I work where we use only fridges but the unit & cab end up only 7 inches from back of cab if you coulpe up all the way, so company say we must split couple,
did what i have been doing for months following the company set procedure to spli couple, ie raise suspension, part back under trailer & stop, engine off, out of cab, check tr brake on, connect all air & electrics, complete couple as normal, back under trailer, try to pull away, engine off, safty clip into fifth wheel, legs up, numberplate on, trailer brake off. DID all this as normal but as i set off & turned right trailer came away from unit & i just managed to stop with trailer just resting on fifth wheel skids. What did i do wrong ? & HOW can the fifth wheel safty clip be put into place if the jaws of the fith wheel are not closed ?. Scared the crap out of me, never had this happen before, has anyone else ■■.
well something aint right thats for shaw,may be someone got to carried away and banged to hard under the trailer and bent the jaws at some time…
Was it a JOST fifth wheel with the L shaped clip?
You wouldn’t be the first to think you have hooked up and then lose a trailer on that type of Fifth wheel.
I had a similar thing happen. My unit had been in for servicing through the night, and next morning, in the dark, with my torch, I coupled up as usual. Backed up as normal, checked the handle had clicked in and put the clip in. I also gave the fifth wheel clip a wriggle as well to make sure that was secure. Because I was inexperienced, it didn’t occur to me that the fifth wheel handle (the one that stops the whole lot sliding about) was sticking out further than it should have been. Both clips were in and secure. I drove over 6/7 islands and 2 road junctions before the trailer shot forward towards the cab. Ok, so it was a foggy, frosty morning and I have always been a smooth driver but I’d gone from Ashby to the Stafford island on the A50 before it moved. If I’d had to stop suddenly, it could well have smashed the cab.
Turned out that one mechanic had started the service and had uncliped the handle and pulled it out to grease etc. Another clown had taken over the job and just put the clip back in without putting the handle back.
Now I’m no expert, and my description of ‘handles’ etc in this tale will, no doubt, have the experienced guys scratching their heads at my lack of knowledge for the technical bits 
But…always check the handles as well as the clips. Don’t think, as I did, that if the clip is there, then everything is ok. x
Is this a method of coupling they taught you during your training?
Have you ever seen that method described in any reputable training manual?
What does the loacl H&SE say about this practice?
It’s unsafe, in fact it’s downright dangerous and I once lost a truck for complaining about having to couple using that method.
With coupling clusters that slide to the side of the trailer there’s no excuse for any company to permit this pratice to continue.
As for the trailer droping off. Was there any daylight between fifth wheel and rubbing plate when the pin went in?? If so this can cause the stud to ride over the to of the jaws.
Ere Zzarbean, dunno about reputable, but it’s very similar to the coupling method described in the ND CDL manual…
Yeah Alli
Which I might add is a riddiculous and very dangerous way to hook up a trailer 
I know of only one guy who uses that system (cab happy Kid) and I have seen him drop many a trailer on it’s knee’s 
Hence my doubts about it being from a reputable source…
I did enquire of the artic drivers on the crew, and every single one of them used the normal method of hooking up instead of the way mentioned in the manual.
the method described is usually only ever used by drivers running fridges, this is due to a number of things.
fat drivers.
close coupling to save fuel.
obese drivers.
fridge engine units fitted to bulkheads.
too many pies.
air management kits on units.
lack of exercise and failure to carry out yoga sessions whilst away from home.
Pat Hasler:
Yeah AlliWhich I might add is a riddiculous and very dangerous way to hook up a trailer
I agree but quite often the book of rules doesn’t allow the aim of the task to be achieved. This is where common sense/experience/professionalism kicks in.
nomad98:
I work where we use only fridges but the unit & cab end up only 7 inches from back of cab if you coulpe up all the way,
I definately can’t get into a seven inch gap; the last time I could, I don’t think I could even count to seven!
nomad98:
raise suspension,back under trailer, try to pull away,
engine off, safty clip into fifth wheel, legs up, numberplate on,
trailer brake off.
The above seems reasonable, albeit not desirable. It doesn’t make sense though, how the unit was locked to the trailer when Nomad tried to pull away. The likely faults have all been covered i.e. trailer brake off, legs still down, etc.
Probably the only practical answer, taking into account the seven inch gap, is to be double-thorough with checks (i.e. fifth wheel) when split coupling.
Finally Nomad, is there a Health & Safety rep on site? Does the company maintain a ‘record of training’ and what is the official answer to the ‘seven inch gap problem’? Is there an ‘Accident or Near Miss’ book (or register) available to you at all times?
