I was just reading on the internet about trailers
that have a moveable rail to connect the Suzie’s
from the side so you don’t have to squeeze behind
the trailer when coupling and get grease on you.
So are all trailers having these fitted now 
. As the
other way I read about is to back under halfway
or so then couple up and then engage pin which
is called Spilt coupling and is quite safe apparently.
thats a new one on me. i have never seen a trailer that does not require climbing on the back of the unit to connect the lines. then again, the trailers i use are 18 years old 
I think Sainsbury’s use them and some other
company’s with refrigerated trailers and I thought
they sounded a good idea.
Many modern trailers have used them for a while now, they do save some effort but they are not always successful, especially if you get a stiff collar on the air lines you still have to climb up and get some oomph! behind it.
yer sainsburys use them on there modern reefers but as cm says dont rely on the fact u can couple up from the side , u can though normally uncouple from the side .
If you are short though, you will still have to get up on the catwalk to couple up, I prefer to do this anyway.
I really, really dont like going half way under, coupling up my suzies, then reversing under to engage the pin,Im always worried that I’ll forget to engage the pin & I’ll drive off! 
Consequently, Im always the one squished between the back of the unit, no matter how tight the gap is, in order to put the suzies on after engaging the pin.
I cant hook upto a trailer & chat to anyone at the same time. I cant multi task to save my life & have a morbid fear of not coupling up correctly. I have to check everything at least twice over!
T.■■
and they say truckers are overweight? whose fault is that when these geniuses invent ways of having to exert yourself by gulp CLIMBING ON THE CATWALK 
call me old fashioned but i will always climb up and do connect the traditional way. i certainly wouldnt back half way then connect up. the first connection i will always make will be the king pin connecting to the jaws
Aren’t you sometimes forced to use the second method (air lines first before engaging pin) if the fifth wheel, and therefore the front of the trailer, is close to the cab?
tnt use them aswell i did a week with them on agy and most of there trailers had them they are better but when you turn the noise gets annoying after a while
scanny77:
and they say truckers are overweight? whose fault is that when these geniuses invent ways of having to exert yourself by gulp CLIMBING ON THE CATWALKcall me old fashioned but i will always climb up and do connect the traditional way. i certainly wouldnt back half way then connect up. the first connection i will always make will be the king pin connecting to the jaws
Well if you can squeeze into a gap which is about 12 inches wide then squat down flat on the cat walk so as to just be able to see the couplings on the front of the trailer under the reefer unit, plus managing to turn through 180 degrees to grab the greased up lines which you’ve now got all over your clothes in order to couple up to the trailer then you need your head examining.
If you follow the simple rule of engaging the trailer brake (which theoretically should already be engaged before you reverse under) then split coupling is just as safe as full coupling.
When you’ve got some experience at the job Richie, you’ll eat those words, trust me.
scanny77:
and they say truckers are overweight? whose fault is that when these geniuses invent ways of having to exert yourself by gulp CLIMBING ON THE CATWALKcall me old fashioned but i will always climb up and do connect the traditional way. i certainly wouldnt back half way then connect up. the first connection i will always make will be the king pin connecting to the jaws
You’ll eat your words the first close coupled fridge you come to 
.
Liberace:
scanny77:
call me old fashioned but i will always climb up and do connect the traditional way. i certainly wouldnt back half way then connect up. the first connection i will always make will be the king pin connecting to the jawsYou’ll eat your words the first close coupled fridge you come to
I always used to couple up completely before attaching the suzies, but I’ve changed to split-coupling, as it means that I don’t get covered in 5th wheel grease. I go back far enough for the 5th wheel plate to be entirely under the front of the trailer, then all the really greasy stuff is out of the way. I try not to leave too much space between the trailer headboard and the unit, as sometimes I need to brace myself against the unit to put the red airline on - I’ve always been a bit of a wimp when it comes to upper body strength, and sometimes I just can’t get the [zb] thing on. This is also a problem when coupling the “proper” way - if the unit and trailer are really close, I can’t use my body strength to push the airline on, and I’ve struggled sometimes.
