I’ve never driven a skeleton for containers before.
Do I need some training before I expand my activities?
Nothing essential, could do with some introduction into how to slide trailers and dock procedures before starting though.
I was told in all of 5 mins how they work. Pretty simple. Don’t know about the new ones but to squash the old ones you pulled the trailer brake, operated another plunger to pop the pins then reversed the unit and then took trailer brake off. Stretching it back out was the opposite. Go slowly when stretching them as the pins get bent and they can jam up once bent. When you turn a skele you sometimes hear a bang and feel a jolt, that’s just worn rollers allowing the two sections to flex when you turn. I thought something had fallen off when I first heard it!
The only thing you need to expand is the size of your belly with all the waiting around you will do also your arms so your knuckles drag on the floor.
Captain spanky will tell you all you need to know,as he has it down to an art!! 
Thetaff2:
The only thing you need to expand is the size of your belly with all the waiting around you will do
This! Some of the larger people I have ever seen were found at the grain picking up boxes. I couldn’t work out whether the morbidly obese were drawn to it because it was easy or if the sedentary container lifestyle made them more portly.
Freight Dog:
Thetaff2:
The only thing you need to expand is the size of your belly with all the waiting around you will doThis! Some of the fattest people I have ever seen were found at the grain picking up boxes. I couldn’t work out whether the morbidly obese were drawn to it because it was easy or if the sedentary container lifestyle made them fat.
It’s called living out of a frying pan in the snack vans young man…coupled with being unable to keep fit and being down right lazy I think ticks all the boxes!!
that’ll do it then. Young man? I like being called young man in my mid thirties, beats the old bar steward the (younger) misses calls me. I’ve edited it as don’t think it’s very nice to describe them as fat.
your welcome young man! 
Cheers 
.
Freight Dog:
I was told in all of 5 mins how they work. Pretty simple. Don’t know about the new ones but to squash the old ones you pulled the trailer brake, operated another plunger to pop the pins then reversed the unit and then took trailer brake off. Stretching it back out was the opposite. Go slowly when stretching them as the pins get bent and they can jam up once bent. When you turn a skele you sometimes hear a bang and feel a jolt, that’s just worn rollers allowing the two sections to flex when you turn. I thought something had fallen off when I first heard it!
This worried me like hell when I first started on containers (only 3 months ago). For weeks when I was starting work I was asking whether all my loads were 40ft boxes as I had not been shown how to stretch a trailer etc. Anyhow the time finally came when I had to do it and I pulled in THA on Trinity dock walked upto another driver sat in motor knocked on door and asked him if he wouldn’t mind helping me with trailer. Have to say he was an older guy so didnt have a problem showing me a couple of times and telling me a lot of things to look out for etc. Now I have done it a few times I wonder what all the worrying was about. As for the banging noise scared the [zb] out of me and still does when I sometimes reverse into a spot and you hear the bang first thought is - oh [zb]what have I hit now!
Thetaff2:
Freight Dog:
Thetaff2:
The only thing you need to expand is the size of your belly with all the waiting around you will doThis! Some of the fattest people I have ever seen were found at the grain picking up boxes. I couldn’t work out whether the morbidly obese were drawn to it because it was easy or if the sedentary container lifestyle made them fat.
It’s called living out of a frying pan in the snack vans young man…coupled with being unable to keep fit and being down right lazy I think ticks all the boxes!!
UNABLE to keep fit■■? These drivers have more time on their hands than any other kind in the industry!!! Too idle, more like!!! 
Lucy:
Thetaff2:
Freight Dog:
Thetaff2:
The only thing you need to expand is the size of your belly with all the waiting around you will doThis! Some of the fattest people I have ever seen were found at the grain picking up boxes. I couldn’t work out whether the morbidly obese were drawn to it because it was easy or if the sedentary container lifestyle made them fat.
It’s called living out of a frying pan in the snack vans young man…coupled with being unable to keep fit and being down right lazy I think ticks all the boxes!!
