any relevance to the subject under discussion - as those “nose jacks” don’t get put in place until after you’ve dropped the trailer…
I wasn’t suggesting they did get put in place at any other time. I was making another comment on that photo. It’s my post so I can put what I want and if that means going off on a tangent then so be it thank you 