As an occasional agency driver, usually driving non-allocated fleet motors (i.e. no-one really “owns” them), most of the stuff I drive has filthy suzies; most of the trailers have grease on the front, and the cabs have grease on the back, so if you’re squeezing around the back, you end up covered in the stuff.
I do get a bit nervous when connecting the red line, though; esp. as it’s sometimes difficult to work out which knob controls the trailer parking brake, and which one is the shunt valve, and whether it should be in or out to apply the parking brake, so I’m never 100% sure that I’ve actually got the brake on.
That said, if I have to couple/uncouple on anything resembling a hill or slope, I’d always do it the traditional way.
you lot seem to have missed our trailers. they are not close coupled. you could park another unit between that DAF and the trailer
they dont use the trailer brake at Ranks. the site is all flat so they never apply them. personally, i have heard about so many accidents involving trailers rolling away that i always apply the brake when i drop a trailer. when it comes to artics, i do it properly. if they want to cut corners, thats their choice but i will not be responsible for any accidents.
incidentally, i did forget to apply the unit handbrake once a few years ago. as soon as the legs were raised, the whole thing (FH12 + trailer) rolled away
fortunately, i managed to run round the front and get in the cab before it hit anything. lesson learned
At Stobarts, no one ever used the parking breaks, & It used to drive me mental, they lost loads of trailers because of it too. Mind you, saying that, they were the worst bunch of cowboys I have ever worked for, so I hope ALL their trailers eventually get smashed to smithereens because someone has forgotten to put the trailer break on! 
Bitter & twisted…D**N right I am!!
Love,
R.■■
■■■■’s okay, but you know the story . I’m not chasing these all night .
you lot seem to have missed our trailers. they are not close coupled. you could park another unit between that DAF and the trailer
Nope, mate…we were just pointing out that it’s precisely because you a) have only 5 minutes experience and b) have yet to encounter 99% of scenarios that you will be eating your words at a later date!!!
Lucy:
you lot seem to have missed our trailers. they are not close coupled. you could park another unit between that DAF and the trailer
Nope, mate…we were just pointing out that it’s precisely because you a) have only 5 minutes experience and b) have yet to encounter 99% of scenarios that you will be eating your words at a later date!!!
I think you need to stop reading my posts Lucy 
. My reputation for ‘telling it how it is’ seems to be very much rubbing off on you 
Possibly…although in this situation I can see a classic case of overconfidence leading to an accident, which would be a shame in one so obviously keen…
The moveable rail in question is commonly known as a “Mavis Rail.”
Don-Bur trailers can be found with them on, plus some others.
I’ve only noticed them on mostly supermarket trailers.
Seeing as coupling and uncoupling is part of the test nowadays ( I believe), why do people suddenly stop using the park brake as soon as they have passed their test?? I know of at least 5 ‘friends’ over the years ( I been at it since '80) that have been killed thanks to park brakes not being applied!!!
I have a very close coupling on my outfit and as its a fridge and I am a fat bugger, I have to do the split couple. First thing I ALWAYS check before attempting to pick my trailer up is “Is the park brake on?”
Because I have a set system for coupling that I will not alter, I even wind the legs up before engaging the jaws!!! BECAUSE MY PARK BRAKE IS ON!!!
The one time I let someone distract me (as related in one of my diaries on another page), I pulled away and watched the, luckily, empy trailer slide off the back of the unit PMSL
LADS AND LASSES, ALWAYS ENSURE YOUR PARK BRAKE IS APPLIED!!
Try picking up a loaded trailer with 24 ton on it, without the park brake on, and chase it across the yard
fozzie:
tnt use them aswell i did a week with them on agy and most of there trailers had them they are better but when you turn the noise gets annoying after a while
ooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh on agency for tnt are you registratered with de poel.
the answer is yes you are.
plus ive used those sliding rails on supermarket trailers and they are CRAP more touble than they are worth they stick and catch and bang when you are driving along.