why are they now fixed to the back of the cab instead of the old way with the same connectors on each end? i have had 3 snap this year and every time i had to kink the line to shift out the way. how much is this costing companies in call out fees when they could have spare lines in the side locker? it just seems daft. especially with the co op with red lines made from drinking straws 
I’ve often thought about changeing my airlines to snap connectors both ends for quickness in case one broke. But.
I’ve never had one brake on me. suprising due to some of the places we get to.
I bet someone would nick them if they were all shiny and new.
They would dangle them around like one of those stormchasers.
Dreamcatchers 
Because every agency driver would nick a set of suzies for their bags and other drivers would risk taking a loaded trailer up the road with a red line on to get one.
If you have to reverse into somewhere so tight or screw a trailer round on a sixpence, drop the airlines and use the shunt button.
I have never snapped an air line in 30 years
Wheel Nut:
Because every agency driver would nick a set of suzies for their bags
Stupid remark!!
Not every agency driver is a muppet!!
Koop:
Wheel Nut:
Because every agency driver would nick a set of suzies for their bagsStupid remark!!
Not every agency driver is a muppet!!
agreed!
Wheel Nut, its not always when reversing. i had a red line snap on a roundabout. that was one of the cheap things that the co op use. last night i had a yellow line snap coming on to a main road. because of the 2 cambers meeting and the fact that i was turning the line must have caught something on the front of the trailer and it ripped it in half. it damaged the leccy line too (which are not fixed so they could be nicked if they were shiny and new 
) but it looked like only one core was actually broken. i got the lights working apart from the indicator. the recovery chap replaced it anyway
scanny77:
why are they now fixed to the back of the cab instead of the old way with the same connectors on each end?
i’m not saying they don’t exist, but when did you have these.
i’ve been driving since 78 and was a mate before that, and they’ve always been fixed to the back of the cab.
the only thing different now from then, is that you haven’t got a tap to turn them off.
the only wagons i’ve had with connections at both ends have been wag and drag
Koop:
Wheel Nut:
Because every agency driver would nick a set of suzies for their bagsStupid remark!!
Not every agency driver is a muppet!!
Not a stupid remark at all, it is the reason that they are fastened to the unit, they are part of it. Im with Biggus Dickus and have never seen air lines on an artic unit with C type or palms at both ends.
How many of you carry a dog clip? instead of defecting the truck and leaving a dangerous truck for the next driver.
Scanny, open your sporran and buy a couple of bungees if you are as you say ripping lines off on the road
biggusdickusgb:
the only wagons i’ve had with connections at both ends have been wag and drag
the artic drivers at securicor omega (as it was then) used to carry spare lines. they didnt have ends on them so they could make up the line while out on the road using the existing couplings.
i never go to work without bungees
scanny77:
why are they now fixed to the back of the cab instead of the old way with the same connectors on each end? i have had 3 snap this year and every time i had to kink the line to shift out the way. how much is this costing companies in call out fees when they could have spare lines in the side locker? it just seems daft. especially with the co op with red lines made from drinking straws
Personally I carry a pen-knife with me just for this. They always snap at the cab end just after the brass union with me. All I do is cut the bit still left attached to the union, make sure that the end that snapped off is square and then push it back on the union. They’re just a push fit anyway. Did one 3 weeks ago and its still working.
I must be in holiday mode, my immediate thought of this thread was qantas or ba
Wheel Nut:
Because every agency driver would nick a set of suzies for their bags and other drivers would risk taking a loaded trailer up the road with a red line on to get one.
We don’t have enough room in our bags to put a set of suzies in !
We need that room to hold stash the diesel we have nicked 
Personally I carry a pen-knife with me just for this. They always snap at the cab end just after the brass union with me. All I do is cut the bit still left attached to the union, make sure that the end that snapped off is square and then push it back on the union. They’re just a push fit anyway. Did one 3 weeks ago and its still working.
