As said mainly used by training companies to help remember espcially on test
Dieseldoforme:
Bale Bandit:
What about suspension??.
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That’s only happens to you when you drop the ■■■■ trailer on its knees.Probably “sacking” is a more appropriate word.
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I mean lowering the suspension as you come out (after setting the legs) so you don’t scrape all the grease off the 5th wheel. But I guess it’s just easier to slag someone off than get a decent answer.
maestegboy:
One of the old hands in the yard got a bit of a slating because he’d never heard of the term black when coupling and now the training company’s use BLACK NB!Time to hang up his keys or just shows how little training us drivers get?
could probably do all this in his sleep & forgotten all the stuff newbies are only just starting to learn
22 years doing it & i’ve never heard of it till this post
Bale Bandit:
I mean lowering the suspension as you come out (after setting the legs) so you don’t scrape all the grease off the 5th wheel. But I guess it’s just easier to slag someone off than get a decent answer.
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Take it whichever way you like.
The Suspension/Sacking was meant as a joke.
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There are some companies where it is a disciplinary not to use the unit air suspension for the coupling and uncoupling of trailers
I did some work for Widdowsons of Leicester a few years ago and this was pointed out to me in no uncertain terms
ROG:
There are some companies where it is a disciplinary not to use the unit
air suspension for the coupling and uncoupling of trailers.
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I always use the suspension. Nothing to do with grease, more to do with
protecting the legs and to prevent slamming into the king pin.
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ROG:
There are some companies where it is a disciplinary not to use the unit air suspension for the coupling and uncoupling of trailersI did some work for Widdowsons of Leicester a few years ago and this was pointed out to me in no uncertain terms
That’s because Widdies take the lead up ramps off, too many got caught under the trailer chassis turning at the top of the yard!
Dieseldoforme:
ROG:
There are some companies where it is a disciplinary not to use the unit
air suspension for the coupling and uncoupling of trailers..
I always use the suspension. Nothing to do with grease, more to do with
protecting the legs and to prevent slamming into the king pin.
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so do i. Stop under the trailer and lift before backing onto the pin and pull off the pin and lower it again. Damaged lines and lines are a pain and this practice prevents both
Dieseldoforme:
kr79:
…only one incident when i forgot to disconnect the hydraulic line.That’s why Professional Drivers use B L A C K to drop a trailer.
There’s no H in BLACK.
Steering wheel attendants need BLACK because they don’t understand the reasons why things should be done in a particular order.
Professional drivers do things in a particular order because they understand what might happen if they don’t.
Which one are you, Diesdotseldoforme?
Do you actually think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it… or do you just recite an acronym?
Contraflow:
There’s no H in BLACK.
There doesn’t need to be.
A = AIR and that includes ALL those curly things behind the unit.
Contraflow:
Steering wheel attendants need BLACK because they don’t understand the reasons why things should be done in a particular order.Professional drivers do things in a particular order because they understand what might happen if they don’t.
Which one are you, Dieseldoforme?
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It doesn’t matter which one I am.
I get the load from A to B and I get the same money as you or anyone else.
I really don’t know where the term “Professional” comes from.
You didn’t study driving at Oxford for five years.
Stop-over rating yourself. You’re just a Driver.
Just be a safe Driver.
If you leave tomorrow, the show will still go on.
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before BLACK
it was do it anyway you want
but do it the SAME way everytime
you cany say that you have to say R A I N B O W 
Contraflow:
Dieseldoforme:
kr79:
…only one incident when i forgot to disconnect the hydraulic line.That’s why Professional Drivers use B L A C K to drop a trailer.
There’s no H in BLACK.
Steering wheel attendants need BLACK because they don’t understand the reasons why things should be done in a particular order.
Professional drivers do things in a particular order because they understand what might happen if they don’t.
Which one are you, Diesdotseldoforme?
Do you actually think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it… or do you just recite an acronym?
Surely anything that helps ANYONE remember how to safely carry out what is probably the most important thing we do daily that’s not driving cant be disparaged.
Can you honestly say in the hundred years you’ve been driving you’ve never forgotten anything whilst coupling or uncoupling? Because I cant say that.
Remember a professional is just someone who has found someone else stupid enough to pay them, I could be a professional footballer if someone would pay me to do it, doesn’t mean I’d be any good.
Those that feel the need to attack other’s are probably doing that to cover up their own inadequacies
It is far moe important to understand what you are doing and the reasons for doing it than recalling a class room phrase.
Distraction is the gotcha when putting down or picking up trailers.
bazstan009:
It is far moe important to understand what you are doing and the reasons for doing it than recalling a class room phrase.Distraction is the gotcha when putting down or picking up trailers.
Which is why I do it the way I do it…
Lines on first, then do the legs, then the clip, as the number plate is normally stowed near the clip I start the walk round of the trailer from that side and the plate goes on last…
Ask a hundred drivers how they do and you’ll get a hundred different ways of doing it - it’s how you feel comfy doing it 
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Yes, I always use
BLACK - Brake Legs Air Coupling Knumber plate
or
CALPIB - Coupling Air Legs Plate Illuminations Brake
without fail. It has NEVER let me down.
It is the last thing that I say before I get back into the cab.
I ALWAYS use the suspension, to protect the pin and prevent going under the pin.
I ALWAYS see that the 5th wheel locking bar is across the kingpin.
I ALWAYS get underneath, behind the fifth wheel, and use a torch.
I NEVER talk to a Driver when he is coupling up - it is courtesy not to distract him.
In the last two months I have seen a trailer dropped at Rank Hovis without the legs being lowered, a loaded trailer dropped on the road outside Cadburys Minworth (after the driver had travelled right down the yard, through security and completed a 180 degree turn then stopping to do his paperwork - he completely lost the trailer as he set off again), A Renault driver completely missing the pin and smashing the air connections and working spotlight (again at Cadburys).
I’ve seen countless occasions where suzies have not been disconnected then stretched or snapped and countless occasions where the driver has forgotten to lift the legs or to deal with the number plate.
How many times do you see a lost number plate on display in the office ?
Very unprofessional.
How many times do you find a trailer with no brake applied?
Trust me - that can kill you or put you in a wheelchair for life.
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BLACK is no good on “Malcolms” trailers as they dump the air out of the suspension when the lines are pulled raising the king pin.
So it’s more BALCK for theirs!
I was taught Brake on first - Brake off last, but that was some time ago 
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BLACK is no good on “Malcolms” trailers as they dump the air out of the suspension when the lines are pulled raising the king pin.
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I have never fancied working for Malcolms, I don’t know why, it’s just one of those things.
Totally without reason or justification on my part.
Maybe I subconsciously knew that I couldn’t use B L A C K with them !
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