LeicsShunter:
Having a trailer with a park brake off is one thing but finding one with the shunt button engaged is a much more dangerous situation and I dont think anyone would leave one in this state unless they wanted a manslaughter charge.
I never use the shunt button my self even for very short movements like pushing back a trailer that is not quite on a bay properly as the accident caused by leaving it off is likely to be very severe.
Now I’m the opposite. When shunting I’ll use the shunt button wherever possible. Unless you’ve got a flat and smooth yard, you need to go round to wind the legs up a couple of turns anyway so it’s a 2 second job to engage the shunt button and saves having to get up on the gantry to put the red line on (and take it off again when you’re done). After all, that’s what it’s there for. The only thing you’ve got to watch is when moving heavy trailers about. The unit brakes on their own are fine for stopping 8 tonnes but not much good at stopped 44 tonnes in a hurry as I find out one day, nearly to my cost!! Mind you, same applies when only contacting the red line too.
I can admit to being one of “Those Shunters” who got annoyed at after coupling up jumping back in the cab (normal truck not a tug) and going to move off and “very very rarely” not going anywhere as the park brake had been engaged but as im now back on the tramping and my 5th wheel is set at quite a close couple then i will be split coupling from now on and the park brake will ALWAYS be checked/engaged
I also agree on the standardised positioning of the buttons/controls
Also ive often wondered why there isnt a red light on the back of the unit/cab stating that the unit handbrake is engaged just to serve as a reminder/peace of mind (after all we’re only human) and what about a big red emergency stop like button on the back too (like the ones you get on machinery in factories) that would engage the park brake
Reef:
Also ive often wondered why there isnt a red light on the back of the unit/cab stating that the unit handbrake is engaged just to serve as a reminder/peace of mind (after all we’re only human) and what about a big red emergency stop like button on the back too (like the ones you get on machinery in factories) that would engage the park brake
That’s a very good idea reef. I’ve often thought about the warning light idea myself. Infact if ever have my own truck again, i would add one. Very cheap/simple to do.
I always use the park brake. Mainly so as to reduce the possability of getting hurt or damaging anyone else. If its on no one can winge, if its off you leave yourself open. In todays ‘blame culture’ you have to cover yourself!
Reef:
what about a big red emergency stop like button on the back too (like the ones you get on machinery in factories) that would engage the park brake
Great idea…
…until the local chav schoolkids realise what it is, and start applying parking brakes on trucks stuck in traffic jams…
Reef:
what about a big red emergency stop like button on the back too (like the ones you get on machinery in factories) that would engage the park brake
You mean like the big red button on the headboard of our trailers, next to the air and electrical connectors, called the park brake? When you pull it, it applies the park brake, just like your idea.
If im picking a trailer up ill check its got the brake on first. I always use it when i drop a trailer.
27 tonnes of load plus 8 or 9 tonnes of trailer would take some stopping if it rolled i`d guess
couple of weeks back i was doing a change over in layby which was on a downhill. the lad who picked my trailer up moaned at me when he couldnt pull away and had to get out and undo parking brake only to relise he had left the hand brake off on truck and started to role off down hill lucky enough he managed to jump and apply brakes as i sat laughing at him from my truck
Reef:
what about a big red emergency stop like button on the back too (like the ones you get on machinery in factories) that would engage the park brake
You mean like the big red button on the headboard of our trailers, next to the air and electrical connectors, called the park brake? When you pull it, it applies the park brake, just like your idea.
On the unit you numpty not the trailer and our park/shunt/rear steer lock buttons are by the legs some on n/s some on o/s for some strange reason as they are all the same make and relitive age of trailers (Lawrence Davids)
And since i once at Ross on wye truckstop / cattle market / [zb] hole on a late night changeover rushing forgot to apply unit park brake and as i connected the red line wondered why the truck parked next to me was reversing…with his curtains closed…and admiring the quietness of his engine …and …[zb] me its me moving forward not him moving back then frantically trying to pull the red line off but of course it was an old and stiff locking coller and wasn’t interested so i jumped off the catwalk (by this time the trailer legs were screeching and grinding on the concrete) luckily for me i,d left the drivers door open (told you i was rushing) and dived in and pulled on the parkbrake…
Now if there had been an emergency red button on the unit then it would have been a case of press and stop and my underpants would still have been fresh and dry
Reef:
what about a big red emergency stop like button on the back too (like the ones you get on machinery in factories) that would engage the park brake
You mean like the big red button on the headboard of our trailers, next to the air and electrical connectors, called the park brake? When you pull it, it applies the park brake, just like your idea.
