Hi all…was moving (shunting) a fridge trailer in the yard with a DAF CF the other night. The trailer has a movable (left to right) suzie bar. Basically I reversed under trailer, lifted cab air suspension, done tug test, applied dog clip, wound legs up a few turns (yard area is flat) then pushed in trailer brake and shunt buttons and tried to move trailer. As it wouldnt move I then connected the red airline as air must of been down. Anyway after I drove straight off I then turned right and snapped the actual emergency air connector/suzie off the trailer (tractor suzie still had the trailer part of the suzie connected in when I checked it). It appears that due to the trailer being in a raised position the emergency connector on the trailer had caught the suzie stowage rack at the rear of the tractor unit (where the suzies are connected when not in use) and snapped the connector clean off the trailer.
Having moved hundreds of trailers over my driving career in the same manner and not ever having a suzie snapped off or any difficulties I was wondering if anyone has done, heard or seen this happen before…the unit and trailer are not that close coupled…or so I thought but due to the trailer being high there obviously hasnt been sufficient clearance?
I’ve never done that, but we had some brand new trailers at a firm I worked for last year.
We had 2 old Actros units and 1 new shape Actros unit.
We often brought trailer off the road by using the suspension rather than winding the legs up, 1 day, I did it with the new Actros and new trailer, and I ripped the back off the brake and shunt valve (where the buttons go) and lost all air.
There was a little up then down into the yard, and the chassis basically just caught it, 1 in a million chance of being at that steering angle at that point on the hump with that unit and trailer.
Are we talking about one of those sliding frame suzie boards that have a second set of connections on the base, where you need to dog-leg under and up to make the connections?
A bit fiddly to be sure, but if you connect on the top instead (as a shunter tug might) then you’ve got extra tension in the lines that may well be enough to shear them around the first corner should you have connected a road tractor rather than a tug that way…
I’ve seen these on some of the trailers at Marston Gate Fedex anyways…
As I said it’s not that close-coupled against the back of the cab and it only has the one set of sliding couplings on the trailer. I am agency and offered to pay for a new suzie connector but boss was just happy that I had reported the incident. But a stupid mistake and even minor damage does really hack me off…especially since I really want to impress the boss and try and get a perm job in the place. Ironically there were perm drivers in the yard who already had unit only but didn’t move the trailer, where as I’m rushing around dropping a trailer to pick the other one up and move it. Wish I hadn’t bothered.
Winseer:
Are we talking about one of those sliding frame suzie boards that have a second set of connections on the base, where you need to dog-leg under and up to make the connections?
A bit fiddly to be sure, but if you connect on the top instead (as a shunter tug might) then you’ve got extra tension in the lines that may well be enough to shear them around the first corner should you have connected a road tractor rather than a tug that way…
I’ve seen these on some of the trailers at Marston Gate Fedex anyways…
I’ve seen the ones you mean, they have the normal connectors on the flat of the plate, then an extra 2 air lines on the bottom bit on around a 45 deg angle?
We were advised not to use the bottom ones as it increases the chances of the lines getting a) covered in diesel and b) caught on a tight turn because it put them around the same area as the corner of the trailer where the front, side and bottom all meet = increased risk of snagging.
Was the Susie carriage or bar as you call it in the locked position?
They usually can be locked by a spring loaded pin on the near side to aid connection if you leave it locked it can be damaged when turning we had a spate of problems an easy fix was to put a bolt in the hole for the locking pin.
