Hi Lads & Lasses,
Right, all you drivers on container work, can you give me advice on driving them, delivery points, different container ports, and the good/bad at them. Any tips or heads up on any aspect of container work is needed ? I have looked online at the different Ports in the UK and found some helpful stuff like maps, rules etc but want a drivers viewpoint because that’s what really counts.I have over 15 years Class 1 C+E experience on most types of jobs tho’ never done container work but that will change on 14th Jan when I start my new job. Thanks all in advance,
Phil
philtvc65:
Hi Lads & Lasses,
Right, all you drivers on container work, can you give me advice on driving them, delivery points, different container ports, and the good/bad at them. Any tips or heads up on any aspect of container work is needed ? I have looked online at the different Ports in the UK and found some helpful stuff like maps, rules etc but want a drivers viewpoint because that’s what really counts.I have over 15 years Class 1 C+E experience on most types of jobs tho’ never done container work but that will change on 14th Jan when I start my new job. Thanks all in advance,
Phil
The doors go at the back 
first tip is, you don’t drive a container, you carry it on your trailer 
seriously now, when you first get the container loaded on to your trailer, drive very carefully as you don’t know how it is loaded inside, it could be top heavy or even a bulk liquid bag inside
all the container ports and rail heads work differently
Felixstowe and Thamesport both require RHIDES cards, your employer will deal with this on your behalf and you collect it from the pass office at the relevant port when you get there, same card for Felixtowe and Thamesport (otherwise known as Isle of Grain)
Seaforth, take photo ID with you, also, make sure you have an extra copy of the paperwork with you, they will keep a copy
basically, when you get somewhere that you have not been before, ask other drivers for advice, us container drivers don’t bite (much)
Wheel Nut:
The doors go at the back
not always
some customers lift the box off the trailer and want the doors at the front
thanks for the tips As long as the doors aren’t on the roof 
Phil
shuttlespanker:
Wheel Nut:
The doors go at the backnot always
some customers lift the box off the trailer and want the doors at the front
Some do on bulk too, unless you use the patented design that we came up with over 30 years ago 
If the doors are on the roof it is a bulktainer
When your being lifted on/off from the side when you are driving up to ‘get lined up with the crane’ stick your windows down.
One toot STOP
Two toots make eye contact with crane driver.
dont forget to undo your twistlocks.
I dont know jack-■■■■ about hauling containers but i know about the differant sizes as Im rail industry based in my job.
Does height make a differance to you guys much??
You’ l no doubt know that there are ‘standard height’ and ‘excess height’ (9"6’) containers and they can be imediately spotted by yellow chevron stickers on the top corners, standard’s dont have them.
As i say, know nothing about hauling them down the road but just a thought that may come in usefull to a new driver 
If you’ve got a 20’ box on and it weighs anything over eight ton make sure you are lined up with the loading bay, ramp or whatever, before you shorten the chassis because they don’t turn too well if they are heavy. All the weight gets positioned over the trailer axles so there isn’t much on the drive wheels.
Here’s some features that you will find on most but not all sliding skelly trailers.
These are the back twistlocks that are used for 40ft and 45ft boxes, make sure you fold them down when pulling a 20ft as they will get in the way when you try and shorten the trailer.
Some trailers such as this have a button to operate the pins that hold the trailer in different length positions, on others you will have to disconnect the red airline and connect to a second connection next to it.
make sure you pull the rear bar out when carrying 45ft boxes.
also this may be obvious to some but when lifting a heavy box on or off make sure you drain the airbags on the trailer axles beforehand as it saves damaging them when the weights put on/taken off suddenly.
Hope this helps, oh and I hope you like reading as you’ll have plenty of time to on some jobs. 
(pics taken off SDC trailers site)
dlote2009:
Here’s some features that you will find on most but not all sliding skelly trailers.
These are the back twistlocks that are used for 40ft and 45ft boxes, make sure you fold them down when pulling a 20ft as they will get in the way when you try and shorten the trailer.
Some trailers such as this have a button to operate the pins that hold the trailer in different length positions, on others you will have to disconnect the red airline and connect to a second connection next to it.
make sure you pull the rear bar out when carrying 45ft boxes.also this may be obvious to some but when lifting a heavy box on or off make sure you drain the airbags on the trailer axles beforehand as it saves damaging them when the weights put on/taken off suddenly.
Hope this helps, oh and I hope you like reading as you’ll have plenty of time to on some jobs.
(pics taken off SDC trailers site)
When i was on container work i never had a skel that shiny
shuttlespanker:
seriously now, when you first get the container loaded on to your trailer, drive very carefully as you don’t know how it is loaded inside, it could be top heavy or even a bulk liquid bag inside
This can NOT be stressed enough, drive everyone as if it’s liquid drums stacked on ball bearings with a foot clearance at either side, and you SHOULD stay on the road.
