Last night i was required to do some shunting. It has lead to some quiestions as mainly apart from being crap at reversing i was taking too long hooking up and uncoupeling.
1 as i wasnt on the road should i of done a vehicle check
2 should i of used my tacho
3 should i of been using all the suzies and aux lines
I did all these things but it caused quite a few issues when it came to my break times for wtd etc
The other issue i was having was with the red airline twice it came off whilst manouvering in the yard. I did report it and was told they all do that twist the collar maybe the first time it happened i hadnt but i definetly had the second time. and i noticed that when i went to untwist the collar to take off the airline several times if i hadnt had a firm grip on it it would of flown off and smacked me in the face.
I shunted all last week on days not nights and tbh I only ever plugged the red air line in but ours have the ■■■■■■ drilled out of the collar so that we’re not constantly twisting to release. I’ve never had one come off though. If it’s happening to you it’s only one of two things; equipment fault or operator error I’m afraid.
As far as the tacho went I kept the keys for “my” unit in my pocket all week and I put my card in on other work at 0600, put it on break from 1130 until 1230 and removed it at 1800.
Obviously it’s a whole load easier if you have an available unit as opposed to retrospective manual entries.
Yes check the tug over before using it, oil and fuel especially as well for fresh damage.
For tacho use if there’s a spare tractor lurking about not going to be used i put my card in there, if not i’ll stick the card in any tractor just before knocking off and do a manual entry.
Sounds like the red connector is getting worn or you haven’t pushed it fully home.
I connect both air lines, daytime shunting only, but don’t bother with the lights.
Don’t expect to be rushing round like billy whizz the first few days you use a tug and its a working yard anyway where if you run some bugger over no one will admit they moaned about how slow you are, it’s a completely different driving experience and nice as the steering lock and effortless gearbox is to use they have their faults, ie the sliding window you can’t lean out of as easily as in full size tractor unit, and (i find) when using the nearside mirrors in tight gaps they leave much to be desired, those more experienced in using them will probably laugh at my criticisms.
the maoster:
As far as the tacho went I kept the keys for “my” unit in my pocket all week and I put my card in on other work at 0600, put it on break from 1130 until 1230 and removed it at 1800.
So if…
You’re not out doing distance all week as the norm, they’ll park your motor up?
cooper1203:
Last night i was required to do some shunting. It has lead to some quiestions as mainly apart from being crap at reversing i was taking too long hooking up and uncoupeling.
1 as i wasnt on the road should i of done a vehicle check
2 should i of used my tacho
3 should i of been using all the suzies and aux lines
I did all these things but it caused quite a few issues when it came to my break times for wtd etc
The other issue i was having was with the red airline twice it came off whilst manouvering in the yard. I did report it and was told they all do that twist the collar maybe the first time it happened i hadnt but i definetly had the second time. and i noticed that when i went to untwist the collar to take off the airline several times if i hadnt had a firm grip on it it would of flown off and smacked me in the face.
I get the feeling the shunt button will blow your mind
the maoster:
As far as the tacho went I kept the keys for “my” unit in my pocket all week and I put my card in on other work at 0600, put it on break from 1130 until 1230 and removed it at 1800.
So if…
You’re not out doing distance all week as the norm, they’ll park your motor up?
■■■■ decent of them.
I wouldn’t give them the keys, they didn’t have much choice. Plus there are at least ten extra motors lying around at the moment with delivery mileage only on them, so there’s no need to use mine.
Who says you were taking too long coupling and uncoupling? Just wondering, if it’s the company tell them to do one imo!
When I worked in the vmu at Martin Browers one of the tugs was always breaking down, one of the shunters had to use a unit for the duration if was vor. They hated it, couldn’t move nearly as many trailers and hanging out there arse half way through the shift lol.
cooper1203:
Last night i was required to do some shunting. It has lead to some quiestions as mainly apart from being crap at reversing i was taking too long hooking up and uncoupeling.
