I’ve done it with tractors when I was very young, and have done the tractor and dolly thing a few times, which isn’t the same as a proper A frame, as you it reacts more slowly. I did a week on a proper wagon and drag about 5 years ago. I only had to drop it once, and got the other guy on the job to drag it round (in not more than it’s length) with the front of his unit, outside Portsmouth city hall. As has been said, going forwards it followed the prime mover almost wheel to wheel.
One thing I did learn about them at United was that the length of the trailer made them so much easier.
The standard drawbar rig was a Bedford KM or a DAF 2100 carrying a 24’ while the trailer had a 27’ swapbody box on it.
However we got some 16’ boxes for the outbased drivers and these new drawbar outfits then carried 3 boxes & it was like a tractor unit with a 32’ drag behind it.
Much simpler to reverse, but didn;t quite follow the same
Also, whats the story, with close coupled drawbars used by Giraud, and Dentressangle, where thers like a frame on the trailer a couple of inches from the prime mover and a really thick coupling bar. Someone told me these made the coupling bar extend on cornering and this allowed for more load space, does anyone know what I mean?
bugcos:
Also, whats the story, with close coupled drawbars used by Giraud, and Dentressangle, where thers like a frame on the trailer a couple of inches from the prime mover and a really thick coupling bar. Someone told me these made the coupling bar extend on cornering and this allowed for more load space, does anyone know what I mean?
Yeah, but I don’t know how thay work 
And lo, if we dont know, at least we know a man who does 
And last but not least here’s a picture of one of those wonderful Jimecal extendible drawbar couplings that was fitted to the Samro drawbar trailers on these vehicles. If BLB recalls correctly, in a straightline the coupling ‘pulled’ the prime mover and trailer together to stay within the old 18.35m max EU drawbar limit.
Then it extended to allow clearance between the two when cornering. My recollection was also that it was viewed with ‘considerable interest’ by the various enforcement authorities. Fortunately someone finally saw sense in Brussels and we got 18.75m over length, thereby removing the need for all those fancy push-me/pull-you couplings on big volume drawbars…
when i worked for Georg Fischer
we had one in the yard
thats where it stayed 
used for storage only
A Frames…Love `em…NOT 
1st Job after leaving the RAF was pulling an MG Rover version of one of these with a 7 1/2 ton Iveco 
Lovely going forwards, but the DEVILS SPAWN to reverse 
( link sorted ) jd
hitch:
when i worked for Georg Fischer
we had one in the yard
thats where it stayed
used for storage only
When I worked for United Carriers, we used George Fischer as a changeover point. I mean GF in North Hykeham though 
used them all the time at halfords,its what you get used to
Use to own one many years ago, it was an ex SOLA Glass with demountable flat and box bodies. As an owner driver a very useful truck. The short a-bar trailer very differcult to reverse under the raised bodies, but had a second trailer with longer a-bar and found that a lot easier to reverse. great driving through london followed like a shadow.
First truck I ever drove after passing my class 1! Yes that’s the 21 year old Shrek with it! Yes, I do know how much crap there is in the screen!
Scissor coupled A-frame…a real freak of a wagon! Virtually impossible to reverse 'cos of the scissor coupling it articulated in 7 places (or so I was told!). It was a git to drive forwards too, the coupling was designed to send the front of the trailer out and back in an arc to make it “easier” to get round corners (trailer was 12 metres long)…didn’t really make it easier though! 
Over engineered by someone who’d never driven a truck I’d reckon.
Later in life I drove regular A-frames for Future Forwarding of Birstall)…much better machine and I found it miles easier to go backwards in it (it was still a ■■■■■ though! ).
Great trailers!! Tip is to watch the front wheels on trailer…whatever they are doing adjust accordingly. Bugga at first, but like most said, practice makes perfect. Take lots of shunts too…and, don’t be put off when the guys on the boat are standing waiting for you to reverse on! and don’t panic when they start falling asleep! Then, when its on boat, don’t be surprised to find a lot of ■■■■■■ up drivers on board!!
It doesnt matter if youre blindside or not as the whole pricipal behind reversing one is that you dont bend the trailer too much or youll never catch it, what you need is a decent overhang on the prime mover & supersonic wheel twirling abilities, other than that it just takes practice, I did a few hours mucking about in an empty car park in Italy with mine & I was able to back the empty trailer under a demount box with no problem, once you get it right it all falls into place, ■■■■■■■ nitemare at first though 
newmercman:
It doesnt matter if youre blindside or not as the whole pricipal behind reversing one is that you dont bend the trailer too much or youll never catch it, what you need is a decent overhang on the prime mover & supersonic wheel twirling abilities, other than that it just takes practice, I did a few hours mucking about in an empty car park in Italy with mine & I was able to back the empty trailer under a demount box with no problem, once you get it right it all falls into place, [zb] nitemare at first though
You’re right about the rear overhang,I found when reversing SI’s F89 6 X 2 that reversing was always much easier with the tag axle lifted.
The other thing to remember as already stated,concentrate on steering the dolly,it’s too easy to look at what the trailer is doing and forget it’s the dolly that controls the trailer.
Tobyjug:
Many moons ago when these vehicles required a trailer mate the driver always unhitched, turned the towing vehicle around to face the trailer, re-coupled and then pushed the trailer facing it. Piece of cake.
Hardly , unless it’s a flat (unlikely) or a demounted chassis you can’t see down the sides . The only way to reverse an A-frame is like everything else - learn! And do it the proper way using your mirrors.
When I first ordered drawbars for my Toray fleet I sent the drivers to a mate down the road who was running night trunks with them. One driver learned perfectly, the other hadn’t a clue. I later found the first had been taught properly but the second was with a bloke who pushed everything with the nose.
Shrek…did that MAN have a column change ?
I’m in Denmark just now and I would say they have more A-frames than artics. I watched a female having a lesson today in a MAN Roadhaus reversing round a corner with an A-frame, I might be wrong but I’m sure over here your not allowed to mount a kerb and kiss a lampost like she did.
We have B-Doubles over here: two semi trailers behind the prime mover. It’s similar to reversing a dog (A frame trailer) with a 40 foot drawbar.
Saw this one in Southampton
bugcos:
Was tipping on a loading bay the other day, and as I sat there a German turned up with an Aframe, and had to do a blindide reverse onto the next bay to me. It took him numerous shunts and about 15 minutes before he finally got it on the bay. Im not knocking the guy, Ive never driven one and it looks very tricky. I would like a go at one to see what I would be like with it.So tell me people is, it something you can get good at, or is it just luck when you are reversing them?
Anyone know of a driving school with one?LOL
aFRAMES get ■■■■■■ blindfold yourself then try and walk up a set of stairs 
end result would be the same reveese an A frame or as above you would end up in a heap .
give it a go .
tip start your reverse at trailer to primemover at 45 degrees