On the unit you numpty not the trailer and our park/shunt/rear steer lock buttons are by the legs some on n/s some on o/s for some strange reason as they are all the same make and relitive age of trailers (Lawrence Davids)
And since i once at Ross on wye truckstop / cattle market / [zb] hole on a late night changeover rushing forgot to apply unit park brake and as i connected the red line wondered why the truck parked next to me was reversing…with his curtains closed…and admiring the quietness of his engine …and …[zb] me its me moving forward not him moving back then frantically trying to pull the red line off but of course it was an old and stiff locking coller and wasn’t interested so i jumped off the catwalk (by this time the trailer legs were screeching and grinding on the concrete) luckily for me i,d left the drivers door open (told you i was rushing) and dived in and pulled on the parkbrake…
Now if there had been an emergency red button on the unit then it would have been a case of press and stop and my underpants would still have been fresh and dry
Or if you had had a big red button on the headboard of the trailer, next to the air and electrical connectors, called the park brake which when you pulled it applied the trailer park brake, you could have used that to stop in a second and saved yourself all that frantic tugging on your old stiff collar as well as the diving in and pulling yah numpty. You don’t need to get the unit park brake on in that situation, the trailer one will do the job.
Reef:
what about a big red emergency stop like button on the back too (like the ones you get on machinery in factories) that would engage the park brake
You mean like the big red button on the headboard of our trailers, next to the air and electrical connectors, called the park brake? When you pull it, it applies the park brake, just like your idea.
On the unit you numpty not the trailer and our park/shunt/rear steer lock buttons are by the legs some on n/s some on o/s for some strange reason as they are all the same make and relitive age of trailers (Lawrence Davids)
And since i once at Ross on wye truckstop / cattle market / [zb] hole on a late night changeover rushing forgot to apply unit park brake and as i connected the red line wondered why the truck parked next to me was reversing…with his curtains closed…and admiring the quietness of his engine …and …[zb] me its me moving forward not him moving back then frantically trying to pull the red line off but of course it was an old and stiff locking coller and wasn’t interested so i jumped off the catwalk (by this time the trailer legs were screeching and grinding on the concrete) luckily for me i,d left the drivers door open (told you i was rushing) and dived in and pulled on the parkbrake…
Now if there had been an emergency red button on the unit then it would have been a case of press and stop and my underpants would still have been fresh and dry
Or if you had had a big red button on the headboard of the trailer, next to the air and electrical connectors, called the park brake which when you pulled it applied the trailer park brake, you could have used that to stop in a second and saved yourself all that frantic tugging on your old stiff collar as well as the diving in and pulling yah numpty. You don’t need to get the unit park brake on in that situation, the trailer one will do the job.
Fair one…
But i still dont think thats a good enough reason to work for DH hell…
I can understand not bothering with the parking brake on an old ratchet type as they required physical effort and were prone to siezing, cables jumping off etc. but how hard is it to pull a button?
I always apply the brake when dropping a trailer, even when I’m told not to. As I usually pick up trailers from a bay or a parking area with either a high kerb or stop bar in the concrete I’ll admit I don’t usually bother checking first. On the odd occasions I collect one from somewhere else I will check.
Personally I prefer to have the buttons on the headboard then near the legs. It’s somewhere you also have to go as part of the coupling procedure and as Coffee points out can be used as an emergency stop button. Ideally they should be near a bottom corner so easy to reach from the ground too, giving the best of both worlds. What I hate most is eventually finding the buttons only to find that the label is missing or in another language and the buttons look the same. Pressing either one will get you moving but only one will let you stop. Thinking as I write here, I wonder if the trailer reverts to normal mode on connection of the red line?
Welcome back Reef, I wondered where you’d gone…Not enough to bother searching for posts to see if you’d been arrested, died or anything but it’s the thought that counts.
Tony1968:
Welcome back Reef, I wondered where you’d gone…Not enough to bother searching for posts to see if you’d been arrested, died or anything but it’s the thought that counts.
99 percent of time trailer brake is pull for on push for off
shunt valve is push for shunt if in doubt pull out then push in
all of our trailers have spring brakes so even if air is gone brakes are on, we drop trailers on docks every day and if you put handbrake on every trailer would have flat spotted tyres
right,excuse my ignorance if im being an idiot here but if i reverse under a trailer,put the units park brake on and then connect my suzies,how can any trailer move?
beattun:
right,excuse my ignorance if im being an idiot here but if i reverse under a trailer,put the units park brake on and then connect my suzies,how can any trailer move?
The reason you should put the parking brake on is to stop it moving as you do couple up. The bloke stood smoking behind the trailer because he is out of site of the camera has just been squished as you pushed it back into the fence.
as I find out one day, nearly to my cost!! Mind you, same applies when only contacting the red line too. 
not the trailer and our park/shunt/rear steer lock buttons are by the legs some on n/s some on o/s for some strange reason as they are all the same make and relitive age of trailers (Lawrence Davids)
then frantically trying to pull the red line off but of course it was an old and stiff locking coller and wasn’t interested so i jumped off the catwalk (by this time the trailer legs were screeching and grinding on the concrete) luckily for me i,d left the drivers door open (told you i was rushing) and dived in and pulled on the parkbrake…
