Only ever undershot the pin once and always back under slow enough to think ‘somethings not right here’ and get out and check so no damage done, trailer had been taken down on a decker unit and left higher than I thought. Can’t understand how it took 2 FLTs an hour to get the unit out: use the slow crank on the legs to jack the trailer up enough to draw the unit out, lower the trailer and hook up, simples. Have been in yards where company drivers (particularly shunters) rush around and slam back under the trailer, WHY FFS, open your window and you can HEAR when the cross bar locks in, I always visually check the pin is locked in place as I shortcut under the trailer to wind the legs up. But then I’m just a ■■■■■ agency drive 
So we know nothing about this Driver other than he works for an agency and he has overshot the pin, yet he is an ‘idiot’ and a ‘numpty’ and a legitimate target for all of the ill informed anti-agency bile that circulates on these forums?
He may have 30 years of unblemished driving under his belt, agency or full time employee we all make mistakes, the only time mistakes won’t happen is when we have all been replaced by rabots. Until then, maybe we could be a little more understanding towards each other, acknowledge our own failings now and then and just chill.
Its a truck and a simple mistake has caused it to go off the road for the weekend. The same outcome could have resulted from a blown airline or tyre and certainly wouldn’t be allowed to ‘ruin’ my weekend. Life really is too short guys !!
Well everyone on here IS an expert aren’t they?
No but alot think they are.
We had one in our yard a while ago. An Irish driver collecting a load of groupage dropped his trailer at dinner time and went off for his 9 hours. When he came back his trailer was loaded and he just went back under it. The trailer obviously had a small air leak and had lost all the air from the suspension. This was enough to make him miss the pin and he did a fair bit of damage to the back of his cab.
He spent longer swearing at himself than it took to sort the problem out. I believe that in this case the unit was his own too.
Santa:
We had one in our yard a while ago. An Irish driver collecting a load of groupage dropped his trailer at dinner time and went off for his 9 hours. When he came back his trailer was loaded and he just went back under it. The trailer obviously had a small air leak and had lost all the air from the suspension. This was enough to make him miss the pin and he did a fair bit of damage to the back of his cab.He spent longer swearing at himself than it took to sort the problem out. I believe that in this case the unit was his own too.
Probably wasn’t having his 9 off. Away doing more work more like.
We can all be experts on here, but at the end of the day it could happen to any of us, one moments lapse of concentration is all it takes.
yep bit off a bummer he might have had a bad day or might have been russhing about all i can say is i have been driveing class 1 for 33 years andi all ways get so far under and then i get out the cab and have a look just to be on the safe side was what i was tought when i did my hgv 1 .also i am surprised to see how many drivers get under trailors they hear the click then get out and carrying on to couple up what happend to giveing it a little tug to make sure gives me peace of mind .
Kerbdog:
In the interest of balance I’m currently on the agency. I’ve been in the same place for 3 months and have had a virtually brand new hired daf xf since my 3rd week there. It is in pristine condition, well it was until the guy who works for the company on nights missed the pin. The unit now has damage to the o/s deflector at the top and bottom and also to the panel just beyond that plus other damage…oh and there is only one driver who polishes and cleans it, and it’s not any of the company’s drivers. In fact it’s the only clean motor in a fleet of 18 fairly new trucks.
I rest my case regarding staff drivers.
Amazing how many staff drivers are straight on the case to blame agency drivers.
Ken.
Being new at this, I’m probably still being very ■■■■ about hooking-up and uncoupling. When I hook up, I back up to near it, lower the suspension, go under gently, get out and check that the 5th wheel is under, stand at the side and raise the suspension, then back under slowly until I hear the click, and do 2 or 3 tug tests. Then get out and check the locking bar with a torch, before going round and doing the clip, lines, legs, number plate, and settling the suspension back to normal. It takes a minute or 2 longer maybe than just slamming under, but I think I’ll stick to this way, cos I know if I change my routine the ■■■■-up fairy will pay me a visit 
Gary
In a life where it’s easy to get blamed for everything, I’d be fairly relieved that someone else has screwed up bigtime, and I get a replacement vehicle which will actually have a working heater and radio for once. 