Ultimately the employer should address this problem but realistically, what is he going to do - find some one who doesn’t cause him H&S problems?? It’s wrong, I know.
johnny:
the method described is usually only ever used by drivers running fridges, this is due to a number of things.
I don’t have a fridge and always couple this way and have done for years, only had a trailer move once and that was when someone had swapped the knobs on the shunt button and park brake around and I thought the brake was on when it wasn’t. Because I had raised the suspension after backing under the trailer the pin caught on the wheel anyway so no damage done. I have seen this method in procedure manuals and agreed by the H & S so don’t think it is any problem in that department, better thansqueezing into a small gap with no room to work. Provided the procedure is follwed it is no more dangerous than any other way of coupling and this method had nothing to do with the parting of the trailer and unit in this case, seems to me it would have happened either way.
johnny:
fat drivers.
Guilty
johnny:
close coupling to save fuel.
Guilty
johnny:
obese drivers.
Guilty
johnny:
fridge engine units fitted to bulkheads.
Not guilty
johnny:
too many pies.
Not guilty, don’t eat pies.
johnny:
air management kits on units.
Guilty
johnny:
lack of exercise and failure to carry out yoga sessions whilst away from home.
Guilty 
i used to split couple, and i think if the correct way is used then you shouldn’t have any problems. I used to triple check everything though, through the thought of losing a trailer.
The company i’m working for at the moment, don’t know about the word fuel efficiency just yet so theres a big enough gap for even the biggest man to get in their to do the necessary.
Arh well
It seems that this way of coupling is to help the driver to put his airlines and electrics on because once coupled he cannot get behind the cab because of the minimum amout of room…i personally prefer the old system whereby once coupled…give it a shunt and then put the safetyclip on, the clip wont go if the jaws of the fifth wheel are not right home…if i cannot couple the airlines safely and avoid smothering myself in grease…then it dont get pulled…simple innit…because i think that split coupling sounds dangerous…although if the legs are down and the trailer brake is on then there cannot be any real harm…the real thing not to forget is the trailer brake…and obviously make sure your coupled and safety clip fitted…of course the obvious and easy answer is to have a sliding fifth wheel and keep it to the rear of the unit when coupling but as they are often not used for long periods they tend to lack grease and can be stubborn…but this is another option…good luck with whatever system you use.
have a nice day
Sometimes, if the fifthwheel and/or trailers plate are dry, with a loaded trailer, a tug does’t do it. You need to try and drag the trailer forwards to check. There is often enough friction for a tug to FEEL right when it isn’t.
If you had all of the above when you where hooking up, you could have hit the pin a bit hard and bounced out, or hit against the side of the jaws just enough to trip the m but not IN them.
Not a Scania unit is it ?.
I cant see the problem with the split type of coupling, as long as you dont wind the legs up untill you have fully engaged the jaws on the 5th wheel and put the safety clip on.sometimes if Im feeling paranoid I will go under the trailer with my torch and check the bar as come across !
Ted, and others, Split Coupling is now detailed in the DSA Driving Goods Vehicles syllabus. Pages 200 - 201.
zzarbean:
Is this a method of coupling they taught you during your training?Have you ever seen that method described in any reputable training manual?
What does the loacl H&SE say about this practice?
It’s unsafe, in fact it’s downright dangerous and I once lost a truck for complaining about having to couple using that method.
With coupling clusters that slide to the side of the trailer there’s no excuse for any company to permit this pratice to continue.As for the trailer droping off. Was there any daylight between fifth wheel and rubbing plate when the pin went in?? If so this can cause the stud to ride over the to of the jaws.
The only piece of sense you have spoken here is your last comment!!! I have had this same situ just recently when the bar went home but there was a gap between the plate and the trailer!! Luckily I spotted it when I went to put my clip on.
You have obviously never tried to couple up to a fridge trailer with a full length 4 wheel unit and the fifth wheel right forward. Only companies I have spotted with the cluster you mention are big fleet companies (so their poor little darling drivers don’t get their pretty uniforms dirty)and I think Samworths use them on their newer trailers
It is actually the rule here, although as I said ‘A very stupid one’
In the written test the correct answer is to reverse untill the trailer touches the fithwheel, conect the air lines, then back under
I cannot imagine who wrote the rules
I have got into the habit of checking the bar, that comes across behind the kingpin when you push the handle, in is position bbefore I wind the legs up. You can see it quite clearly if you shine your torch behind the 5th wheel. If that’s across and the handles right in, chain on - bingo.
Dunno if it’s fool-proof, but it’s the way I was taught and I ain’t dropped one on it’s knees - yet!