nicsawalker:
The only thing I’d mention is to make sure the fifth wheel lever is pulled out before you reverse the tractor unit back.
The company you did your class one with should of told you about coupling and uncoupling!
.
Also make sure the gear with the big “R” written on it is selected so you can go backwards. The company I did my C+E never mentioned this.Maybe this is why the urban trailer does not come close to the lorry?
In seriousness though. I’m sure most drivers are confident with coupling/uncoupling but sometimes discussions like this help to keep people on their toes. I have coupled trailers for years but have never heard the “B L A K” phrase which is really handy. It’s a double way to remember that you HAVE done everything, not necessarily HOW to do it. Unhelpful comments like this can put new drivers off asking questions, which in turn can affect safety. Every question is valid, possibly not every reply,though.
Keep asking questions, keep learning , things change , and there’s no substitute for experience.
How exactly was my comment unhelpful? ■■
I’m a new driver myself and what the initial comment mentioned was what I was taught but also included pulling out that lever.
Also I was taught “BLACK”
Brake
Legs
Air
Clip
King pin
Sorry mate. I thought when you said :
"The company you did your class one with should of told you about coupling and uncoupling! "
you meant that everyone should know from what they were previously taught. I was trying to say that things can change from time to time. My apoligies
i passed my test in a wagon and drag, and so need to know how to do it in a tractor unti and trailer.
i went to the factory where my dad works and i just want to check that the transport manager there told / showed me right and that i’ve got the basic idea in my head.
Uncouple :
Apply the Brake on the Trailer
Lower the legs
Disconnect the Lines [air / electrics]
Remove Clip and pull the 5th wheel lever lock
Draw forward
Couple :
Line up trailer and reverse back carefully until coupled
attempt to pull forward twice.
ensure 5th wheel lever lock in in and insert clip
connect the lines [air / electrics]
release trailer brake.
I hope thats the basic idea.
he also gave me a an extra pointer :
as soon as the 5th wheel goes under the trailer raise the lift axel [if possible] so that it ensures that the correct connection is made and so that as you reverse, if the trailer is high / of the tractor unti is low you wont miss the 5th wheel coupling and reverse the back of the cab into the trailer.
if i’m wrong please tell me, as i’d hate to get it wrong, especially before i try to do it for the first time.
i have asked the agency to put me into a good company where they will show me, however i’m not sure if this will happen.
Couple :
Line up trailer and reverse back carefully until coupled
attempt to pull forward twice.
ensure 5th wheel lever lock in in and insert clip
connect the lines [air / electrics]
release trailer brake.
Shouldn’t you raise the landing legs before you drive off?
Your most IMPORTANT points to remember if you think you might forget something are:
COUPLING - make 100% sure that the pin has engaged in the jaws. I’ve often heard the clunk and then tugged forward quite hard twice, completely sure that the pin has engaged, only to find that the arm hasn’t gone all the way back. The vast majority of units will either have a little hole at the side of the 5th wheel plate to put the dog clip through or there will be an L-shaped spring loaded clip that should automatically drop down when the pin engages which then allows you to fit the dog clip side ways on. If you can’t locate the dog clip through the hole then your trailer pin hasn’t engaged properly. Sometimes if you pull the pin release arm out a couple of inches and push it to the left you’ll find it engages but if not then you’ll need to get back in the cab and try again. If the trailer is heavy then try taking some weight off the unit by dropping the suspension down some. The unit will slide in and out better with the weight off it, but don’t drop it down too far so that you can see daylight between the trailer and the fifth wheel!
UNCOUPLING - are your legs down? Think so? Don’t THINK - GET OUT and check. Are your lines off? Think so? Don’t THINK - GET OUT and check. If you can’t CLEARLY remember doing them then you MUST get out and double check. It’s saved my bacon on more than one occasion.
If you remember those you won’t have any problems. Don’t forget to collect your trailer reg plate after you’ve uncoupled.
Your most IMPORTANT points to remember if you think you might forget something are:
COUPLING - make 100% sure that the pin has engaged in the jaws. I’ve often heard the clunk and then tugged forward quite hard twice, completely sure that the pin has engaged, only to find that the arm hasn’t gone all the way back. The vast majority of trailers will either have a little hole at the side of the 5th wheel plate to put the dog clip through or there will be an L-shaped spring loaded clip that should automatically drop down when the pin engages which then allows you to fit the dog clip side ways on. If you can’t locate the dog clip through the hole then your trailer pin hasn’t engaged properly. Sometimes if you pull the pin release arm out a couple of inches and push it to the left you’ll find it engages but if not then you’ll need to get back in the cab and try again. If the trailer is heavy then try taking some weight off the unit by dropping the suspension down some. The unit will slide in and out better with the weight off it, but don’t drop it down too far so that you can see daylight between the trailer and the fifth wheel!
