switchlogic:
eddie snax:
Very tragic avoidable incident. I’ve thought for a few year that it can’t be beyond the wit of man to make the park brake apply automaticaly when the red line is reieased, but that it can be only released manually after the red line has been connected.
My thoughts are with the driver’s family and friends, rip driver.
New Gray & Adams trailer put the brake on automatically when dropped. This should also be standard or even law
I’m behind the curve as usual !
I agree about it being law, if it was bought into the MOT for the trailer, within a year the whole UK trailer fleet would have this fail safe system.
Its just a shame that us as drivers, can’t be trusted to do this job in a safe manner, because it is one issue where it is drivers (as a group of workers) who could prevent these tragedies at the pull of a button
lets all do the right thing, and I include myself in this, because I’ve not applied the park brake when dropping trailers plenty of times, but from now on I’ll pull the park every time 
alix776:
The problem wasn’t the park brake the problem was he missed the pin and didn’t check sorry but this parking brake issue is side stepping the the fact the driver did not know he shot the pin. Surely its the first thing you look at when you get out of the cab its in your line of sight.
Agreed, but, the Park Brake being not applied, compounded the missing the pin issue. If the brake had been on, then this would have been another case of the back of a tractor being rearranged, as the roll on wouldn’t have happened until the brake had been released, and on most trailers the button is somewhere along the chassis, which would have meant the driver was on ground away from the cat walk 
eddie snax:
alix776:
The problem wasn’t the park brake the problem was he missed the pin and didn’t check sorry but this parking brake issue is side stepping the the fact the driver did not know he shot the pin. Surely its the first thing you look at when you get out of the cab its in your line of sight.
Agreed, but, the Park Brake being not applied, compounded the missing the pin issue. If the brake had been on, then this would have been another case of the back of a tractor being rearranged, as the roll on wouldn’t have happened until the brake had been released, and on most trailers the button is somewhere along the chassis, which would have meant the driver was on ground away from the cat walk 
Exactly so. There were probably multiple failures made by more than one person. But any one step correctly made could have saved a life here.
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eagerbeaver:
In this case, the thing that cost the chap his life was failing to ensure the pin was located correctly, NOT the trailer brake. If he had put the dog clip in, the trailer brake being on or off was irrelevant.
What cost this bloke his life was being crushed by a trailer, many mistakes were made, including by the driver, but as in many other situations like this, one break in the chain of events and he would still be alive.
Davhat:
Very sad to hear this, rip to the driver,
First thing you should do when coupling up is a tug test to make sure the pins locked in, if you’re happy with that, get out and check the trailer brake is on before attempting to connect the susies, I always put my dog clip in before I check the trailer brake, we all have a certain routine when coupling and uncoupling, but whatever you do, make sure the pins locked in and the trailer brake is on before you climb onto that catwalk.
Stay safe fellas.
This is the most important part of coupling up. I know drivers on my place that don’t do the tug test, just bang under and carry on with coupling up. We are also having our trailer brake systems modified to match the new trailers where the park brake comes on as soon as the red line is removed, so when a trailer is dropped and the sussies uncoupled, the park brake is automatically on.
cav551:
If there is a sign ‘discouraging’ application of the trailer park brake in any yard where there has been a fatal accident attributable to the park brake then the company should not be fined.
Instead it should be closed down, its assets sold, all bank accounts and shareholder investment sequestrated, the entire management team from Chairman down to yard foreman imprisoned and then banned for life from ever holding a responsible position again. Off with their heads would be a better idea because every single one of them knew what could result. Ultimately there can only be one reason for erecting such a sign…££££££££££££££££££££££££££.
Exactly, I think the phrase is “Corporate manslaughter”!
Sadly a driver lost his life here, only he, the driver involved New what he did or didn’t do wrong here and sadly paided the price, One thing I have never worked out, why is the Trailer park button mainly at the rear of a trailer, normally on the offside chassis rail, would it not make sense to reposition it onto the trailer neck above the fifth wheel on the offside, so when coupling, uncoupling it’s easy to spot, use and maybe the driver would then use it more, rather than think, F it I am not walking to the rear of the trailer to pull the button!!!
tarmactipper:
Sadly a driver lost his life here, only he, the driver involved New what he did or didn’t do wrong here and sadly paided the price, One thing I have never worked out, why is the Trailer park button mainly at the rear of a trailer, normally on the offside chassis rail, would it not make sense to reposition it onto the trailer neck above the fifth wheel on the offside, so when coupling, uncoupling it’s easy to spot, use and maybe the driver would then use it more, rather than think, F it I am not walking to the rear of the trailer to pull the button!!!
