Was waiting to go inside the warehouse to be reloaded for tomorrow. Round the other side of the truck talking to another driver, next thing I know an almighty bang and my wagon lurched sideways. Went round to see what had happened and was presented with this. This class A cabbage had decided to pull the pin before dropping the legs or taking off the airlines on an incline… It had rolled off the back of the wagon, down the run under bars then slammed into my truck. Its scary for me because I had taken that side’s buckles off just after I left the office rather than in the queue for the warehouse. Its a strange feeling to know you could of been killed. Our yard is chaotic, now its downright dangerous.
damoq:
Legs must have been down cos the back of the trailer isn’t up the air.
They weren’t, the trailer was hanging off the back of his unit, around the battery box. It hadn’t completely separated but it would of done if it had rolled further.
It’s things like this that are the reason I don’t like the DVSA load security nonsense. Not because I’m lazy and anti-safety but because being round the sides of the vehicle in a yard, particularly a busy one, the risk of getting hit by another vehicle is very high and in many cases is putting drivers’ safety at an unnecessary risk to secure loads that are no risk of harming anyone.
damoq:
Legs must have been down cos the back of the trailer isn’t up the air.
They weren’t, the trailer was hanging off the back of his unit, around the battery box. It hadn’t completely separated but it would of done if it had rolled further.
Your truck probably saved his susies and light clusters then.
My first artic job, 1979, 21 yrs old I done similar.
I had parked with the unit at an angle to the trailer, got out and (cringing here as I am typing) pulled the pin first.
I was presented with a trailer with 20 tonne of steel coming off the pin towards me, luckily I was young and fit and did a dive worthy of Arjen Robben to avoid the ■■■■ thing.
Got a very severe bollocking and NEVER done it again, also nothing was said about the crane they had to hire to lift the thing back up and seperate it from the…damaged unit.
He was obviously a good boss, and must have seen some potential in me as I kept my job, never forgot the guy for that and I tried my best never to let him down, but my confidence went to rock bottom being a young newbie.
Wonder if the bloke had a MAN or DAF, or whatever else pressurises the trailer brakes with the parking brake on, before the tractor he was using today and so got lulled into regularly getting away with his unsafe/lethal practice.
Just shows how you’ve got to have eyes (radar? ) up your arse in a working yard, had you been poncing about with the curtain or changing a bulb or checking a tyre down the side of your lorry, that trailer would have crept up on you silently…
Juddian:
Wonder if the bloke had a MAN or DAF, or whatever else pressurises the trailer brakes with the parking brake on, before the tractor he was using today and so got lulled into regularly getting away with his unsafe/lethal practice.
Basically every make that’s not Swedish.
The authorities should have demanded standardisation years ago but despite all the huff and puff they pretty much just have to lump it with whatever manufacturers produce.
Now you’ve put the creeps up me considering how easily it happened and the consequences!
Maybe all trailers should have some kindof movement beeper which is activated if the reversing lights aren’t on for this kindof scenario? At least if a truck reverses normally you’d hear it, but wouldn’t think such a device would be expensive - could even be a simple dynamo powered when the reversing lights aren’t on and it’s moving.
Glad to see you it wasn’t you stopping that trailer. Have you heard what’s happened to the person who did this?
Radar, I hate coming to your yard late afternoon. There’s wagons dropping trailers all over the shop, literally wherever they fancy!! The old git in the warehouse is a miserable sod too
I particularly hate dropping trailers in the tight bays on the right…pressure is on when you’re blocking the yard and it takes a shunt or 6 to get her in without hitting anything !!
You live to fight another day though mate…just watch your back… I’ll get you next time
trevHCS:
Now you’ve put the creeps up me considering how easily it happened and the consequences!
Maybe all trailers should have some kindof movement beeper which is activated if the reversing lights aren’t on for this kindof scenario? At least if a truck reverses normally you’d hear it, but wouldn’t think such a device would be expensive
I doubt some sort of reverse bleeper would have been much help, it moved such a short distance that by the time you’d heard anything it would be to late.
What would be better if the driver followed the proper procedure for uncoupling trailers.
that’s what the susies are for, if they are cut to the correct length they should stop the trailer leaving the back of the tractor, coiled into a spring shape they stop any shock load on the unit and dynamically bring the trailer to a controlled stop… belt and braces.
If you’d had your back to it then you defo would have been brown bread. Maybe your company might act on it and install some sleepers/bumpers or summit to prevent rollbacks caused by dolly bastarts.
merc0447:
If you’d had your back to it then you defo would have been brown bread. Maybe your company might act on it and install some sleepers/bumpers or summit to prevent rollbacks caused by dolly bastarts.
Agreed, needs reporting and action taken, this was a serious incident and should be a wake up call, and the action needs to be a bit more than a notice on the wall reminding drivers how to uncouple.
merc0447:
If you’d had your back to it then you defo would have been brown bread. Maybe your company might act on it and install some sleepers/bumpers or summit to prevent rollbacks caused by dolly bastarts.
This was in the middle of the yard! Just before it starts to slope down for the bay’s. The whole thing is a joke. Far too many trailers in too small of a yard. No where safe to wait. They aren’t supposed to dump trailers in the middle during the day but I guess that gets ignored.
) up your arse in a working yard, had you been poncing about with the curtain or changing a bulb or checking a tyre down the side of your lorry, that trailer would have crept up on you silently… 
