Airline problems

Not RyanAir!
Lately I have been hitching up to a few close coupled trailers and been having a few airline issues, basically getting the red to go on is sometimes a real problem. Lack of space, unable to get into a good position (ooeer). Maybe I am just too weedy!
Any advice?
Anyone suggests that I join a Gym will be ignored!

Only thing i can suggest is to stand in the middle, with the line between your legs and push it on like that, watch it though because you’ll probably end up with grease all over your trousers.

You really need to split couple, makes coupling up a lot easier

mr bluecity:
You really need to split couple, makes coupling up a lot easier

Unfortunately the firm I will be driving for as disallowed this practice (on grounds of H&S), but it matters not if I knacker myself wedged twixt unit and trailer wrestling with uncooperative suzie. :unamused:

mkb600:

mr bluecity:
You really need to split couple, makes coupling up a lot easier

Unfortunately the firm I will be driving for as disallowed this practice (on grounds of H&S), but it matters not if I knacker myself wedged twixt unit and trailer wrestling with uncooperative suzie. :unamused:

Very strange, seeing as how it is one of the three methods recommended by the H&S mob in their booklet on coupling and uncoupling.

You could try hooking the trailer, pushing the shunt button in then pull forward and turn the unit so it opens up the gap on the side your catwalk steps are, turn it quite sharply. Then stop and attach the lines and you will have more space to work. It’s called crank coupling. It will only work if their is enough air in the trailer though.

mkb600:

mr bluecity:
You really need to split couple, makes coupling up a lot easier

Unfortunately the firm I will be driving for as disallowed this practice (on grounds of H&S), but it matters not if I knacker myself wedged twixt unit and trailer wrestling with uncooperative suzie. :unamused:

I would challenge them as to why they have ‘disallowed’ this practice…as the split couple method is perfectly safe when done correctly. Either the person that has banned it has no idea what they are talking about (highly likely), or they employ a lot of very incompetent drivers.

I had trouble with them to start with, I guess I either got stronger or got the hang of it.

The airlines on my unit sometimes get harder to push on over a few days and I’ve found finding some nice clean grease (sadly not usually a problem at our place) and putting a very thin smear of it on the “male” fittings helps a lot. Up to you if you try it or not though. A pot of Vaseline and a paintbrush might be a better option.

One other thing. Couple with the engine off, on some vehicles it is much easier to get the airlines on without the motor running.

It’s usually the yellow line that’s a bit of a mare to get on. Spray some WD40 on the collar outside and in. You could also try draining the air tanks if it’s the back pressure you’re struggling to overcome.

Maybe try some of this stuff as well. :wink:

scottsporage.co.uk/home.php

Just a quick query, out of interest. Are the airline fittings standard on trucks these days? I remember back in the day when my Dad was driving, he used to carry a load of adaptors around ready for the different trailers he would pull. From memory the unit was fitted with a female on the red, a male on the yellow, and a handshake on the blue (that long ago!), but the trailers came with all sorts of variations.

Thanks
Gary

44 Tonne Ton:
It’s usually the yellow line that’s a bit of a mare to get on. Spray some WD40 on the collar outside and in.

Trouble with WD40 is it solves the problem for a day or two but attracts all sorts of crap that then gums the thing up and makes it worse than before.

scaniason:
Just a quick query, out of interest. Are the airline fittings standard on trucks these days? I remember back in the day when my Dad was driving, he used to carry a load of adaptors around ready for the different trailers he would pull. From memory the unit was fitted with a female on the red, a male on the yellow, and a handshake on the blue (that long ago!), but the trailers came with all sorts of variations.

Standard but different on UK and foreign trailers so you need adaptors to connect to the palm couplings on trailers from abroad. Oh, and the blue line is long gone, just red and yellow these days.

Try pumping the brakes (engine off) until you drain the tanks and this will relieve any pressure.

mkb600:

mr bluecity:
You really need to split couple, makes coupling up a lot easier

Unfortunately the firm I will be driving for as disallowed this practice (on grounds of H&S), but it matters not if I knacker myself wedged twixt unit and trailer wrestling with uncooperative suzie. :unamused:

Because most people dont use the brake…

Saaamon:

mkb600:

mr bluecity:
You really need to split couple, makes coupling up a lot easier

Unfortunately the firm I will be driving for as disallowed this practice (on grounds of H&S), but it matters not if I knacker myself wedged twixt unit and trailer wrestling with uncooperative suzie. :unamused:

Because most people dont use the brake…

Yep, I know a fella who got squashed between the unit and trailer for this very reason…

am i right in thinking the shunt button on a trailer overrides the brake button? i know that when you pull the brake button the air is dumped but does the shunt button do something mechanical to the system. waffling i know, so to summarise, how does the shunt button work please…?

thanks. :slight_smile:

wdf76:
am i right in thinking the shunt button on a trailer overrides the brake button? i know that when you push the brake button the air is dumped but does the shunt button do something mechanical to the system. waffling i know, so to summarise, how does the shunt button work please…?
thanks. :slight_smile:

There are two buttons, usually red and blue.
The red one is the trailer park brake which over rides everything and keeps the trailer brakes on whether there are airlines
connected or not.
It is pulled out to apply the trailer park brakes and pushed in to release them.

The other one, usually blue, is the shunt button.
If it is pushed in, after pushing in the park brake button, it will release the trailer brakes without the need to connect any airlines.
This, unsurprisingly, allows the trailer to be shunted round a yard.
It relies on there being enough air in the trailer tank to release the brakes and is “fail safe”, as it is pushed back out automatically
when the red airline is connected and it cannot be pushed back in unless the red airline has been removed.

Unfortunately, neither button is idiot proof, which is why some companies take the rather negative step of banning split coupling.
It is a perfectly safe procedure but does require a certain amount of knowledge and attention to detail.
In my view, it is a much safer and definitely cleaner and easier, way to connect a short tractor unit to a long pin trailer than any other and the companies that don’t allow it would be much better off training their drivers properly than simply disallowing a safe working practice.

Regards,
Nick

thanks for that, just been having a bit of a google browse and found this document.

cheers Wayne

http://www.pda-uk.org/members/leaflets/PDA_hooking_up.doc

As an aside,anyone who is intrested in the mechanics take a look at this vid on air brakes,fast forward to 12.30 or so if you get bored with the first part.

Tis an ancient film but the principles are all there.

youtube.com/watch?v=qJa5-_ExsBE

How the hell do these palm couplings connect,got a different truck last night,got to connect my trailer and saw these hadn’t a clue what to do,anyone got a step by step guide