Fatboy slimslow:
blue estate:
This will make you laugh, had an agency at our place other week he had to ask how do you release the coupling on trailer…Sent from my iPad using Tapatalkhere is a bigger laugh
how many answered/ helped him!
you’re just as bad by not passing on YOUR experience
I agree,maybe he helped maybe not, my guess is not,probably done as he stated stood laughing like an ignorant person
Dozy mate, there really is only one solution. From now on, you will no longer have to conform to the EU drivers hours, and can never take holiday. As such you will be in your truck 24/7 and will be able to look after it suitably, and make sure it is returned to the leasing company intact.
Enjoy!
I’m amazed that Dozy is still with Stobarts. Considering all the crap they put him through.
Many here speak of “dumbing down” Is that actually possible 
Radar19:
I’m amazed that Dozy is still with Stobarts. Considering all the crap HE put THEMthrough.
FTFY 
eagerbeaver:
When I was at Stobbies mate, some knobends would drop the trailers with the mid lift axle on the Scania’s up. And I reckon high suspension too at times.I remember having a Volvo one day and I couldn’t get the pin it was dropped that high. Had to get out and wind the legs down.
All it takes is a driver who just wants to back straight in Ice Road Truckers stylee without checking and WHAM.
The trouble is, to many drivers don’t remember the pre air suspension days, if you drop an empty, always leave at least 3 inches between the ground and the bottom of the legs, otherwise when you hook up loaded you spend ages winding 25 ton down until the springs take the weight 
.
I drive a Scania, and I still do this when dropping and empty trailer, don’t adjust the ride height from the traveling height, leave the landing legs 2" from the ground, draw forwards a couple of feet and drop air, then pull away. Then even the most ignorant Volvo driver cant ride the Pin
I watched a ghurka lad drop a trailer in our yard a while back and what a faff! 1st he raised the unit suspension as high as it would go, then he wound the legs down, then went to the back end of the trailer and lowered the trailer right down, then went back to unit and tried to raise the unit air suspension a bit more, then made sure that the legs were all the way down.
By the time he finished it looked like the thing was about to be launched to the moon!
Thought about going over to “educate” him but realised that I had attempted to previously make conversation with him, but his English was really quite poor! So went to bed instead!
Fatboy slimslow:
blue estate:
This will make you laugh, had an agency at our place other week he had to ask how do you release the coupling on trailer…Sent from my iPad using Tapatalkhere is a bigger laugh
I wasn’t there in the top yard and I don’t have a C+E only C but yes one of the drivers there did
dozy:
And the t.o bods answer is a shrug of his shoulders and we had too man it as you refuse too work o/ time
I
Well if those tossers aint bothered doze, don’t bother your arse about it mate, you done your bit when you reported it.
eddie snax:
The trouble is, to many drivers don’t remember the pre air suspension days, if you drop an empty, always leave at least 3 inches between the ground and the bottom of the legs, otherwise when you hook up loaded you spend ages winding 25 ton down until the springs take the weightI drive a Scania, and I still do this when dropping and empty trailer, don’t adjust the ride height from the traveling height, leave the landing legs 2" from the ground, draw forwards a couple of feet and drop air, then pull away. Then even the most ignorant Volvo driver cant ride the Pin
Some of the problem seems to be that they are now taught to avoid contact between the trailer and unit while uncoupling/coupling it to avoid grease being shifted off the fifth wheel.IE there should be no need to adjust the ride height of the unit at all either when dropping or picking up a trailer.
On that note the idea now seems to be the worst of all worlds situation of possibly using an auto box’s shunting abilities, 
to put a unit under a trailer that’s sitting higher than the fifth wheel.Then stop the unit before it’s over shot the pin,then lift the unit against the trailer.All to save a bit of grease being wiped off the fifth wheel by lifting the trailer properly with the unit ramps or the forks of the fifth wheel,as it’s reversed under the trailer.The obvious result being an increased risk of mis couples or over shot pins.
Carryfast:
eddie snax:
The trouble is, to many drivers don’t remember the pre air suspension days, if you drop an empty, always leave at least 3 inches between the ground and the bottom of the legs, otherwise when you hook up loaded you spend ages winding 25 ton down until the springs take the weightI drive a Scania, and I still do this when dropping and empty trailer, don’t adjust the ride height from the traveling height, leave the landing legs 2" from the ground, draw forwards a couple of feet and drop air, then pull away. Then even the most ignorant Volvo driver cant ride the Pin
Some of the problem seems to be that they are now taught to avoid contact between the trailer and unit while uncoupling/coupling it to avoid grease being shifted off the fifth wheel.IE there should be no need to adjust the ride height of the unit at all either when dropping or picking up a trailer.
