Hi all just wondering if any of you fine gents/ladies have any tips hint and advice for tramping and the use of transporter as I’ve never drove one before
Any help much appreciated
Regards
Rob
I once went for a job at Eurofleet, drove a car to the top of the transporter, looked down and backed off again … don’t do that height stuff LOL
Lowboy667:
Hi all just wondering if any of you fine gents/ladies have any tips hint and advice for tramping and the use of transporter as I’ve never drove one beforeAny help much appreciated
Regards
Rob
When you pack your overnight bag, empty it again and be brutal, there isn’t enough room in the cab for all that stuff and a driver 
When ever you arrive at a dealer or port, it will be ■■■■■■■ down, or so bloody hot that you are sweating cobs.
The car on the top deck will always have a flat battery.
If you bang your head it will be terminal as you never bang it on something soft or protected 
Make sure you listen and if youdont know then dont be too scared to ask, most old type transporter drivers have heard all the questions as they have asked them before and if you have a trainer then do as HE tells you not Joe Bloggs who says’‘Ive been doing this for years’’ .that just means he has been doing it wrongly for years. Im sorry but you have missed the best years of transporter driving but make the best of it and keep your sense of humour.
I never loose my sense of humour haha I’m not really in it for the money side of it it’s more of a passion the company I start with on Thursday have said its tramping then occasional trips abroad. I’ve seen that people are listing a whole range of kit and equipment but as I spent years in the forces I know what is a minimum I can live on but just out of interest as space is tight in the cab rather than most people’s idea of a microwave do many people use a mini gas burner/cooker as a lot smaller and also cool box or mini fridge
Make sure you remove the keys from all cars on the transporter at all times 
My nephew once started loading some Audi’s and went in to get another one, when he came out the last one he had loaded was gone
He got fired 
My retired mate used to drive for Tolemans and they used to lock each car after they loaded it then leave the key in the next one they loaded. That way they only had to find room for the key for the last car loaded, instead of sorting through a big bunch.
Seagoon:
My retired mate used to drive for Tolemans and they used to lock each car after they loaded it then leave the key in the next one they loaded. That way they only had to find room for the key for the last car loaded, instead of sorting through a big bunch.
Seagoon, you mean your comfortably off retired mate who drove for Tolemans…those were the days… 
You have to remember this on a multi drop, and once you loadthe last car for one drop hide that key in cab.
I doubt there many long termers who haven’t had to drive a considerable distance to get the key for the next car from the previous delivery…i have. 
you don’t make that mistake again.
If you’ve got a difficult load which involves takiing some cars off to get to a different shaped car you had to load out of sequence it can get very complicated and you end up with keys (chassis number labelled) in every pocket.
It takes years to learn the job properly, it doesn’t suit everyone and thats no refelection on those it doesn’t work out for, we all have our niche.
duplicated post, losing the plot again.
The only driving work I have never fancied!
I would be paranoid about scratching or crushing the cars, as well as my self.
Good luck, I hope they pay you well.
Lowboy667,
Also remember that most of the boys on here given you advice will of never driven one, and it will be one of them that parks to close and right forward of you in the services so when you finish your break you can’t get out …
Is there much risk of theft with the transporter I know fuel would be the same but as your trailer is vehicles are they ever at risk if you catch my drift also I heard that you have to be so carful cornering because of the top heavy loads (potentially)
Sounds like an intersting job mate best of luck!
Lowboy667:
Is there much risk of theft with the transporter I know fuel would be the same but as your trailer is vehicles are they ever at risk if you catch my drift also I heard that you have to be so carful cornering because of the top heavy loads (potentially)
You’re a soft target and scum know you have the keys either on you or (hopefully for them) in the car, whilst you remove one car and drive it onto the forecourt someone jumps in the next car reverses off and gives you the finger as he drives away, it never happened to me but its happened to many, the odd one has been threatened at knife point.
As with all such things you keep your wits about you depending on circumstances and area.
Cornering isn’t the problem any more than any other vehicle with a high CoG.
Its stability thats the big issue and behind many of the spate of rollovers which increase year on year.
Very few semi-trailer transporters left.
The normal modern transporter might resemble an artic and indeed in most cases the prime mover is a standard low cab tractor unit.
BUT its not a semi trailer, the weight of the trailer is not imposed in front of the drive axle via a 5th wheel, the trailer is connected via a normal lorry and drag hitch behind the unit chassis, and the trailer wheels are not at the rear they are only just behind the centre line of the trailer…think SWB Land Rover towing bloody great 25ft caravan and how they snake, its exactly the same.
The trailer loaded can weigh almost twice the prime mover, therefore its got the potential for the tail to wag the dog at all times.
