AlexxInNY:
OK, so far you got us beat by 4"…
BTW, in Texas they often mark overpasses no matter how high they are. I once saw one actually marked at somewhere around 24’. I doubt there was ever any trailer that tall…
One more thing-what kind of air couplings do you use? Here, we are required by law to use the old gladhands with rubber ■■■■■ seals. Looks like you can use just plain push-in air couplings. Must get ripped out by newbie drivers a lot…
Yep push couplings are standard on UK trailers, but some european trailers still use Glad hands (known here as Palm couplings) I prefer the UK couplings becuase they stay secure and seal better. I’ve been driving for the US Air Force and have had problems with Gladhands twisting off during turns becuase the conections have been set horizontal. I’ve also used a Scandinavian system which connects both Service and Emergency lines with one coupling. Unlike the US spec vehicles I drive we have got a Lights susie, a susie for fog light and reversing lights and an ABS susie which must be used by law. Also the Truck electrics are 24V not 12V. This has meant the the US Forces in Europe have had to install a 24V connection with a dropper in the light curcuit.
“Glad hand” couplings are required by law here, mostly because they rarely allow a driver to rip his air line when he forgets to uncouple when dropping a trailer. They are universal here, and are simple and easy to repair. Most drivers carry a spare “■■■■■” seal or 2 on the truck. No mechanical parts to wear out, no O-ring seals, quite reliable.
I would not have agree’d with Alex about this when I lived in England, especially when i was a shunter at Tesco for the first year there. Since living here and getting used to Palm couplings (glad hands) I think they are far better
The systems back there are different Alex, trailers have built in air tanks and the conections are self sealing, so as soon as you hook up the line air rushes through and releases the trailer brakes, even though the tractor brakes are on, although most trailers now have a separate parking brake switch on them for you to release before getting into the cab. If you snap an air line you loose all the air and the brakes automaticaly come on often causing chaos, they used to have air supply taps on the back of each cab but they were ooutlawed except for shunter or yard trucks. When these taps were fitted and you broke a line you just turned them off and drained the trailer air tanks to move the trailer.
Regulations and systems are very different over there, there is one parking brake and no trailer supply valve in the cab. The parking brake must by law be applied when at a red light, it would be cosidered a very dangerous thing to do if you sat with your foot on the brake peddle at red lights and you would fail your driving test.
There are good and bad on both sides. Personally I think this antiquated plug in system we use in winter and running the engines all night is a very retarded thing to do, also very enviromentally unfriendly. In Europe trucks have built in engine and fuel heaters which usualy click in when you try to start them in freezing conditions, all trucks also have independant cab heaters that run all night and use only a pint of fuel for eight hours as opposed to the nine or so gallons we waste running our engine all night here.
AlexxInNY:
Also notice the width of the trailer (8’6", as stated before). Comparing it to the bridge, it looks like a 12’ clearance. Follow the stone course to the edge and measure it yourself.
Ok,. lets do some simple Math!! 
The standard width of a European trailer is 2.55M, or 100".
If you count from the road surface, to the upper edge of the trailer, there are 10 courses of stone, thus each stone course must be 10 Inches tall.
There are in total 19 courses of stone, (including the top course, which is taller than the rest) Which gives a height of 190", or 15’ 10", so the sign actually grossly underestimates the height of the bridge by about a foot. (This is pretty usual for british road height signs.)
To make a long story short, that bridge is most definately not 14’6". No way.
Nope,its taller!
I took down every phone line on the main road
Its a lot more fun trying to negotiate a tiny Spanish or Italian village with a 4.0 metre trailer trying to avoid the washing lines and balconys.
God help you if you pull them down, it would be a lynch mob of old women in black dresses
Some of the american posts show how far behind they are with technology.
Hell they have only just started fitting front brakes to tractor units havent they?
I still prefer palm couplings though!
Actually, front brakes have been required for 30+ years. Most are still drum units, though.
however on the road there is a risk is snapping lines when trying tight turns with deep pin trailers. However this problem has been overcome by mounting the airlines on booms that are connected to the fifth wheel and turn with the trailer so avoiding the problem of wrapping the line round the headboard.
) the worst thing about the job is some of the other brits, what a bunch of jobs-worth’s and moaners. 