Don't pull the pin!

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

NewbieNeil:
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 :wink:

(Wasn’t me really honest)!!

It took something like this for him to come out to start directing traffic. It’s only going to get worse though.

22

Very scary incident! Just bad drills by the other lad, but can happen to any of us at any time, just a split second away! Glad every one got to go home at the end of the day, could have been very different.

MickM

23

when dropping -
legs
lines
pin
when lifting
pin
lines
legs
that way nothing can go wrong.

24

Bluey Circles:
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.

Who told you that load of tosh :unamused:

25

beefy4605:
when dropping -
legs
lines
pin
when lifting
pin
lines
legs
that way nothing can go wrong.

Wanna bet :grimacing:

26

beefy4605:
when dropping -
Brake
legs
lines
pin
when lifting
pin
lines
legs
that way nothing can go wrong.

27

nick2008:

Bluey Circles:
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.

Who told you that load of tosh :unamused:

Hopefully he’s just avin a larf. :open_mouth: :smiling_imp: :laughing:

28

Carryfast:

nick2008:

Bluey Circles:
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.

Who told you that load of tosh :unamused:

Hopefully he’s just avin a larf. :open_mouth: :smiling_imp: :laughing:

I dunno I’m waiting for someone to say they have to be red and yellow :unamused:

29

We have than the other who loos the Trailer by picking up.
Hatfield Peveral has loaded Trailer on a Down-Hill Slope and Shunter dont bother about Handbrake.
But everyone,except me does Split-Coupling and some lift the Legs free and connect first Red Line which results in a loud Bang of the Barrier behind. Other put first the Yellow Line on,but often not fast enough with reversing which also gives a nice Bang.
But Barriers are strong,and Trailers too :slight_smile:

30

MTM12:
Very scary incident! Just bad drills by the other lad, but can happen to any of us at any time, just a split second away! Glad every one got to go home at the end of the day, could have been very different.

MickM

It can not happen to anyone of us,if you do as you learned it. Trainer may have pointed out wot happens if you do different.

31

Well I wasted my money on that assassin! :open_mouth:

Glad you’re OK pal, and you should link this thread into the Newbie second for others to learn from…

32

Brown underpants time! Glad you’re OK.
I know people mock this health and safety culture, but this is what happens when people don’t do what they’re supposed to. I assume it’s being reported to HSE.

33

I would say this incident is reportable under RIDDOR regulations. It’s a near miss incident.

If the operator had correct health & safety in place with appropriate controls as per the health and safety legislation this would not of happened.

I had to deal with a similar incident at my last place. Once the health and safety inspectors had finished with us (the company received an official written warning) we ended up with supervised coupling and uncoupling, air lines locks, wheel chocks and signing bits of paper to show the checker had checked each step of the coupling/uncoupling etc etc. We even had someone had to climb in the cab and check hand brakes were on etc. We also took disciplinary action against those who failed to follow safe systems of work. It’s a sad state of affairs but we did almost kill people. All because of one driver rushing for an early finish.

Anyway … People die from coupling/uncoupling each year, usually during coupling but as we have seen here uncoupling can be as bad - although I think you need to be a complete scatterbrained balloon for it to happen. Usually these crush injuries mean long, slow, painful deaths or life changing injuries. It’s sad that people simply cannot be bothered to do things right.

34

This is exactly the reason that there is a procedure when dropping / picking up trailers!! It’s so ■■■■ like this doesn’t happen!! Like the op mentioned, he had unclipped that curtain once returning from office, had he been doing at the time of this incident he could have been seriously injured putting him off work for some time having knock on effects with bills, food etc etc. Would like to know if the other driver was new or an experienced hand! But regardless of which there is simply no excuse!!

Sorry if repeated some points, but had to throw my tuppence in!!

35

robroy:
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 [zb] thing. :blush:

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 :blush: 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.

Me too, 1989 imprinted on the brain “you bloody idiot”

Not quite as dramatic as You Robroy. Took a spud bulker to a remote farm in Norfolk, all I had to do was drop it, and hook up the loaded bulker. Jumps out of the cab with youthful exuberance pulled the pin, at that point the bulker started to slide of the 5th wheel, and down the lead up ramps, as cab was open, I jammed my fist onto the brake pedal, stopped like that for what seemed like an age, then thought I’d better see what happens when I lifted my hand, as I did, the trailer started to roll again, so back down with the hand, and I was wondering how long before someone might happen to pass through the farm yard. In the end after what seemed like hours, but was only about 10 minutes start to fininsh, I decided, I would have to let the trailer go, and sacrifice the lines, after all it was empty, so I lifted my hand off the brake pedal, and luckily this time, the trailer had settled in the dirt, and didn’t move, I was literally one leap onto the catwalk and red line off. After that little life lesson, I’m allways careful, about my coupling/uncoupling routine :wink:

36

it was always drilled into me by my old man legs down first then the rest.

having said this this is why DHL and the likes now have a uniformed way to drop and pick up trailers. a lot of guys moan about it but things like this show why its necessary.

37

nick2008:

beefy4605:
when dropping -
legs
lines
pin
when lifting
pin
lines
legs
that way nothing can go wrong.

Wanna bet :grimacing:

Pull up
hand brake on
get out
legs down (trailer can’t go anywhere can it ? still held by pin and air brakes )
lines off (trailer still held by pin and now trailer brake has applied because lines are off )
pull pin and hook out .

Recoupling
pin - if your hooked in properly and handbrake on trailer can’t move .
lines on - pin hold the trailer while the air charges the trailer sysyem
legs last and your good to go .

yes there are other thngs you need to do( level firm ground , brake valve buttons , lights, number plate blah blah blagh ) - I’m not going there its been done to death here 100’s of time . But if you carry out these 3 steps in that order you have a lot less chance of a runaway trailer.

38

Things like this should not happen but everyone makes mistakes, Radar could have got hit but who in there right mind would stand undoing curtains when a truck is backing into you I would stand to the side even when someone is backing down the side such as on a bay.
The thing I think is wrong is Radar coming on here with photos telling everyone what’s happening at the company he’s working at, the driver needs dealing with but it’s not a case for the HSE.
This week Radar has told us his run and how much fuel is wasted and now this if I was his boss it would be him who I would be having a word with, some companies have in there contracts that you cannot tell things about the company.

39

mac12:
Things like this should not happen but everyone makes mistakes, Radar could have got hit but who in there right mind would stand undoing curtains when a truck is backing into you I would stand to the side even when someone is backing down the side such as on a bay.
The thing I think is wrong is Radar coming on here with photos telling everyone what’s happening at the company he’s working at, the driver needs dealing with but it’s not a case for the HSE.
This week Radar has told us his run and how much fuel is wasted and now this if I was his boss it would be him who I would be having a word with, some companies have in there contracts that you cannot tell things about the company.

The truck wasn’t reversing but stationary as the driver was uncoupling so why would he assume the trailer was going to run away?
The mention about wasting fuel was half a poke at the firm and half a question which mostly told him not to worry as its not his issue to deal with.
As far as I’m aware he hasn’t actually named who he works for (unless I missed a post somewhere) but some drivers do know who/where he works so he’s actually done them a favour as they’re likely to be more vigilant in the future around one of his depots.
As for the company worried about what’s on the Internet? They should be more worried about a charge of corporate manslaughter should the worst of happened.
Maybe by posting this he might just have made a driver who uncouples this way to think again and potentially stopped this from happening to someone else.

40

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: thats a hilarious, no seriously, in order for the trailer to go the parking brake had not been applied and the pin released. Look almost as intentionally trailer release to hit you Rader :grimacing: .