UNCOUPLING - are your legs down? Think so? Don’t THINK - GET OUT and check. Are your lines off? Think so? Don’t THINK - GET OUT and check. If you can’t CLEARLY remember doing them then you MUST get out and double check. It’s saved my bacon on more than one occasion.
If you remember those you won’t have any problems. Don’t forget to collect your trailer reg plate after you’ve uncoupled.
Snooze Control: UNCOUPLINGAre your lines off? Think so? Don’t
They don’t half stretch a loooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggg way before they pop. I once ended up with straight, thin red hose pipe of around 15 metres.
Snooze Control:
Don’t forget to collect your trailer reg plate after you’ve uncoupled.
Or collect it before you back it on a bay and then uncouple. Pain in the ■■■■ having to either recouple to pull it forward, or crawl under the back of the trailer and ■■■■■ around trying to retrieve the plate.
Snooze Control: UNCOUPLINGAre your lines off? Think so? Don’t
They don’t half stretch a loooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggg way before they pop. I once ended up with straight, thin red hose pipe of around 15 metres.
I think it’s worse if you remember it at the last second before it snaps. You’ve then got to untangle it from your fifth wheel, remove half a ton of grease from it and then attempt to coil it back up again. I found out the hard way from experience that none of those things work and you’re better off just carrying on and letting it snap! You can then spend the time waiting for DAFaid to bring you a new one by getting up on the gantry and cleaning the splattered grease off the back of the cab.
Snooze Control:
Don’t forget to collect your trailer reg plate after you’ve uncoupled.
Or collect it before you back it on a bay and then uncouple. Pain in the ■■■■ having to either recouple to pull it forward, or crawl under the back of the trailer and ■■■■■ around trying to retrieve the plate.
Yes, guilty! That’s another mistake you only make a couple of times before learning! The other favourite is reversing onto a locking dock between a couple of wagons and then realising that they isn’t enough space to swing your trailer doors open so you have to pull back out again.
If during coupling you have done all the above but the trailer seems close to the cab and you still have not heard the pin engage STOP.
Get out and check if the unit has a sliding fifth wheel on it !!!.
It may need moving back a bit depending on what trailer it had on last. IF IN DOUBT ASK !!.
I came into the yard a few years ago and I had slid the fifth forward with the trailer I had on for the previous 2 days. I wasn’t happy with a 3 foot gap . As I het out of the unit the day guy is rushing me cause he wants an early finish. I went to throw my dirty gear in the car before uncoupling and handing over only to see my unit wizzing off across the yard 30 seconds later. He slams it under his 30 ft single axle trailer but only makes it as far back as the rear light clusters which disintegrate on the legs
A very expensive mistake and delayed him for 2 hours while Scania came and fitted 2 new ones andstraightened the mud flap arms to my 3 week old motor Then a whole load of paperwork for both of us
montana man:
If during coupling you have done all the above but the trailer seems close to the cab and you still have not heard the pin engage STOP.
Get out and check if the unit has a sliding fifth wheel on it !!!.
It may need moving back a bit depending on what trailer it had on last. IF IN DOUBT ASK !!.
I came into the yard a few years ago and I had slid the fifth forward with the trailer I had on for the previous 2 days. I wasn’t happy with a 3 foot gap . As I het out of the unit the day guy is rushing me cause he wants an early finish. I went to throw my dirty gear in the car before uncoupling and handing over only to see my unit wizzing off across the yard 30 seconds later. He slams it under his 30 ft single axle trailer but only makes it as far back as the rear light clusters which disintegrate on the legs
A very expensive mistake and delayed him for 2 hours while Scania came and fitted 2 new ones andstraightened the mud flap arms to my 3 week old motor Then a whole load of paperwork for both of us
I think that that was quite a nasty trick. I doubt that there are many of us who are employed by one company that drive the same units and trailers every day would ever think to get out to check that someone hasn’t moved the fifth wheel forward 3ft. You would have got a smack in the chops if you’d done that to me and not said anything before going home.
Usefull for a novice. Mind you I dont drop the suspention that low that it completly misses the trailer as in the pic on there, then lift it. I make sure its about right and slide it along.