All our trailers have the brake button near the handle for the legs I’d say the minority have them at the rear and only ever seen one on the offside .
r.i.p. driver, but i feel that he should have known better, its not the first time this type of accident has happened, personally i always double check, and even look at the jaws, but thats me being ocd.
We used to drop a trailer for loading in Turkey, this was on a steep hill, and at the bottom was a small river, i always checked the trailer brake had been applied prior to connecting the airlines ( we didnt always use the same trailer we dropped ) but we had a turkish driver who didnt check, he coupled up as per usual, forgetting to put on his unit brake then, wound up the legs, then connected his airlines, big mistake…it rolled down the hill, hit a car then ploughed into the river, throwing him off into it too…minimal damage, but as the police were called, and the fact he was a native, they left him to it…minimal damage to the truck, but he ended up in hospital with a broken leg… i recovered his outfit, and got it back to the parking where they did repairs…and he drove it back with his leg in plaster…lesson learned.
Although I’m retired l occasionally do a day run to Immingham for a friend of mine. I regularly see drivers reverse into a slot then the first thing they do on exiting the cab is pull the pin
then proceed to carry out the rest of the unhitch procedure. This is a crazy and dangerous habit to get into, so it’s no surprise that not using the safe method to uncouple and couple up has sadly caused a fatality. Regards Kevmac 47.
Rowley010:
Shandy123:
Davhat:
Very sad to hear this, rip to the driver,
First thing you should do when coupling up is a tug test to make sure the pins locked in, if you’re happy with that, get out and check the trailer brake is on before attempting to connect the susies, I always put my dog clip in before I check the trailer brake, we all have a certain routine when coupling and uncoupling, but whatever you do, make sure the pins locked in and the trailer brake is on before you climb onto that catwalk.
Stay safe fellas.
Is there any way you could do a tug test and be fooled into thinking you’ve coupled when you’ve actually jumped the pin?
If there is, surely you’d then notice when you went to put your clip in, which surely is first thing you do as it’s next to you when you jump out of the unit
Not all motors have dog clips…
You mentioned this on page one of this thread Cashew, where on earth do you/have you worked where the tractor units do not have dog clips?
Never had a truck without one either…
I had a 5th wheel that some times looked like it’s was in when it wasn’t ,the chain allowed clip to reach the handle but this wasn’t in enough to set off with , I welded a plate on the side and drilled through the handle and plate so when the holes lined up it was obvious when it was right and took the chain off .
I hope the swines get fined big time not the usual £70grand 
eagerbeaver:
If you miss the pin, it will lodge/drop down against the leading edge of the fifth wheel. When you do your tug test, it would feel like the pin is located,(assuming you have approached the trailer perfectly straight). ALWAYS do your dog clip. If this poor fella would have bothered with his clip, he would have realised he had missed the pin 
That sounds like a voice of experience! 
And I agree, dog clip the second you get out the cab, then the rest is irrelevant…
eagerbeaver:
You mentioned this on page one of this thread Cashew, where on earth do you/have you worked where the tractor units do not have dog clips?
Have a butcher’s.
viewtopic.php?t=63321
AndrewG:
Never had a truck without one either…
Old premiums don’t have em
Mason Bros…
The whole fleet has no dog clips.
Just a spring loaded clip that drops down when the pin has gone in.
The origin of the dog clip?
During a dock strike (I don’t know when or when) some drivers were crossing the picket line. Obviously the dockers didn’t like it and tried to talk the drivers out of it. If the chat was unsuccesful, one of the dockers would use a long handle with a hook on it and whilst the driver wasn’t looking or aware would pull the pin and walk off. A local haulier came up with the idea of the dog clip to stop this from happening. (I was told this story when I first started, I can only assume there’s some sort of truth in it)
The dog clip itself has no function in stopping the handle from coming out, that can only be done by pulling it.
It’s terrible that a driver has lost his life in what appears to be a very simple operation…picking up a trailer.
My condolences to his family and friends.
What relevance does a six year old thread have?