Hi all,
I am doing my first long distance run bobtail in a unit on Sunday from Carlisle to Heywood.
Not a fan of driving units on their own and just looking for some advice and/or tips on handling it!
Last time I was out on a solo run, it was very windy and I was bricking it going from Gretna to Glasgow!!
Truck is a merc actros 6x2
Thanks
T
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Time to practice your drifting on roundabouts, and power slides,
Tricky 21 Jan:
Truck is a merc actros 6x2
Take a…
Cushion and some painkillers. The ride will be dreadful.
Not sure what bothers you about running solo? The ABS will operate if you mess things up big style and the skid control will kick in if you give it too much hoof. Just drive the thing according to the road conditions and you’ll be fine.
Don’t use the full exhaust brake if it’s wet either.Can sometimes throw the unit.Obviously keep the mid lift up too.
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If I could find a job requiring me to run bobtail all the time I’d snap it up. It brings out the juvenile in me 
. Our lot have stand trailer dotted all around the country at customers premises which means that we do a lot of miles bobtail either placing or recovering these trailers, I swear that my fuel economy is worse unit only! 
Edit to add; to give the op a sensible answer I’d say if it’s a modern unit then just drive it as normal as the computer gubbins will keep you out of bother. If it’s an old unit then treat the throttle with respect as it’ll be like driving a tail happy RWD performance car on a damp road.
Also, as has been mention, lift the mid/tag axle too.
Long distance? Gretna to Glasgow? One of our drivers just did Bristol to Edinburgh solo, moved a trailer and dismantlement/rebuilt an event unit in Edinburgh and then went solo to Southampton to take down and collect a medical trailer to return to Bristol 
We drive 4 wheelers so not comfortable at all solo.
If its an Actros it’ll still struggle uphill [emoji106]
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biggriffin:
Time to practice your drifting on roundabouts, and power slides,
^^^^^^^^
+1,this!!!
hard to believe im reading the o/p topic…imagine a 530 bmw in the snow…its fun fun fun…cop yourself on and enjoy it all the way up to your maximum 56mph on the motorway…
Long Distance Bob-Tail … I remember back in 90’s I took a trl from Leeds to Cologne for exhibition ( subbed job from another firm ) … 2 of their drivers were already out there with trls, so didn’t need me to wait to tip … bob-tail back to Leeds (W. Yorks )
Some-one else had the pleasure of bob-tailing out the following week to collect.
Thanks all!!
Reason for the post is I only drive trucks occasionally and not full time each week! Had the licence over 3 years now and not really done any bobtailing more than a couple of miles!
Thanks
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Nothing to be bothered about unless its snow or persisting it down, then you need to be careful,just keep a decent distance from the vehicle in front, as you should anyway
Longest bob-tail contest…
I’ll start with Pompey to Madrid.
I’m confident that longer ones have been done.
boot the bollox out of it as it wont go worth a toss anyway unless you switch off all the toys and look for some wet roads.
.
yourhavingalarf:
Longest bob-tail contest…I’ll start with Pompey to Madrid.
I’m confident that longer ones have been done.
I’ve done solo back to the UK from Berlin, and in a steel-sprung Scania too. 
Get in out side lane flat to mat.if old bill stop you laugh at them you ain’t got a trailer.dont go over 60mph motorways you can do 60
Set one n/s mirror down a bit so that you can see the top of the rear mudguard and a bit of the wheel. Because you don’t have a trailer to gauge how close to the kerb you are, you will find that you are driving a bit further over towards the centre of the road.
Banbury to Wednesbury for me. And back a week later to fetch it.
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No weight or trailer to hold you back, so drive it like you stole it.
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daftvader:
Don’t use the full exhaust brake if it’s wet either.Can sometimes throw the unit.Obviously keep the mid lift up too.Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Now this is great fun…[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]
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