On that note the idea now seems to be the worst of all worlds situation of possibly using an auto box’s shunting abilities,
The thing is Carryfast, there is no need to use the lead up ramps, there is no grease or scuff marks on my lead up ramps(yet) and I haven’t shot the pin for decades(1 of those novice errors you vow not to repeat). I have a fully auto 2 pedal Scania, with careful use of the manoeuvre mode, there is no need to thump under the pin either, you should be skillfull enough to line up and lower the fifth wheel to drop under the rubbing plate then lift and push onto the pin with a gentle click, give the pin a tug to confirm connection, and at that point exit the cab. None of this getting out to check, granted if your in different motors all the while, then that’s ok, but if you drive the same truck all the time, you should know its size and ride height, and be able to work out whether a trailer is to high or to low to get under as you approach, and if you don’t, how are you going to drive it out the gate
eddie snax:
The thing is Carryfast, there is no need to use the lead up ramps, there is no grease or scuff marks on my lead up ramps(yet) and I haven’t shot the pin for decades(1 of those novice errors you vow not to repeat). I have a fully auto 2 pedal Scania, with careful use of the manoeuvre mode, there is no need to thump under the pin either, you should be skillfull enough to line up and lower the fifth wheel to drop under the rubbing plate then lift and push onto the pin with a gentle click, give the pin a tug to confirm connection, and at that point exit the cab. None of this getting out to check, granted if your in different motors all the while, then that’s ok, but if you drive the same truck all the time, you should know its size and ride height, and be able to work out whether a trailer is to high or to low to get under as you approach, and if you don’t, how are you going to drive it out the gate
If I’ve read it right you were referring to the method used with steel suspension.In which case there was obviously no way of dropping the unit under the trailer anyway.On that note from memory I coupled up the DAF 85/95 on air in just the same way as all the older wagons on steel.In which case grease on the ramps was actually a good thing with the ramps being there for a reason.That being to lift the trailer as the unit was put under it thereby making sure that the pin was in the correct position vertically relative to the jaws of the fifth wheel before it was coupled.Therefore no risk of mis couples or over shot pins.All of which obviously being dependent on making sure that the trailer was dropped low enough.While any grease wiped off the fifth wheel onto the cat walk and lines was what the power washer was for. 
I can only agree with Eddie Snax’s method, whilst i was in your camp in the days of steelies CF, even i have moved with the times and make use of the air suspension to allow a much more gentle pick up…which helps keep everything nice and clean, and puts the grease where it should be.
Pick up ramps aren’t made like they were in the day of steel springs, they were solid jobbie made to run a loaded trailer up and down for years, if you did that with the thing we now have the bloody silly little bolts holding it on would sheer off.
Where Eddie and i differ is that because i’m on tanks, once i’m somewhere near getting the pin into the opening of the fifth wheel, i’ll get out and have a butchers, cos lining up a tank, unless it’s your own regular tank, isn’t the same as reversing under a square fronted trailer, with the best will in the world with a strange tank you can be a foot too far over, carry on and the pin will ride over the fifth wheel ■■■■■■ up one side…not good with a tank cos bloody easy to dent a bugger underneath if you miss the pin, and that’s going to cost serious wonga.
Like Eddie, the only pushing effort will be the last 3/6" when i raise the tractor suspension enough to lift the legs clear and drop her in…where mine differs is being Arsetronic it has an on/off switch clutch actuation so if its heavy it’s going to be a thumper even at 3".
Juddian:
I can only agree with Eddie Snax’s method, whilst i was in your camp in the days of steelies CF, even i have moved with the times
Pick up ramps aren’t made like they were in the day of steel springs, they were solid jobbie made to run a loaded trailer up and down for years, if you did that with the thing we now have the bloody silly little bolts holding it on would sheer off.
That’s the issue I’m referring to.In that for want of a bit of regular greasing and washing you’ve created an inherent institutionalised flaw in the coupling process with foreseeable results.
In which case you’ve gone from a no option good practice situation of always reversing the jaws against the pin with the pin being at the correct height ‘before’ it’s coupled because the trailer is where it should be resting on the ramps and/or then the fifth wheel.Therefore no possibility of a mis couple or over shoot of the pin.
To a situation in which people are coupling up trailers starting from an inherently,intentionally,incorrect vertical misalignment between the unit and trailer.Which is then,hopefully,possibly more by luck than judgment,only sorted out by stopping the unit in time,within the relatively short distance,between the trailer being over the fifth wheel,but before the pin has entered the jaws,then raising the unit using the air suspension to correct the misalignment which you’ve intentionally started with.
Which is bonkers just to save a bit of grease being shifted off the fifth wheel of which we were obviously never bothered about before so why now.As for the ramps issue there’s not much point in fitting ramps if they aren’t fit for purpose.While where they aren’t a factor for whatever reason that’s then what the chamfered forks on the back of the fifth wheel are for.In all cases the point being that best practice is to make sure that the trailer coupling surface is lower than the fifth wheel table height from the start of the coupling process and that applies whether it’s steel or air.
I don’t understand why dozy was moaning the agency was ringing him late for a shift the other week, now he’s back tramping at stobrats? Hmmmmm maybe I missed something or he’s just forgetting what bull shine he’s come out with recently?