1 as i wasnt on the road should i of done a vehicle check
2 should i of used my tacho
3 should i of been using all the suzies and aux lines
I did all these things but it caused quite a few issues when it came to my break times for wtd etc
The other issue i was having was with the red airline twice it came off whilst manouvering in the yard. I did report it and was told they all do that twist the collar maybe the first time it happened i hadnt but i definetly had the second time. and i noticed that when i went to untwist the collar to take off the airline several times if i hadnt had a firm grip on it it would of flown off and smacked me in the face.
I get the feeling the shunt button will blow your mind
It would because i dont know how to use them even if they work. When i have seen shunters in various yards i have seen them connect some of the lines but that was with a teaberg (spelling) From a previous post of mine about having to disconect the red airline at an rdc someone suggested using the shunt button to angle the unit so i could reach easier but in that case all the other lines were already connected.
md1987:
Who says you were taking too long coupling and uncoupling? Just wondering, if it’s the company tell them to do one imo!
When I worked in the vmu at Martin Browers one of the tugs was always breaking down, one of the shunters had to use a unit for the duration if was vor. They hated it, couldn’t move nearly as many trailers and hanging out there arse half way through the shift lol.
there is taking too long because its quicker with a teeberg or there is taking 20 mins to reverse it onto the bay every time,becaue im still usless at reversing.
for reference when i had an assesment at the companys main site the assesors comment about my reversing was well you got it on the bay i guess bit slow but not dangerously slow, and that was one where i could almost pull straight into a slot opersite and reverse straight back.
At my place we do not put cards in tacho. Mainly because the shunting is a mix between vans, 7.5ts, rigids and artics. So you do not spend the entire night in a tug.
As for what lines to use, generally I connect red, yellow and electric lines at night. During the day just the air lines. It may be overkill for some. But I am not a day in day out shunter so I put safety over speed.
As for vehicle checks - Generally no. Because if your just moving a trailer 50 meters round the corner, not worth it.
Stop me where I`m wrong.
Driving, even on private land, counts as driving time under EU rules?
(OK, this my be designed to stop those who drive for 11hrs a day and later argue that an hour of that was shunting in the docks etc etc, but it is the rule.)
And if a tacho is available it must be used?
So if anyone puts their card into a unit, shunts around in different units, they are breaking the law?
I am NOT saying this is fair/unfair, or right/wrong, nor am I saying that DVSA are going to send up drones to monitor theses things. I am saying this is how the rules read to my eyes.
Franglais:
Stop me where I`m wrong.
Driving, even on private land, counts as driving time under EU rules?
(OK, this my be designed to stop those who drive for 11hrs a day and later argue that an hour of that was shunting in the docks etc etc, but it is the rule.)
And if a tacho is available it must be used?
So if anyone puts their card into a unit, shunts around in different units, they are breaking the law?
I am NOT saying this is fair/unfair, or right/wrong, nor am I saying that DVSA are going to send up drones to monitor theses things. I am saying this is how the rules read to my eyes.
i thought driving on provery land came under “out of scope” however any driving in that week on the road then the whole weeks activites has to be recorded on the tacho regardless of where they take place hence why i put the card into the unit
Franglais:
Stop me where I`m wrong.
Driving, even on private land, counts as driving time under EU rules?
(OK, this my be designed to stop those who drive for 11hrs a day and later argue that an hour of that was shunting in the docks etc etc, but it is the rule.)
And if a tacho is available it must be used?
So if anyone puts their card into a unit, shunts around in different units, they are breaking the law?
I am NOT saying this is fair/unfair, or right/wrong, nor am I saying that DVSA are going to send up drones to monitor theses things. I am saying this is how the rules read to my eyes.
i thought driving on provery land came under “out of scope” however any driving in that week on the road then the whole weeks activites has to be recorded on the tacho regardless of where they take place hence why i put the card into the unit
cooper1203:
Franglais:
Stop me where I`m wrong.
