I’m a new guy here, was reccomended across from another trucking site!
Anyway, I have a question regarding container work.
Ive been driving for quite a while now and have done a wide variety of work (most of it on rigids) anyway long story short I packed in my full time work last year to go self employed in and around the teesside north Yorkshire area, so far all is going well and I’m busy.
I’ve a chance of some work from a very small firm (4 units) pulling containers from teesport, now they know I’m light on container experience and indeed class 1 experience but they’re willing to give me a try and we’ve agreed an hourly rate were both happy with, I was hoping for some tips and advice from old hands regarding skellys
containers and indeed teesport it’s self! As I’ve never been near it tbh!!! Despite living
round here all my life lol!
make sure that when you are having a container lifted off, the twistlocks are undone
seriously, you would not believe the amount of drivers that forget to do the most simple of tasks and end up having the trailer picked up by the lifter
Boxes. Generally are 20ft / 40ft / 45ft. (30ft rare).The correct positions are clearly marked on the trailer (or should be!!) Various methods are employed to adjust the trailer.
If it’s a newish trailer, you should find a button (at the front usually) that you need to pushl to release the pins that locate the sliding part. On older units you need to change the red line over. Look at the airlines on the trailer end. You should find a second male connector near the red airline. Swap the line over and this will push the pins back. Procedure is as follows. (you must be coupled up to the trailer)…
Apply the parking brake on the unit.
Apply the trailer brakes (not always necessary as some trailers apply them when you release the pins. I always apply them though, just in case)
3)To extend the trailer, drive forward. To close,drive backwards. Decide where the pins need to be (it will be marked with either the box size or letters A, B, C etc. Look on the side of the trailer chassis for a diagram explaining this part.
4)Once you are almost where you need to be, stop and drop the pins back in.(either by swapping the airline, or using the button on the trailer chassis)
Continue backwards/forwards until you hear the pins engage. (you will,trust me!)
Check BOTH pins are securely located.
Release the brakes and the job’s a good 'un…
Make sure you get the boxes on the correct twistlocks. 20ft boxes go on the pins above the middle trailer axle and those 20ft in front. The front locks are for 45ft boxes only. For a 40ft box you should use the locks just behind these.
If you are pulling a 20ft box that’s loaded you MUST have it in the correct position. If it’s empty you can pull it in any position, (tip position is quite common) but I tend to put it where it should be as it only take 2 or 3 mins max after you’ve had a bit of practise.
When having the box lifted…
CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE UNDONE THE TWISTLOCKS After loading CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS CHECK YOU HAVE DONE UP THE TWISTLOCKS
if i know who you are working for i might be able to tell you what the job you are doing will involve, you could be loading from TCT1 which will only be for K line, BG Freight and Delta lines from the end of this month or TCT2 which is basically everything else
Or you could be on the short sea stuff from the ferry terminal which is a bit more relaxed to be honest as TCT2 is getting to be a bit of a pain lately, loads of conships drivers getting bollickings for speeding and going the wrong way round the terminal except lucy i presume
anyway sorry for waffling on but i,m in there 4 or 5 times a day most days so owt you want to know fire away or drop me a pm
make sure you’re facing the right way when you get lifted on.
try to get your skelly in the right position before lifting on.
be prepared to wait if the boats in.
try not to upset the lifters.
nsf and tct1 are the best quays to pull from imo. i rarely go into tct2 but on the odd occasion i do it seems a bit of a faff on. haven’t been in since it changed mind.
the best advice i could give is to ask if you’re not sure, the lads in the gatehouse at the docks are a friendly lot and there’s always other drivers. we were all new at it at one time.
I may have a sensible question. I haven’t done container berths for several years now and only picked boxes up from rail terminals, ferry ports and storage yards.
But; Some of the main ports in Hamburg, Rotterdam and Antwerp wanted the driver to either stay in the cab, in the computer terminal or actually in a safety cage on the straddle loader.
So if you go in to somewhere like Felixstowe or Southampton with a 40 foot but you want a 20’ or 30’ out, do you shorten & stretch the trailer on the pad or do you have to go round again and join another queue?
Wheel Nut:
I may have a sensible question. I haven’t done container berths for several years now and only picked boxes up from rail terminals, ferry ports and storage yards.
But; Some of the main ports in Hamburg, Rotterdam and Antwerp wanted the driver to either stay in the cab, in the computer terminal or actually in a safety cage on the straddle loader.
So if you go in to somewhere like Felixstowe or Southampton with a 40 foot but you want a 20’ or 30’ out, do you shorten & stretch the trailer on the pad or do you have to go round again and join another queue?
You just pull forward, change size infront of the pad, then back onto the pad.
But at felix, you’d be picking up at a different location, they don’t really use pads there, you go to location adjacent to your box (given on your tickets) and they don’t mix 20’ and 40’ boxes in same location.
except lucy i presume 