If you fire the night heater up & warm the end up it goes on a lot easier.
steady on,that’s our cushty jobs.you can’t go fixing you’re own airlines and expecting us to change your bloody wheel bearings.
seriously though,small companies tend to have drivers who carry spare suzies and adjustable spanners and light lenses and bulbs etc.
bigger companies have drivers who just defect the truck or call in the breakdown and we get sent out to them.after all if you work for a multi-million pound outfit-why get yourself covered in 5th wheel grease for no extra money?where do you wash your hands or clean your clothing if you get grease on them?what about if when you change a line something gets blown into your eyes(ever been to transco?longest red airline replacements in history).what about if the line fails again because you fitted an imperial line to a metric fitting or visa versa or mixed up imperial/metric c couplings,and the threads fail.
minefield for a large company.
small company’s run in a different manner.
oh and the question of the fixing to the back of the cabs:
i carry six different types of airline,and many conversion fittings to convert the line to the standard’same fitting at both end’types.
many trucks have fixed ends at the unit and a threaded end at the coupling end,to stop you changing them yourselves,and to make it more difficult for non franchised mechanics.
doesn’t take us long to catch up though.
lots of big companies carry out the conversion to standard airlines before putting the fleet on the road…geopost being a good example.
its basic stuff that every driver should be able to do.
i’d been stuck for a while in a queue in the midlands a couple of years ago and when i asked a copper on a motorbike what was happening he said a lorry had snapped his airline trying to do a u turn at the cross roads and was blocking the whole of the town and surrounding area, a fitter who was on his way to him couldn’t get through because of the massive queues all around the area.
i offered my services and 2 minutes later i’m on the back of his bike, no helmet on 2 adjustables in one hand and a spare red line in the other.
10 minutes later the problem was solved and the trolley dolly was on his way.
ALL lorries should carry a spare airline or at least a bolt and jubilee clip, and if the driver can’t/won’t change one he shouldn’t be driving imho
ALL lorries should carry a spare airline or at least a bolt and jubilee clip, and if the driver can’t/won’t change one he shouldn’t be driving imho
totally agree BD. When had my own unit carried all the usual spares, air line, (you only need one) bulbs, mirror glass, hoses, etc. but now drive for a big co. unfortunately we fit into the big co. category wrecktech mentions above.
Its been known to summon a 24 hr emergency call out to change a headlight bulb! At a cost of what? £100+?
Don’t carry any tools as such, but anything i can do, i will do.
Do i get any thanks for it? Nope.
Driveroneuk:
ALL lorries should carry a spare airline or at least a bolt and jubilee clip, and if the driver can’t/won’t change one he shouldn’t be driving imho
totally agree BD.
i dont see why we shouldnt be able to do it. i havent been shown and i dont have the space to carry the gear around with me. then again, why should i supply my own gear to fix a clients truck? it would be different if i had the same truck every shift though
scanny77:
Driveroneuk:
ALL lorries should carry a spare airline or at least a bolt and jubilee clip, and if the driver can’t/won’t change one he shouldn’t be driving imho
totally agree BD.
i dont see why we shouldnt be able to do it. i havent been shown and i dont have the space to carry the gear around with me. then again, why should i supply my own gear to fix a clients truck? it would be different if i had the same truck every shift though
scanny, you’re a steering wheel attendant, you’ll never be a lorry driver as long as you have an hole in your arse.
you haven’t been shown? … its not exactly rocket science is it.
scenario 1 = drivers with own cabs
red line bust, exit cab and take spare airline and 2 adjustable spanners out of side locker, remove trailer end off the damaged airline and attach to replacement airline, remove damaged end from unit and attach replacement line, build up air and go merrily on your way.
scenario 2 = trolley dollies
red line bust, put jubilee clip over damaged red line(back of cab bit), put bolt in red line, tighten jubilee clip with screwdriver, release brakes on trailer and clear obstruction, pull over somewhere safe and wait for breakdown.
space needed = a corner of one pocket of your bag.
why should you do anything to get your clients truck moving?
its called getting the job done, thats what lorry drivers do.
…Or, if it’s only got a small hole, rev the nuts off the wagon, and pull the trl out of the way. Did that once in Canada, in -25. too cold for me to even try and fix it.
■■■■I’m starting to feel old, hauling out tales of stuff I once did in another country in insanely bad conditions…