Driving, even on private land, counts as driving time under EU rules?
(OK, this my be designed to stop those who drive for 11hrs a day and later argue that an hour of that was shunting in the docks etc etc, but it is the rule.)
And if a tacho is available it must be used?
So if anyone puts their card into a unit, shunts around in different units, they are breaking the law?
I am NOT saying this is fair/unfair, or right/wrong, nor am I saying that DVSA are going to send up drones to monitor theses things. I am saying this is how the rules read to my eyes.
i thought driving on provery land came under “out of scope” however any driving in that week on the road then the whole weeks activites has to be recorded on the tacho regardless of where they take place hence why i put the card into the unit
Driving on private land? Be careful…If you do no driving at all on a public road during a shift, then it may be outside EU rules. But if you do any driving at all on public roads during a shift, then all driving counts on that shift.
From Cromer:
"The EU Drivers’ Hours Regulations apply to “the carriage by road … of goods where the maximum permissible mass of the vehicle, including any trailer … exceeds 3.5 tonnes” [Article 2, para 1(a)].
The use of the phrase “carriage by road” can be confusing and has led some operators and drivers to wrongly assume that periods of driving on private land are always out of scope of the EU rules.
In fact, “carriage by road” is defined as “any journey made entirely or in part on roads open to the public by a vehicle, whether laden or not, used for the carriage of … goods” [EC Regulation 561/2006, Article 4(a)].
This means that if there is any period of driving on a road open to the public between two daily rest periods, no matter how short, that whole working day falls within the scope of the EU rules.
Only working days comprised of periods of driving entirely off road are out of scope of the rules."
Where I work is a private industrial estate. So technically private property? Yet, the public and other businesses work there and has access to it.
Also a oneway system so cars go past as trucks are being shunted.
Where I work is a private industrial estate. So technically private property? Yet, the public and other businesses work there and has access to it.
Also a oneway system so cars go past as trucks are being shunted.
It may be privately owned land, but the public still have access to it? No gates only opened for authorised entrants or similar? (Even then some have been done for driving offences inside fenced and controlled docks!)
It may well not be private enough to count as being private.
I certainly do not know, but it sounds to me like very shaky to assume you are in any way out of scope.
Check out the whole of the Cromer article I linked.
Where I work is a private industrial estate. So technically private property? Yet, the public and other businesses work there and has access to it.
Also a oneway system so cars go past as trucks are being shunted.
It may be privately owned land, but the public still have access to it? No gates only opened for authorised entrants or similar? (Even then some have been done for driving offences inside fenced and controlled docks!)
It may well not be private enough to count as being private.
I certainly do not know, but it sounds to me like very shaky to assume you are in any way out of scope.
Check out the whole of the Cromer article I linked.
its a private industrial park with a barrier. No one gets checked though just automatically lifts.
I think the issue would be in the insurance. Lets say someone without a licence hits a car… then obviously the company can not go through their insurance and will have to pay for it out of their own pocket.
Can not imagine their insurance covers unlicensed driving to even shunt the vehicles.
I am not a shunter but my experience with trailer checks is that very few shunters would ever do it. I have been on trunking with trailer swops not for too long and I lost the count on how many times I had to call the yard marshall and point at defects that deemed the trailer unroadworthy. Spray suppression enquiment barely attached, lights not working or barely there because of damage, winding handle lock missing or broken, the last one was the metal bumper that supposed to be attached to the trailer frame by 8 bolts, 4 on each side. It had only 2 overall and it was both on the same side, the bumper was nearly touching the ground on one side. So every time it has been a crew of 4 people, me + the yard marshall + the yard manager + the shunter looking at the defect. 3 of them trying their best to get me out of the door, saying stuff like “is not too bad” or “you won’t be driving too far” and every time I gotta let them know, multiple times, that I wont go anywhere
with their defective equipment, and I am happy for them to fix it or unload the trailer and reload another road worthy trailer, that the they made sure to check before docking it.