Hi guys and girls.
Just wondering, why are there more draw bars in europe operating as opposed to over here. What are the benefits or pit fulls etc of a draw bar. What kind of operation would you use a draw bar st up on.■■
Thanks, oh by the way i’ve hot money on this one. lol
You may be better to ask this in the Professional Drivers Forum (PDF) 
Benefits:
More Cargo space.
If learning, Same Truck you passed Cat C in.
Drawbacks:
Harder to Maneuver , Turning circle etc .
To tip load you have to drop trailer then back the Front onto a bay aswell.
Harder to couple up, Have to be more or less dead straight & level.
There is most likely more that can be listed, but as my Drawbar experience is only from what i did my training in i cant really say. All My C + E work ive done since passing has been in an Artic, which I had to teach myself with the aid of this forum and the likes of ROG and his many wonderful guides 
i saw an ad onthe jcp website or a frame wag and drag drivers. the money was £115 per day so i guess that says it all about those kind of outfits
kreamo:
Hi guys and girls.Just wondering, why are there more draw bars in europe operating as opposed to over here. What are the benefits or pit fulls etc of a draw bar. What kind of operation would you use a draw bar st up on.■■
Thanks, oh by the way i’ve hot money on this one. lol
I drove one for the first time today, it was good to experience it but I think I prefer the artics.
Again like it has been said before they aren’t very nice to couple up and reverse, apart from that it was ok to drive.
If you ain’t got a C+E licence I would recommend an artic to do it in, save you a head ache honest.
We run Drawbars Open the back door back on the bay open the front door of the trailer open the backdoor of the prime mover drop the cross plate from the trailer and hay presto its a long artic with more pallets…
think you’ll find that by having a slightly smaller prime mover ( truck ) you can transfer from the trailer if you need to when going to tight small places and of course the fact that you can carry more in volume.
disadvantage on most is that you cant just drop the whole lot and pick up a full load unless its a drop box syatem which would put your weight up
2 sorts of drawbars the old A frame and the ridged bar type, some have a close couple system that opens when turning fun to drive and I found the trailer follows alot better used to love driving the one we had and on other contracts i worked on in the past
We use demountable box type drawbars. I truck three boxes on a night then two small trucks and just the front bit (prime mover) on days to deliver.
Front and rear axle steering on the trailer, fun to revers if they don’t lift and lock (front lifts back locks) when you put it in reverse 
These are a few years old I think this truck is dead now.
The only problem I found when coupling up was the trailer catch on the vehicle, it was really stiff, you had to nudge the wagon backards and forwards really gently in order for the clip to go down. Even it took about 6 attempts to get the thing to lock.
Does this occur often in older trailers as this would be driving test nightmare and definately a fail
Do not confuse Draw Bars with Drags, the trailer in the picture above is a Drag and much easier to reverse than a Semi… 
Smee:
Do not confuse Draw Bars with Drags, the trailer in the picture above is a Drag and much easier to reverse than a Semi…
I was always told
A wagon was the prime mover
A drag was the trailer
A drawbar was a trailer
A semi is a tractor unit
the only real diference was that a drawbar has a bar conecting and the other has an A frame both are just as easy if you take your time but the bar is easier than the A frame
i think so many training places like the drag as they can run one lorry for C training & C+E training.
Never driven one but i would guess reversing one will have the same problems as i have reversing my car & trailer. As the car & trailer are roughly the same length & the trailer wheeels are in the middle once you get a tight lock on the trailer the car can’t catch it to square up, so you have to do a little shunt to straighten up, whereas with an artic it doesn’t matter how nasty an angle you get on the trailer put full lock the other way and it’ll straighten.
Smee:
Do not confuse Draw Bars with Drags, the trailer in the picture above is a Drag and much easier to reverse than a Semi…
Their all draw bars. A wagon and drag is just an old haulage term for a lorry and trailer, ie draw bar combination.
Smee:
Do not confuse Draw Bars with Drags, the trailer in the picture above is a Drag and much easier to reverse than a Semi…
nick2008:
I was always told
A wagon was the prime mover
A drag was the trailer
A drawbar was a trailer
A semi is a tractor unitthe only real diference was that a drawbar has a bar conecting and the other has an A frame both are just as easy if you take your time but the bar is easier than the A frame
Same here - I have always thought that drawbar and drag are terms for the same thing but the different types are ‘caravan’ or ‘bar’ type as opposed to ‘A frame’ type.
It’s a bit like the terms ARTIC (UK) & SEMI (US) - same thing, different name 
i think so many training places like the drag as they can run one lorry for C training & C+E training.
That’s because it is cheaper for the company to do it that way.
Most on here will advise that a person trains in the type of C+E that they are likely to use on their first job which, in most cases, is ARTIC.
Imagine trying to work out how a completely new ‘type’ of vehicle works on your first day along with all the other first day hassles
That’s because it is cheaper for the company to do it that way.
Most on here will advise that a person trains in the type of C+E that they are likely to use on their first job which, in most cases, is ARTIC.
Imagine trying to work out how a completely new ‘type’ of vehicle works on your first day along with all the other first day hassles
I see your reasoning ROG but you have to bear in mind NEARLY ALL new job starters(new passes) will be driving a vehicle they are totally unfamiliar with.
I have trained a large number of c+e trainees using a w+d who have gone on very sucessfully to drive artics without any hassle.
Surely it’s easier to change vehicles once you have a full licence rather than training in 2 completely different trucks-less experience and more cost. 
chevmac:
I see your reasoning ROG but you have to bear in mind NEARLY ALL new job starters(new passes) will be driving a vehicle they are totally unfamiliar with.
A different type of artic is a totally different concept as opposed to a different ‘TYPE’ of set-up - ARTIC or W&D - IMO
chevmac:
That’s because it is cheaper for the company to do it that way.
Most on here will advise that a person trains in the type of C+E that they are likely to use on their first job which, in most cases, is ARTIC.
Imagine trying to work out how a completely new ‘type’ of vehicle works on your first day along with all the other first day hassles
As I said ROG it isn’t necessary to pass your test on an artic to make it easier when you start your 1st job- driving a wagon and drag as pointed out in some of the previous posts takes more forward planning when in tight areas- and who knows what the first vehicle you will be driving- if you dont have a licence yet
biggest problem i had going from the training lorry to the one i drive is the headboard. The training lorry had a 40ft trailer but the pin was right at the front so no headboard swing. First time i went out in the lorry i had to do a sharp left at a mini roundabout, was pleased with myself for observing for any oncoming lorries and holding back to let them through, then holding straight on the roundabout, going deep and ?'ing the wagon round without going over the white line. After checking the trailer position in the left mirror glanced in the right and saw the headboard go over the bonnet of the car waiting at the roundabout. Sooooooo glad that wasn’t a 4x4
This is one of the types of configurations in NZ along with the Artic’s, B-trains and semi’s with a dog trailer. Truck and trailer are a big thing in NZ but can be a sod to reverse. One slip and you have lost it. It becomes very frustrating. I worked for Fonterra on seasonal work and all i can say is i am glad they had tanker tracks to run round.
Kim