Anyone know if there’s a knack to connecting airlines to the trailer 
…Was split coupling at 3:30 this morning and I was absolutely bu**ered if I could connect either the yellow or the bloody red one 
It was just the air pressure holding me up - nothing else (no need for WD40)
Your best bet Pete is to get your body weight behind the suzie as you push it on. This sometimes isn’t as easy as it sounds because for instance very close coupled trailers don’t give you the room to do this, so you either end up pushing them in as you stand sideways (very bad for your lower back) or you connect them before you’ve fully connected to the Kingpin (if that makes sense).
Generally I find that if a suzie won’t connect no way no how it’ll be because one end (either suzie or trailer) is damaged.
Express Pete:
Anyone know if there’s a knack to connecting airlines to the trailer
This is the reason why I prefer palm couplings which are used throughout Europe and the rest of the World. Some will say they are unsafe, yet I have never had a problem with one coming off, but have had C Type couplings that were so worn they didn’t open the valve fully resulting in low air pressure to the trailer tanks.
If the trailer is on your left when you’re on the catwalk try giving your right arm a shove with your right leg, sounds odd but just picture it if you can 
Some people have suggested draining the lorry air tanks before coupling by pressing the foot brake several times. This allows the valve to open without 140psi pushing back at you.
I don’t agree with this action although I do know some trailers can be a bugger to connect to or risk skinning knuckles or noses.
However, if you do this, make sure the trailer brake is on, and that the unit brake is on, check it 3 times 
Wheel Nut:
Express Pete:
Anyone know if there’s a knack to connecting airlines to the trailerThis is the reason why I prefer palm couplings which are used throughout Europe and the rest of the World. Some will say they are unsafe, yet I have never had a problem with one coming off, but have had C Type couplings that were so worn they didn’t open the valve fully resulting in low air pressure to the trailer tanks.
Those British C couplings have always been a pain but they are even worse since we went from taps on the pipework to auto valves in them.The palm couplings are best by miles especially on wagon and drags when you’re on your knees under the prime mover trying to push c couplings home and they get all the salt in them in the winter.The managers on my old firm were stupid enough to go from palms on wagon and drags to C’s.The only problem with palms is that they can cause the Susie to kink where it joins as you twist them and the rubber seals perish.They are worth that though.
This is why this site works so well…top advice from top people (not the usual p-take you might get on other less respected sites) Cheers people
At the risk of stating bleeding obvious you did have the engine turned off while coupling did you? It can make all the difference with some unit/trailer combinations.
In Dublin with an agency driver a wee while ago and he was struggling to connect the lines in the morning. He had a Merc and I suggested he might want to turn the engine off to make life easier, but he is a ‘very experienced driver’ - he had told me so a hundred times in the time I had spent with him 
- and said it wouldn’t make a difference. So while he was struggling I walked round and killed the engine and the airline he was struggling with went straight on. Good job he was so experienced or he could have been there all day. 
Yes mate the engine was off - I make a point of switching off and keeping the keys in my pocket whenever I split couple
Coffeeholic:
At the risk of stating bleeding obvious you did have the engine turned off while coupling did you? It can make all the difference with some unit/trailer combinations.In Dublin with an agency driver a wee while ago and he was struggling to connect the lines in the morning. He had a Merc and I suggested he might want to turn the engine off to make life easier, but he is a ‘very experienced driver’ - he had told me so a hundred times in the time I had spent with him
Does’nt sound right to me?.If there’s no pressure in the lines when the motor is’nt running then the old accident scenario of a trailer brake being off when lines with auto valve couplings are put on or when the taps were opened and the trailer running off the fifth wheel or forward over it when the spring brakes let go because it’s not been coupled up properly would’nt happen with the engine off and we would’nt have needed any taps because there would only be pressure there when the motor was running?.
Carryfast:
Coffeeholic:
At the risk of stating bleeding obvious you did have the engine turned off while coupling did you? It can make all the difference with some unit/trailer combinations.In Dublin with an agency driver a wee while ago and he was struggling to connect the lines in the morning. He had a Merc and I suggested he might want to turn the engine off to make life easier, but he is a ‘very experienced driver’ - he had told me so a hundred times in the time I had spent with him
Does’nt sound right to me?.If there’s no pressure in the lines when the motor is’nt running…
I’ve no idea what or how much pressure is in the lines with the motor on or off, I only know, and have seen, that with some units, not all, it can be the difference between the lines going on easily or not.
Express Pete:
Anyone know if there’s a knack to connecting airlines to the trailer
I am glad I am not the only one who has this problem ( I thought I was getting old & weak). 
Personally I dont like the Idea of split coupling but may I suggest that instead if possible you couple up and then use the shunt button to angle the trailer say 40 degrees to the unit and you will then be able to push directly at the c couplings 
annitram:
Express Pete:
Anyone know if there’s a knack to connecting airlines to the trailerI am glad I am not the only one who has this problem ( I thought I was getting old & weak).
Personally I dont like the Idea of split coupling but may I suggest that instead if possible you couple up and then use the shunt button to angle the trailer say 40 degrees to the unit and you will then be able to push directly at the c couplings
not being an artic driver what is this “shunt button” that gets bounded about sometimes on here what can you do with it turned on as apposed to when its turned off i realise its so you can “shunt” but what the need of the button
cheers
Cruise Control:
not being an artic drivercheers
It releases the brakes on the trailer so you can shunt it without connecting the airlines, the trailer will not be braked during this operation so all braking will be by the unit. As soon as you connect the lines the button should pop back out, it’s always best to check because if it doesn’t there are no brakes on the trailer while you head off down the road. Also if you dropped it on a bay you would need to pull the shunt button back out otherwise as a forklift drives in the back the unbraked trailer can roll forward.
Just rest your elbow on your knee and push with your knee. If your having trouble with the red one, dangle it in the diesel tank, then let it drip over the valve on the trailer for the yellow line.
If your still having problems, stop playing with your plonker and eat more Weetabix.
enit?:
Just rest your elbow on your knee and push with your knee. If your having trouble with the red one, dangle it in the diesel tank, then let it drip over the valve on the trailer for the yellow line.If your still having problems, stop playing with your plonker and eat more Weetabix.
Top answer, I wouldn’t bother with the diesel though.
connecting the susies can be really awkward on some 40’ trailers with a 45’ box on it.
annitram:
I am glad I am not the only one who has this problem ( I thought I was getting old & weak).
You are getting old and weak 
glenman:
connecting the susies can be really awkward on some 40’ trailers with a 45’ box on it.
'Ent your got a sliding coupling thingy. I’m sure someone on here knows the correct name for it but all your trailer couplings are on it (at least they are on a Skelly). Undo the catches and pull. It should pull out about half a metre.
no ,these are just ordinary 40’flat trailers.