Snooze Control:
The other favourite is reversing onto a locking dock between a couple of wagons and then realising that they isn’t enough space to swing your trailer doors open so you have to pull back out again.
Oh yes. Imagine if you have worked a fair bit for Asda over the last 6 months and all their own trailers have a roller shutter. You then pull one of the trailers hired in for Xmas and after topping off the tank with a drop of cherry, and checking with the shunter which bay he would like the trailer dropping on, you back straight on the designated bay as normal and uncouple. Like a good, safety conscious, driver you follow the rules and pull well clear of the trailer before walking back and pushing the button to switch the bay light to red. You then realise the stupid rental trailer has barn doors and they are indeed a lot easier to open before you back onto the bay. You now have a bit of a problem, as it is an instant ban from the site if you back under a trailer while the red light is on. This means getting hold of the shunter, confessing that you are indeed a moron and getting him to radio into the warehouse to ask them to switch the light back over to green. You can the recouple, pull forward, open doors, reverse back onto bay, uncouple, pull well forward, then finally walk back and for a second time switch the light over to red.
Imagine any driver being daft enough to do that eh?
montana man:
If during coupling you have done all the above but the trailer seems close to the cab and you still have not heard the pin engage STOP.
Get out and check if the unit has a sliding fifth wheel on it !!!.
It may need moving back a bit depending on what trailer it had on last. IF IN DOUBT ASK !!.
I came into the yard a few years ago and I had slid the fifth forward with the trailer I had on for the previous 2 days. I wasn’t happy with a 3 foot gap . As I het out of the unit the day guy is rushing me cause he wants an early finish. I went to throw my dirty gear in the car before uncoupling and handing over only to see my unit wizzing off across the yard 30 seconds later. He slams it under his 30 ft single axle trailer but only makes it as far back as the rear light clusters which disintegrate on the legs
A very expensive mistake and delayed him for 2 hours while Scania came and fitted 2 new ones andstraightened the mud flap arms to my 3 week old motor Then a whole load of paperwork for both of us
I think that that was quite a nasty trick. I doubt that there are many of us who are employed by one company that drive the same units and trailers every day would ever think to get out to check that someone hasn’t moved the fifth wheel forward 3ft. You would have got a smack in the chops if you’d done that to me and not said anything before going home.
Point was I had not finished with my unit, I had just chucked my laundry in the car !!!. Normaly I would drop my own trailer ,adjusting the fifth wheel back, and then fuel up. He just decided in a rush that there was enough fuel in it for his needs so HE dropped the trailer and took off without even clarifying that I was finished with my motor . In fact I still had to get my duvet and pillow out (never leave em for some filthy git to sprawl on)
Snooze Control:
The other favourite is reversing onto a locking dock between a couple of wagons and then realising that they isn’t enough space to swing your trailer doors open so you have to pull back out again.
Oh yes. Imagine if you have worked a fair bit for Asda over the last 6 months and all their own trailers have a roller shutter. You then pull one of the trailers hired in for Xmas and after topping off the tank with a drop of cherry, and checking with the shunter which bay he would like the trailer dropping on, you back straight on the designated bay as normal and uncouple. Like a good, safety conscious, driver you follow the rules and pull well clear of the trailer before walking back and pushing the button to switch the bay light to red. You then realise the stupid rental trailer has barn doors and they are indeed a lot easier to open before you back onto the bay. You now have a bit of a problem, as it is an instant ban from the site if you back under a trailer while the red light is on. This means getting hold of the shunter, confessing that you are indeed a moron and getting him to radio into the warehouse to ask them to switch the light back over to green. You can the recouple, pull forward, open doors, reverse back onto bay, uncouple, pull well forward, then finally walk back and for a second time switch the light over to red.
Imagine any driver being daft enough to do that eh?
Wow neil that must have given you a good laugh watching some young inexperienced driver make a mistake like that eh ■■?
You beat me to it!
The vast majority of units will either have a little hole at the side of the 5th wheel plate to put the dog clip through or there will be an L-shaped spring loaded clip that should automatically drop down when the pin engages which then allows you to fit the dog clip side ways on. If you can’t locate the dog clip through the hole then your trailer pin hasn’t engaged properly. Sometimes if you pull the pin release arm out a couple of inches and push it to the left you’ll find it engages but if not then you’ll need to get back in the cab and try again. If the trailer is heavy then try taking some weight off the unit by dropping the suspension down some. The unit will slide in and out better with the weight off it, but don’t drop it down too far so that you can see daylight between the trailer and the fifth wheel!