Only time I’ve come close to losing one was, believe it or not, coat hangers!!! You wouldn’t have believed it, but, because I knew what was in it, I went a bit quick onto a roundabout that had adverse camber, and literally had wheels off the deck
Change of underwear moment that, and complete change of driving style.
Remember, there’s no rush in this game.
shuttlespanker:
all the container ports and rail heads work differently
Unfortunately, even same companies at different places work different. Takes some getting used to and, if you’ve not been somewhere for a few weeks, ask someone, the buggers keep changing!!.
shuttlespanker:
Felixstowe and Thamesport both require RHIDES cards, your employer will deal with this on your behalf and you collect it from the pass office at the relevant port when you get there, same card for Felixtowe and Thamesport (otherwise known as Isle of Grain)Seaforth, take photo ID with you, also, make sure you have an extra copy of the paperwork with you, they will keep a copy
Freightliner Liverpool also keeps a copy.
Some places require VBS numbers, Seaforth and Southampton to name 2, make sure you have them before trying to book in, sometimes massive quqeues to find out you need 1.
shuttlespanker:
basically, when you get somewhere that you have not been before, ask other drivers for advice, us container drivers don’t bite (much)
This!!
dlote2009:
Here’s some features that you will find on most but not all sliding skelly trailers.
These are the back twistlocks that are used for 40ft and 45ft boxes, make sure you fold them down when pulling a 20ft as they will get in the way when you try and shorten the trailer.
Some trailers such as this have a button to operate the pins that hold the trailer in different length positions, on others you will have to disconnect the red airline and connect to a second connection next to it.
make sure you pull the rear bar out when carrying 45ft boxes.also this may be obvious to some but when lifting a heavy box on or off make sure you drain the airbags on the trailer axles beforehand as it saves damaging them when the weights put on/taken off suddenly.
Hope this helps, oh and I hope you like reading as you’ll have plenty of time to on some jobs.
(pics taken off SDC trailers site)
Ooh, shiney trailer
ALSO!!!, take something to keep you occupied, I have a laptop with a tv dongle and mobile internet, others have books or dvds or jigsaws or do an open university course etc, you will be sat around
philtvc65:
Hi Lads & Lasses,
Right, all you drivers on container work, can you give me advice
Yes, keep well away 
. I nearly went round the twist after just three months of containers, it’s without a doubt the most boring job I’ve ever done.
And while I appreciate that there will be some container bods on here who only work 20 hours a week and are on £100,000 a year , spending half of a working day gazing out of the cab at the wagons either side of you or sitting in a room full of “drivers” whingeing about how the job’s ■■■■■■■ blah, blah, blah, just doesn’t appeal to me.
And let’s be honest, it’s hardly a skilled job… 
threewheelsonmywagon:
philtvc65:
Hi Lads & Lasses,
Right, all you drivers on container work, can you give me adviceYes, keep well away
And while I appreciate that there will be some container bods on here who only work 20 hours a week and are on £100,000 a year
And let’s be honest, it’s hardly a skilled job…
Each to their own, life would be boring if we were all the same, and also, everyone would be on containers lol.
Jobs only boring if you don’t heed the advice of bringing entertainment of some kind or catching up on sleep, phoning mates etc.
philtvc65:
Hi Lads & Lasses,
Right, all you drivers on container work, can you give me advice on driving them, delivery points, different container ports, and the good/bad at them. Any tips or heads up on any aspect of container work is needed ? I have looked online at the different Ports in the UK and found some helpful stuff like maps, rules etc but want a drivers viewpoint because that’s what really counts.I have over 15 years Class 1 C+E experience on most types of jobs tho’ never done container work but that will change on 14th Jan when I start my new job. Thanks all in advance,
Phil
It’s ■■■■■■■ boring,novelty of doing nothing all day but sitting on your arse or sleeping soon wears off,or when you’re trying to get home on a friday and you have to tip and turn at the delightful inland container depots where you can spend hours,weeks and months of your life queuing in…most of the container drivers have got nothing else better to do than moan like ■■■■ about everyone and everything too and they think they are the be all and end all especially those Maritime Drivers who walk round in their gay 2 tone uniforms thinking they own the place
I had 6 years of it…now I’m on general which is a different world of freedom and would be very very reluctant to go back to the living nightmare of containers.
waynedl:
Each to their own, life would be boring if we were all the same, and also, everyone would be on containers lol.Jobs only boring if you don’t heed the advice of bringing entertainment of some kind or catching up on sleep, phoning mates etc.
I cant think of anything worse, at least when I was on tank containers you get to do something at the customers end, tipping, loading or cleaning.