Some drivers no matter how many years experience do not have got the foggiest idea how to make that combination stable, and its not always possible anyway, the sensible driver gets as much weight onto the prime mover as possible (if possible reversing normal cars onto the vehicle puts more weight onto drive axle) and tried his best to load the trailer forward heavy too.
You often see combinations going up the road with sod all on the PM worth mentioning and heavy cars spread around the trailer, then to put the icing on the cake shove 2 or three really heavy jobbies on the back of the trailer to make it totally uncontrollable.
Much of it as with all lorry driving is common sense, if the vehicle is loaded badly for stability then it will be unstable, sometimes you have no choice and the load will only fit on one way which means you have an unstable vehicle…so you drive accordingly.
Don’t be put off by this, a properly loaded transporter can be thrown about surprisingly well, but you treat it with respect, no sudden swerves or it will bite you on the arse.
Juddian:
Lowboy667:
Is there much risk of theft with the transporter I know fuel would be the same but as your trailer is vehicles are they ever at risk if you catch my drift also I heard that you have to be so carful cornering because of the top heavy loads (potentially)You’re a soft target and scum know you have the keys either on you or (hopefully for them) in the car, whilst you remove one car and drive it onto the forecourt someone jumps in the next car reverses off and gives you the finger as he drives away, it never happened to me but its happened to many, the odd one has been threatened at knife point.
As with all such things you keep your wits about you depending on circumstances and area.Cornering isn’t the problem any more than any other vehicle with a high CoG.
Its stability thats the big issue and behind many of the spate of rollovers which increase year on year.
Very few semi-trailer transporters left.
The normal modern transporter might resemble an artic and indeed in most cases the prime mover is a standard low cab tractor unit.
BUT its not a semi trailer, the weight of the trailer is not imposed in front of the drive axle via a 5th wheel, the trailer is connected via a normal lorry and drag hitch behind the unit chassis, and the trailer wheels are not at the rear they are only just behind the centre line of the trailer…think SWB Land Rover towing bloody great 25ft caravan and how they snake, its exactly the same.
The trailer loaded can weigh almost twice the prime mover, therefore its got the potential for the tail to wag the dog at all times.
Some drivers no matter how many years experience do not have got the foggiest idea how to make that combination stable, and its not always possible anyway, the sensible driver gets as much weight onto the prime mover as possible (if possible reversing normal cars onto the vehicle puts more weight onto drive axle) and tried his best to load the trailer forward heavy too.
You often see combinations going up the road with sod all on the PM worth mentioning and heavy cars spread around the trailer, then to put the icing on the cake shove 2 or three really heavy jobbies on the back of the trailer to make it totally uncontrollable.
Much of it as with all lorry driving is common sense, if the vehicle is loaded badly for stability then it will be unstable, sometimes you have no choice and the load will only fit on one way which means you have an unstable vehicle…so you drive accordingly.
Don’t be put off by this, a properly loaded transporter can be thrown about surprisingly well, but you treat it with respect, no sudden swerves or it will bite you on the arse.
very interesting how much thought goes into it, me i will stick with tankers. take my hat off to the transpoter guys though 
wirralpete:
Juddian:
Lowboy667:
very interesting how much thought goes into it, me i will stick with tankers. take my hat off to the transpoter guys though
Same here Pete, i’m out of it now thank the Lord.
Wouldn’t matter how much they offered i wouldn’t go back on it, the work is as hard filthy cold and wet as the old days of general with ropes and sheets, and you’re always getting hurt, part of the job.
Are Transporters really that bad 
■■
The interview for a car transporter driver.
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Does the driver fit?
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Can you drive?
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When can you start?
chris520j:
Are Transporters really that bad
On warm sunny days delivering to nice dealerships with well dressed totty prancing about its a great job none better, met my lovely ■■■■■■■ the job as it were, out and about none of those horrible RDC waiting rooms and weirdos behind the counters to deal with, bliss.
Weather like this, car windows all frozen solid and not enough fuel (once you’ve jump started them) in the cars to clear the windows, sitting your arse down onto 11 ice cold seats, then with cold wet numb fingers and seized knees trying to bend down and wrap those useless bloody wheelstraps which are no more use than a chocolate teapot round the tyres with the deck stampings digging into those aforesaid kneecaps, cleaning all the salt and filth encrusted surfaces of the lorry body with your now soaking wet clothes as you scrabble about, not to mention the shovelfulls of thick black grease you’ll get on your clothes from the pillars, wind blowing a gale at the dockside as you inch past a wide van on the peak with no roof gutters to grasp onto hoping a gust doesn’t send you headlong…well you get the picture… 
Don’t let me put you off or anything though… 