Carryfast:
Juddian:
I can only agree with Eddie Snax’s method, whilst i was in your camp in the days of steelies CF, even i have moved with the times
Pick up ramps aren’t made like they were in the day of steel springs, they were solid jobbie made to run a loaded trailer up and down for years, if you did that with the thing we now have the bloody silly little bolts holding it on would sheer off.That’s the issue I’m referring to.In that for want of a bit of regular greasing and washing you’ve created an inherent institutionalised flaw in the coupling process with foreseeable results.
In which case you’ve gone from a no option good practice situation of always reversing the jaws against the pin with the pin being at the correct height ‘before’ it’s coupled because the trailer is where it should be resting on the ramps and/or then the fifth wheel.Therefore no possibility of a mis couple or over shoot of the pin.
To a situation in which people are coupling up trailers starting from an inherently,intentionally,incorrect vertical misalignment between the unit and trailer.Which is then,hopefully,possibly more by luck than judgment,only sorted out by stopping the unit in time,within the relatively short distance,between the trailer being over the fifth wheel,but before the pin has entered the jaws,then raising the unit using the air suspension to correct the misalignment which you’ve intentionally started with.
Which is bonkers just to save a bit of grease being shifted off the fifth wheel of which we were obviously never bothered about before so why now.As for the ramps issue there’s not much point in fitting ramps if they aren’t fit for purpose.While where they aren’t a factor for whatever reason that’s then what the chamfered forks on the back of the fifth wheel are for.In all cases the point being that best practice is to make sure that the trailer coupling surface is lower than the fifth wheel table height from the start of the coupling process and that applies whether it’s steel or air.
CF me old mate, back in the days of steelies you could nearly see the bloody king pin through the back window most tractor units had, so short was the kin pin length, it wasn’t till we started getting trailers with a 48" pin that the grease situation became a problem, you pick the trailer up your way and what doesn’t get smeared up the front of the trailer gets dumped all long the rubbing plate, by the time you’ve reached the king pin you’re down to bare metal in places.
No one’s deliberately trying to misalign a pick up, we endeavour to slide it under to just before the king pin, we might undernestimate it and still be 2ft short of the pin, but we don’t risk going so close that we might have missed it…in that respect those lazy sods who do it all on the mirrors, and many of our tractors bear the scars to prove, are going to cause damage sooner or later.
It only takes a bit of nous and care.
If the numpties doing the damage were paying for it, the damage rate would drop drastically (ironically if they did but know it they are paying for it with race to the bottom wages), as it is some of them wonder why they’re stuck on crap money working for crap companies who presumably assume the damage caused by employing crap is worth the cost saving over cherry picking those who actually give a fig.
It really is a doddle to lower the suspension and raise it up to the plate before the pin. Anyone who says otherwise is making it sound harder than it needs to be. A lot of talk on here is the dumbing down of drivers. I do find it odd to argue on that basis to go back to scooping with ramps because some nitwits are too lazy to press two rubber buttons.
Uncleskid:
blue estate:
This will make you laugh, had an agency at our place other week he had to ask how do you release the coupling on trailerSent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Isn’t that part of test,it was when I did mime
If you pass your C+E in a drawbar outfit then you’d never know how a standard 5th wheel works. It’s becoming more common now that the drawbar seems to be the method of choice for the C+E nowadays.
Freight Dog:
It really is a doddle to lower the suspension and raise it up to the plate before the pin. Anyone who says otherwise is making it sound harder than it needs to be. A lot of talk on here is the dumbing down of drivers. I do find it odd to argue on that basis to go back to scooping with ramps because some nitwits are too lazy to press two rubber buttons.
It’s probably more a case of them getting their stopping point of fifth wheel relative to pin position wrong than not using the height control.Which as I’ve said couldn’t happen in the case of steel suspension.While back in the day as I remember it over shoots or mis couples were more often blamed on previous drivers dropping trailers too high which was certainly something which I was told to make sure I got right from day 1 on artics by old school drivers.
Carryfast:
Freight Dog:
It really is a doddle to lower the suspension and raise it up to the plate before the pin. Anyone who says otherwise is making it sound harder than it needs to be. A lot of talk on here is the dumbing down of drivers. I do find it odd to argue on that basis to go back to scooping with ramps because some nitwits are too lazy to press two rubber buttons.It’s probably more a case of them getting their stopping point of fifth wheel relative to pin position wrong than not using the height control.Which as I’ve said couldn’t happen in the case of steel suspension.While back in the day as I remember it over shoots or mis couples were more often blamed on previous drivers dropping trailers too high which was certainly something which I was told to make sure I got right from day 1 on artics by old school drivers.
Yeah, but that’s a doddle too. I don’t get it. If you can back an artic you can judge when a fith wheel is under a lip. You can also do it without reversing into the headboard. These drivers can then also get off ones fat arse and look at the pin to see where it’s aiming. It isn’t a skill thing the missed pins, it’s laziness. If someone can drive an artic anyone can do it if without smacking the unit up, I bet you. It’s laziness.
