ive been offerd a job using a tautliner trailer, any one got any tips or piccies that can help me out as ive never used one before ? cheers kev .
If you’ve used any curtain-sider before, you should manage fine.
Although all the different makes have their different styles, there are only so many different ways of tightening a trailer curtain.
Your best bet is to have a good look. See if you can figure out how it works and then, if you can’t, ask one of the regular drivers.
squannogs:
ive been offerd a job using a tautliner trailer, any one got any tips or piccies that can help me out as ive never used one before ? cheers kev .
Hi squannogs, as Simon said, there are several different variations on the Tautliner/curtainsider theme.
Pease bear in mind that a curtain needs to be tensioned BOTH horizontally AND vertically…
Below is my attempt to give you the basics…
To open a curtain, first you need to get rid of the vertical tension.
To do this, you open the “buckles” by pulling on the strap as in the pic…
Then, lift up the buckle and unhook the strap from underneath the deck…
(Have a look underneath to see how to put it back later 
)
Do this, from the front, as many times as you need to gain the opening that you need…
Then de-tension the curtain horizontally by pulling the (smaller) lever at the bottom of the tensioner towards you…
Then unhook the front pole by lifting it upwards…
To close a curtain, pull the curtain pole back to the the tensioner and engage the pole in the slot…
You might need to turn the tensioner to engage the pole in the slot…
Then push the small lever all the way away from you…
Then use the larger of the two levers repetitively to tension the curtain horizontally… it’s a ratchet
Then re-engage the vertical tensioners and snap the buckles shut…
Some other tips:
Depending on the maunfacturer of the curtain system, there might be a horizontal tensioner at either OR both ends of the curtain.
You don’t always need to open the whole of the curtain, but that depends on how much you’re going to load/unload and the type of curtain tensioners.
If you mention that you’re new to curtainsiders, I don’t think most drivers would mind helping if you ask them to show you.
As ever, I only try to give new guys a head start, without too much technical stuff.
I hope this helps… Did it 
squannogs:
ive been offerd a job using a tautliner trailer, any one got any tips or piccies that can help me out as ive never used one before ? cheers kev .
This probably won’t help you very much, but stand by for tautliner overload!!! 
These are the ones I use -
This one is a bit more interesting
Tautliner or curtainsider work is about as basic as truck driving gets. It isn’t glamorous in any way, but it is possibly the most versatile thing since a flat trailer - but a lot less hassle.
It is the backbone of the transport industry in my opinion. 
I am sure that what you were really looking for was information and pictures about specific makes and mechanisms that are in use - and dieseldave’s information is very precise, but he can’t cover every type of mechanism out there much as I am sure he’d like to. Although they all work on the same principle, some have levers and knobs in different places.
To be honest mate - they are dead easy to work out. There’s loads of different designs out there and if you are intelligent enough to pass an LGV test you’ll have no worries.
Just have a good look around it and you’ll soon fathom it out.
One thing I will say that I’ve just thought of - if you are lumbered with a smooth-sided, buckle-less curtainsider (like the one in the second picture from the top), the tension handle is generally halfway down the side of the trailer. Give it a good push, unhook the clips along the trailer length and then release the poles at the end in the normal way.
Get stuck in and enjoy.
flying_fenman:
squannogs:
ive been offerd a job using a tautliner trailer, any one got any tips or piccies that can help me out as ive never used one before ? cheers kev .This probably won’t help you very much, but stand by for tautliner overload!!!
Tautliner or curtainsider work is about as basic as truck driving gets. It isn’t glamorous in any way, but it is possibly the most versatile thing since a flat trailer - but a lot less hassle.
It is the backbone of the transport industry in my opinion.
I am sure that what you were really looking for was information and pictures about specific makes and mechanisms that are in use - and dieseldave’s information is very precise, but he can’t cover every type of mechanism out there much as I am sure he’d like to. Although they all work on the same principle, some have levers and knobs in different places.
To be honest mate - they are dead easy to work out. There’s loads of different designs out there and if you are intelligent enough to pass an LGV test you’ll have no worries.
Just have a good look around it and you’ll soon fathom it out.
One thing I will say that I’ve just thought of - if you are lumbered with a smooth-sided, buckle-less curtainsider (like the one in the second picture from the top), the tension handle is generally halfway down the side of the trailer. Give it a good push, unhook the clips along the trailer length and then release the poles at the end in the normal way.
Get stuck in and enjoy.
Yes FF, I had thought that there’s loads of different types.
I just went for a fairly standard “average” and not too much detail when I posted. Your excellent pics amply demonstrate mine and Simon’s point about all those different types… a real nightmare for the novice, as long as they remember horizontal and vertical tensioning.
dieseldave:
as long as they remember horizontal and vertical tensioning.
Absolutely dave, or else a tautliner just isn’t taut!! 
I shall be using another common feature of the tautliner trailer early tomorrow morning at Sainsbury’s Waltham Abbey. 
Namely the rear barn doors.
Then I can walk away while they take three hours to tip it. 
Any idea what time they start doing breakfast?!
think your supposed to say thanks squannogs you keep forgetting that sunshine it was containers 2 weeks ago what you need help on next week thankyou to the people that help goes a long way please and thankyou gets you on in this industry
thanks for the photos and help. all the best kev
One thing that has been missed, is that some have a pole part way down each side to help support the roof. These may need to be moved during loading/unloading.
With some you pull a bolt out of the bottom and swing them round like a gate, others you undo a catch and pull a lever downwards, this lets the bar swing free and it can usually be sild most of the way up and down the trailer. With this type there will either be a slot in the side of the trailer to locate it, or a painted area stating that thats where the pole should be. Either way be careful when releasing the pole, on some trailers they can be holding a fair bit of weight from the roof, and can release at a fair pace for the wary.
thanks for all your help ill let you all know how i get on . kev