Stacking trailers without a crane?

… So mainly we run into UK empty and come home to Normandy France loaded. We use standard 13.6m flatbeds Ideally I would like to carry an extra empty trailer over on the outbound leg, so that I could load it in UK and send it back on the Ferry unaccompanied, before loading the second trailer and coming home again. This would save me about x6 days a month … my question is: how do I stack / unstack the trailers safely without a yard crane?.. ideas on a postcard please !!! … can it be done with a loading ramps? Otherwise would a hiab / crane on the tractor unit be strong enough to do it?? We have a telehandler at home and could use that to push the trailers on from a loading ramp (would need to bypass the brakes on the trailer… is there a unit available to do that quickly & easily??) but that won’t help unstack them once we arrive in England?

Unloading them is easy… :grimacing:

You have a ramp? Can you not reverse trailer up ramp with unit?

Or is too narrow/lightweight for that?
Have stacked with 3 forklifts, one each side, one at rear, and reverse trailer under.

Truck mounted crane? Won’t be a small cheap one. Get your slide rule out.
But savings on days and ferry tickets, might be worth it?
Plus would it be useful with your other work?
.
.
Edit. Price up building a concrete ramp against a crane on a unit?

one company in poole had a very small yard, certain trailers had no headboard and reversed the top one on from the front, i never looked too closely at them but had great respect for the drivers that did the reversing, i suppose the legs were in a position to enable them to be wound up far enough for the trailer to touch the ground at the front, this was back in the days of 40 ft so a 13.6 should make it easier, i mentioned it on the local face book and the daughter (i think) confirmed it was happening but i cannot remember the hauliers name, maroon trucks and trailers,

Franglais:
You have a ramp? Can you not reverse trailer up ramp with unit?

Or is too narrow/lightweight for that?
Have stacked with 3 forklifts, one each side, one at rear, and reverse trailer under.

Truck mounted crane? Won’t be a small cheap one. Get your slide rule out.
But savings on days and ferry tickets, might be worth it?
Plus would it be useful with your other work?
.
.
Edit. Price up building a concrete ramp against a crane on a unit?

I would be very happy to build a concrete ramp at home and it would really help loading other stuff as well. The only issue would be how to demount the piggy backing trailer once in the uk … I guess look for someone in the south of England with a decent ramp set up?

hotel magnum:
one company in poole had a very small yard, certain trailers had no headboard and reversed the top one on from the front, i never looked too closely at them but had great respect for the drivers that did the reversing, i suppose the legs were in a position to enable them to be wound up far enough for the trailer to touch the ground at the front, this was back in the days of 40 ft so a 13.6 should make it easier, i mentioned it on the local face book and the daughter (i think) confirmed it was happening but i cannot remember the hauliers name, maroon trucks and trailers,

We cut the head boards off our trailers anyway because we have to over hang slightly front & rear. However I’m not sure how you would ever get the tractor unit uncoupled from the second trailer if you reversed them on from the front??

… I thought about using the leg stands from a demount box body but with brackets welded onto the trailer itself rather than the box but then I realised that whilst you could unload the piggy back trailer this way … you’d have a trailer suspended 5 ft up in the air??

Loading ramps each end, Put a trailer on the first trailer, then put another empty trailer in front of ramp & reverse the trailer with second trailer on, then put another empty trailer in front of ramp & reverse the trailer with two trailers on to it, four trailers & no head boards hurt in the procedure. Wind legs down to keep under four metres.

dave docwra:
Loading ramps each end, Put a trailer on the first trailer, then put another empty trailer in front of ramp & reverse the trailer with second trailer on, then put another empty trailer in front of ramp & reverse the trailer with two trailers on to it, four trailers & no head boards hurt in the procedure. Wind legs down to keep under four metres.

What was your initial training in?
Designing Russian dolls?
[emoji3]

Franglais:

dave docwra:
Loading ramps each end, Put a trailer on the first trailer, then put another empty trailer in front of ramp & reverse the trailer with second trailer on, then put another empty trailer in front of ramp & reverse the trailer with two trailers on to it, four trailers & no head boards hurt in the procedure. Wind legs down to keep under four metres.

What was your initial training in?
Designing Russian dolls?
[emoji3]

It’s just taken me five minutes to figure all that out but I think I got it … best get building a ramp then !!

Rid the standard flats get 2 slopers and some good ramps

Why stop at 2?

stacked trailers.jpg

Try 5

Back trailer 1 on a ramp. Uncouple then get trailer 2 and reverse it onto trailer 1.
Pull trailers 1 and 2 off of ramp. Put trailer 3 on ramp then load trailers 1 and 2 onto trailer 3
Simples

Suedehead:
Back trailer 1 on a ramp. Uncouple then get trailer 2 and reverse it onto trailer 1.
Pull trailers 1 and 2 off of ramp. Put trailer 3 on ramp then load trailers 1 and 2 onto trailer 3
Simples

Thats sounds like a good idea :smiley:

Wheel Nut:
Why stop at 2?

0

Try 5

Ready for export, handy having a crane to load.

Suedehead:
Back trailer 1 on a ramp. Uncouple then get trailer 2 and reverse it onto trailer 1.
Pull trailers 1 and 2 off of ramp. Put trailer 3 on ramp then load trailers 1 and 2 onto trailer 3
Simples

Yes after a bit of thinking I understood what dave docwra was saying and this is the same thing that you have explained. Thanks Paul

Wheel Nut:
Why stop at 2?

0

Try 5

Yes genius system but as others have said … two of those trailers didn’t get there by magic !!

Wheel Nut:
Why stop at 2?

0

Try 5

Hmmm… space for a layer of timber on top of that.

Or steel if travelling to Ireland…

if you can stack your trailers at home, why not try and find somewhere close to your loading point in the uk that either has a loading bank you could use, or a firm with a crane or hiab truck that could unstack the topped trailer for you or a couple of 3 ton fork trucks to lift the trailer whilst you pull out from under it

scotstrucker:
if you can stack your trailers at home, why not try and find somewhere close to your loading point in the uk that either has a loading bank you could use, or a firm with a crane or hiab truck that could unstack the topped trailer for you or a couple of 3 ton fork trucks to lift the trailer whilst you pull out from under it

Yes that could certainly work. The problem is we collect from all over the country and often not the same place twice. I need to find somewhere at least with a decent loading ramp probably near Portsmouth or Newhaven for the Ferry and that had the space to park up the trailers without being in the way, whilst I trucked round the country filling them up and delivering them to the boat. Any know of such a place■■?