The problem is some older trailers, especially double deckers, that lose air gradually when stood for a while, can hiss, pop, creak, groan & ■■■■ for nigh on 15 minutes after the lines are connected before becoming silent. By which time most of us are well up the road.
wire:
If you can hear an air leak why don’t you have a look where it’s leaking from and then at least you have got something proper to report instead of demanding that the piece of equipent be put out of service for something that might just require a pipe union being nipped up with a 14mm spanner or are you one of these new type of drivers who answers everything with “i’m only paid to drive”?[/quote]At the end of the day,thats us. The job title is a clue.
“Vacancies for Drivers, C and C+E”
Legislation or not…if i can fix something with my TOOL KIT(yes i do carry my own)…i will 
…if a bulb is blown,i’ll replace it trailer OR unit…i do fuses too and on a few occasions my batterys been flat on a monday morning,so i’ve used jump leads to get it started…i’ve tightened up airlines and i’ve temporarily repaired trailer wheel arches til i can get back to a yard to get repaired there(to avoid the callout cost)!!!
a lot of the drivers at our place will cost the company callout charges for a ■■■■■■■ lighbulb!!!or call Scania out on a monday morning to jump start em even though there’s a set of jump leads in the yard!!!..now i dont live on the “frontier” but i really cant believe the lazyness and sheer ■■■■ wittery of so many drivers hiding behind the legislation/VOSA blah blah blah card,mainly cause they cant be ■■■■■■ to do ANYTHING more than their job description the turning of a steering wheel,occasionally brake and accelerator when necessary and a bit of mirror action etc!!!..it aint ■■■■■■■ rocket science and it definately aint major maintenance!!!..and they complain when they dont get a payrise!!
i know its off on a tangent from the OP but as its already gone off anyway,i thought i’d join in
fuse:
I have never known of an air leak that got better on its own just get it done ,never do tommorow what you can do today,a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Been sat in Lane 2 3 time this week with airbrakes locked on 
Would you rather be sat in the yard with an airleak waiting to fit a new olive/valve.
Or L2 with a 50ft skid mark behind you and that’s before you check the tyre marks 
I’m with bob the dog & wire.
OK so the trucks are more complicated today.
I’ve adjusted clutches when I was told it was impossible.
The driver went from Bordeaux to Cherbourg & back to Portugal.
He broke down again near Bordeaux.
I towed him off the motorway to a safe place,behind my artic.ON A ROPE!
Job done.
OK the trucks now need a computer to rectify a problem.
You idiots have a computer with you now all the time.
Get your boss to upload the data about your truck into your computer.
Then you plug in & solve the problem yourself.
Oh sorry you want to be home each night sucking on mummies ■■■■■■.
This used to be a man’s job (apologies to the ladies) I cant do it any more
because of a heart problem.But I despair for my old industry.
Wow! How interesting!
This thread is completely and totally splitting the members of this forum neatly into two distinct halfs.
One half PROPER TRUCKERS and the other half STEERING WHEEL ATTENDANTS.
I am not going to start typing out the list but you (and everyone else) know which camp you belong to by what you have already written.
If you are not sure which catergory you belong to you can reread your own posts but don’t start posting abuse at me if you don’t like what you find.(thinking mainly of the steering wheel attedant catergory members).
wire:
IMO One half PROPER TRUCKERS and the other half STEERING WHEEL ATTENDANTS.
ftfy
I’ll do bulbs, batteries and anything that can be held with cable ties. I’ve replaced airlines, twistlocks, rewired electric leads, driven without a clutch… jobs that I would consider doable by the average driver, but I’m not a mechanic - I won’t touch something that isn’t obvious - if I get it wrong it’s me that gets shafted.
In convoys position, I would have tried to pin-point where the leak was (as I did last week, on my hands and knees under the trailer) but unless the cause is obvious that’s as far as I go. Whether I then take that trailer would depend on the circumstances - is it loaded, how much air is it losing etc - in this case he was in the yard, it was an empty trailer, so as long as there are other empties available, I don’t see the problem with wanting a different one? The trailer I had last week was a changeover in the middle of nowhere and wasn’t losing much air so I ran with it and checked on it when I stopped for my ■■■ breaks. It must have developed while I was on the road
If my refusal to repair certain things, or take certain trailers makes me a SWA, then so be it - I’m getting paid the same as the ‘proper trucker’ that’s rebuilt the engine on his 45 (but then again I’m getting paid the same as the gimp that wants a call out for a blown bulb 
)
DaveL:
OK the trucks now need a computer to rectify a problem.