UNABLE to keep fit■■? These drivers have more time on their hands than any other kind in the industry!!! Too idle, more like!!!
Yes some are lazy,if I go to a place that looks like been a long time to tip/load I go for a walk round if I’m near a town or village,or clean my truck if the weather is good.
Some just roll in to the bunk though,I do just chill out sometimes but if I did it all time it would kill me.
Agreed. In the interests of honesty, mind, I used to be the same. Then I had a word with myself 3 years ago, lost 6 stone and took up competitive rowing. Oh, and I’m a container driver, out all week many weeks just the same as them.
Should be training with containers , I am on them at the moment on an agency and I have not a ■■■■■■■ clue what to do when I go in a container base even though I have been driving wagons for years ( ok when delivering one to a factory for unloading lol ) , each container base seems to have a different system of working I dropped one off one day and was supposed to pick another one up about 15 wagons who came in after me had done their swaps and drove out before me as I was sat there thinking " where the ■■■■ do I go now for my next box ■■? " , I phoned the firm and said FFS tell em to " come and get me and tell me where to go otherwise I am driving out of here and ■■■■ it " !!! ( stacker came within 5 mins . and said "follow me " ), it is confusing and no one to ask as only crane drivers and other lorry`s on site ( don’t see anyone walking about in a cont. base and rightly so health and safety etc. ).
Surely some of the best people to ask would be crane driver’s or other lorry driver that are on site doing the job, insted of ringing your boss■■?
Yeah I used to just pull out of the grain. When I was sent to Southampton or Felix I didn’t know where to go or the system. Just asked other drivers, dock staff. I was soon put right. Containers are pretty simple. Once you’ve done it you know where to go. It’s just a case of where to drive as people put them on and off for you.
Do any of you do containers as day shifters? I did it as tramper but wouldn’t fancy it as a day bloke given how long they can take to tip unless you’re given a box from where you start, straight drive, tip and back again? Do you find you’re tight for time?
Freight Dog:
Yeah I used to just pull out of the grain. When I was sent to Southampton or Felix I didn’t know where to go or the system. Just asked other drivers, dock staff. I was soon put right. Containers are pretty simple. Once you’ve done it you know where to go. It’s just a case of where to drive as people put them on and off for you.Do any of you do containers as day shifters? I did it as tramper but wouldn’t fancy it as a day bloke given how long they can take to tip unless you’re given a box from where you start, straight drive, tip and back again? Do you find you’re tight for time?
Yes I do day work mainly from the railheads around yorkshire,normally do one job in morning and one in afternoon.
I have my cab kitted out though for nights out because the job can go wrong sometimes and we have to night out…
Dan_1986:
Surely some of the best people to ask would be crane driver’s or other lorry driver that are on site doing the job, insted of ringing your boss■■?
Tried that and crane drivers wont get out of their crane cabs and other lorry drivers just seem to be in a rush hardly get chance to speak to any !!
iv done it as a day man… up at silly o’clock then down the docks to collect the container and up to the midlands with it… if they knew it was a place thats usually tight the container would be on ready and all id have to do is deliver it and come back to the yard with it…
I’ve done containers as a day driver and as a tramper, it’s definitely more relaxing if your cab is kitted out for night out and you don’t mind doing nights out - ie don’t plan to be home.
As a day driver when I was on Roadways, I only got stuck out for 1 night in about 9 months.
VOLSCADAF:
Dan_1986:
Surely some of the best people to ask would be crane driver’s or other lorry driver that are on site doing the job, insted of ringing your boss■■?Tried that and crane drivers wont get out of their crane cabs and other lorry drivers just seem to be in a rush hardly get chance to speak to any !!
I can’t believe that, it’s definitely the exception rather than the rule that any driver on this job is in a rush
I’ve found almost all box jockeys to be friendly although not that talkative as they (we) get used to being sat in the cab on our own all day every day, but that doesn’t make us rude, just that you need to do the approaching