You idiots have a computer with you now all the time.
Get your boss to upload the data about your truck into your computer.
Then you plug in & solve the problem yourself.
Erm, OK, good luck with that one 
Rob K, I know you ‘get me’ the smileys gave it away, but as a few of my TNUK brethren have a problem deciphering plain English I decided to use your response as a springboard to convey my message to the more retarded among us
Wire, I think you have it wrong, there are three categories of lorry driver, not two.
The first are those with no mechanical knowledge whatsoever, nothing wrong with that.
The second are those with mechanical knowledge, however limited, who are prepared to do what it takes to get the job done.
The third are those that could get themself out of trouble, but choose not to, because it’s not ‘their job’
Some of us hark back to a time when Saturday mornings were spent making sure the lorry was going to start on Monday, I’m one of those people, although I quite enjoyed it (& learned much that would help me in the years to follow) I would’ve much prefered to have a brand new 142 (for you young upstarts, that’s a Scania, back when they made ‘proper’ lorries) but as an inexperienced 21yr old, all I was able to get was a worn out 111, so I had no choice, I also had to do crappy work like unaccompanied trailers from the docks, at least once a week I would have to rewire one of them, every single one of them needed the brakes pulling up before I left the dock, blah blah blah, yeah I know, poor old me, but that apprenticeship did me proud, because at 25 I had one of, if not the, best jobs in the country, that’s the way it was back then, you had to earn your stripes. To me lorry driving is a modern interpretation of the old stagecoaches, those boys didn’t let ■■■■ Turpin or a bunch of Apaches stop them from delivering the goods, a blown fuse or a fixable air leak ain’t gonna stop me
Got into work last Tuesday afternoon and noticed my truck was sporting new airlines and also a new ABS lead since I had left it on Sunday morning, obviously some kind of incident happened when it was used by the agency driver on Monday, he had marked in the defect book - ‘Damaged airlines and ABS lead replaced’. When I coupled up to the trailer I discovered a slight leak from the trailer end of the yellow line so tightened it up and it was sorted. Alternatively I could have filled out defect sheets, reported it to the office, waited for someone to come and fix it and so on which didn’t appeal to me at all. I really don’t give a crap whether I had permission to do it or if something went wrong I would be ‘responsible’ or anything else, it was a two minute job and there was really no need to turn it into a drama and no one knows I even did it, well unless they read this post. How can you go through life worrying if you are going to be held responsible if something goes wrong for every little action you take?
wire:
Wow! How interesting!
This thread is completely and totally splitting the members of this forum neatly into two distinct halfs.Yep it is. Twixt those that can fix a broken half shaft with chewing gum
Actually, I find this quite interesting
I spent 5 years learning to be a mechanic and half of my apprentiship was on “bigger stuff”, I now find myself in the awkward position of; do I fix stuff and make my day longer and accept responsibility for something I don’t have to or do I follow the crowd and defect things? And should I keep quiet about it at interviews to save the “you used to be a mechanic, can’t you sort it?”
So far, the worst I’ve had is blown bulbs and asking for a phillips screwdriver and a bulb usually gets it fixed for me - I’m not gonna start bleating “I can do it, I’m a qualified mechanic” why should I, it’s not my job any more. I also fixed my washers one day because I could see the pipe that had fallen off. But I’ve decided that unless it’s a choice between fixing it or getting home late I’m only doing simple stuff. If I ever have a problem abroad and can sort it and get home quicker that’s different - it’s for me, not the company
That’s half the problem with British society today:
“Its not my job.”
“He can’t do that because that’s my job.”
OTT H & S bollox. i.e. having to wear high viz vest all the time in anybody’s yard. Truck i drove for last 6 years was bright yellow. Hmmm, let me see now what happens when i stand near the cab?
etc. etc. etc.
Actually, that came across wrong - I’ve no real problem with fixing stuff as long as it doesn’t backfire on me like the guy on here who fitted a new susie and got accused of causing all sorts of problems or when a fitter’s off sick being taken off my normal job to cover for him, I left that trade - why would I go back?
To a certain extent, it’s covering my rse - say I had a lense off a back light to sort a bulb and someone stood on it, new one’s not available until tomorow so truck’s out of action for the day - who gets the blame - ME, “why were you doing it anyway, it’s not your job…”
darkseeker:
Actually, I find this quite interestingI spent 5 years learning to be a mechanic and half of my apprentiship was on “bigger stuff”, I now find myself in the awkward position of; do I fix stuff and make my day longer and accept responsibility for something I don’t have to or do I follow the crowd and defect things? And should I keep quiet about it at interviews to save the “you used to be a mechanic, can’t you sort it?”
So far, the worst I’ve had is blown bulbs and asking for a phillips screwdriver and a bulb usually gets it fixed for me - I’m not gonna start bleating “I can do it, I’m a qualified mechanic” why should I, it’s not my job any more. I also fixed my washers one day because I could see the pipe that had fallen off. But I’ve decided that unless it’s a choice between fixing it or getting home late I’m only doing simple stuff. If I ever have a problem abroad and can sort it and get home quicker that’s different - it’s for me, not the company
“I spent 5 years learning to be a mechanic”
I spent 30 years being a mechanic,but when you are employed as a driver its as if all your knowledge and experience is deleted and you end up with a spotty iok who cant even put his cap on correctley instructing you how to dip the oil. 
Driveroneuk:
The problem is some older trailers, especially double deckers, that lose air gradually when stood for a while, can hiss, pop, creak, groan & ■■■■ for nigh on 15 minutes after the lines are connected before becoming silent. By which time most of us are well up the road.
Nail on head. 
Dunno then?:
I spent 30 years being a mechanic,but when you are employed as a driver its as if all your knowledge and experience is deleted and you end up with a spotty iok who cant even put his cap on correctley instructing you how to dip the oil.
Lol, I wasn’t trying to say anything about my abilities other than I know plenty to get by (I did the job for a few years too) the point was as in the rest of what I said Sometimes it’s an advantage if they don’t acknowlage (sp?) the fact, saves you a job but being shown how to check oil - that’s the sort of thing that can get quite annoying
darkseeker:
…but being shown how to check oil - that’s the sort of thing that can get quite annoying
Isn’t it some kind of abuse of our Human Rights making us check the oil? 
well there is that I suppose, it’s even better than my “well there wasn’t any puddles under it…”
Coffeeholic:
darkseeker:
…but being shown how to check oil - that’s the sort of thing that can get quite annoyingIsn’t it some kind of abuse of our Human Rights making us check the oil?
Yeah! That dirty oil at the end of the dipstick is highly carcinogenic!!
wire:
Wow! How interesting!
This thread is completely and totally splitting the members of this forum neatly into two distinct halfs.
One half PROPER TRUCKERS and the other half STEERING WHEEL ATTENDANTS.
I am not going to start typing out the list but you (and everyone else) know which camp you belong to by what you have already written.
If you are not sure which catergory you belong to you can reread your own posts but don’t start posting abuse at me if you don’t like what you find.(thinking mainly of the steering wheel attedant catergory members).
Glad that has been pointed out because I will now be proud to call myself a “steering wheel attendant”, although I prefer the term “professional driver”
The problem posed in the original posting was “should he defect it?” and of course any professional driver would have replied YES of course you should. The OP was obviously unsure and unsure of the problem so should he be expected to carry out repairs, I hope not but then maybe he does not work for cowboy operators that expect that from steering wheel attendants. I do carry a tool kit, and quite a comprehensive one at that, but I will only attempt repairs that I am confident of completing safely and legally, yes I have driven back from Paris with no lights, actually no electrics after the harness melted, and done all that crap but this is now 2010 ffs.
Now allow me to point out the difference between “professional drivers” and “real truckers”.
Professional drivers will do the job to the best of their ability with the equipment given and work within the law, whether we agree with it or not. They have respect for the general public and themselves and take pride in what they do.
Real truckers do the job with little respect for anyone else, they show this in the attitude towards others in their driving. They will get the job done, and mostly do it well but with little or no regard for the law or general public. They don’t worry too much about pay, what you drive is more important and how quickly it can be done. If it has a big hood and shiny stacks then it’s all good 
If you are not sure which catergory you belong to you can reread your own posts but don’t start posting abuse at me if you don’t like what you find.(thinking mainly of the real trucker catergory members)