You don’t lose any money out of it, nor get into any trouble. Keep calm and carry on - not your problem!
Quinny:
My Cab■■?Do you own it?
Then if not, it ain’t yours and if a substitute vehicle was provided by your employer to do the job that they pay you for, then live with it.
And remember, not all staff drivers are angels either when it comes to damaging vehicles.
Ken.
Bollox post mate.
My name isn’t on the log book on MY truck but I live in it all week, got all my stuff in it… Why should he have to “live with it” if some cowboy comes in and ■■■■■ it up him?? Would you be happy if someone came into your living room at home with their dirty boots on, re tuning your tv, breaking your ornaments on the mantle piece and leaving their dinner spilt all over the sofa?? Same thing. Just incompetent ■■■ heads.
FarnboroughBoy11:
Quinny:
My Cab■■?Do you own it?
Then if not, it ain’t yours and if a substitute vehicle was provided by your employer to do the job that they pay you for, then live with it.
And remember, not all staff drivers are angels either when it comes to damaging vehicles.
Ken.
Bollox post mate.
My name isn’t on the log book on MY truck but I live in it all week, got all my stuff in it… Why should he have to “live with it” if some cowboy comes in and [zb] it up him?? Would you be happy if someone came into your living room at home with their dirty boots on, re tuning your tv, breaking your ornaments on the mantle piece and leaving their dinner spilt all over the sofa?? Same thing. Just incompetent ■■■ heads.
+1
Just to add balance to my original post wether the driver was agency or in house was not so much the point it was more that I lost my (or should I say my company unit) through no fault of my own to the poor move by this driver.
It’s amassing how many are quick to say get a life or its not your truck but still posted on the thread hence why I posted it in the first place everyone’s intitalled to there opinion of course.
As for the forklifts and time removing the unit was due to it being wedged between the legs of the trailer and the unit.
FarnboroughBoy11:
Bollox post mate.
My name isn’t on the log book on MY truck but I live in it all week, got all my stuff in it… Why should he have to “live with it” if some cowboy comes in and [zb] it up him?? Would you be happy if someone came into your living room at home with their dirty boots on, re tuning your tv, breaking your ornaments on the mantle piece and leaving their dinner spilt all over the sofa?? Same thing. Just incompetent ■■■ heads.
Thanks this is exactly how I was looking at it 
Joycey:
FarnboroughBoy11:
Quinny:
My Cab■■?Do you own it?
Then if not, it ain’t yours and if a substitute vehicle was provided by your employer to do the job that they pay you for, then live with it.
And remember, not all staff drivers are angels either when it comes to damaging vehicles.
Ken.
Bollox post mate.
My name isn’t on the log book on MY truck but I live in it all week, got all my stuff in it… Why should he have to “live with it” if some cowboy comes in and [zb] it up him?? Would you be happy if someone came into your living room at home with their dirty boots on, re tuning your tv, breaking your ornaments on the mantle piece and leaving their dinner spilt all over the sofa?? Same thing. Just incompetent ■■■ heads.+1
+2.
This isn’t a a blow out and it isn’t an accident where someone has run you up the arse at the lights.
Its sheer incompetence and negligence, perpetrated by those who couldn’t give a toss anyway, ha ha how amusing i overshot the pin, not to worry i’ll just jump in another lorry without looking to see if there’s a drop of oil in the bloody thing.
Christ on a bike, coupling up procedures and other close work, load securing etc is what lorry driving is all about, a bloody chimp can drive a modern lorry down a straight motorway, arguably they already are.
Fortunately happenings like this do have an upside, the more it happens the better the good job situation for those who do take a pride in their work.
For the record i have a bigger problem with full time drivers in good jobs who simply don’t give a toss, i’ve worked on agency and i’'ve worked beside idiots and also some of the best and experienced drivers i’ve ever known, similar ratio between idiot and good as the full timers.
A portion of blame must go to the guy that dropped the trailer, which was obviously too high anyway. A driver should be able to back up to the trailer bedplate and feel it touch the fifth wheel or runup ramps, lower suspension and back further under, lift up trailer on suspension and back all the way under. Shouldn’t need to get out the cab if its been dropped properly. In these days of air suspension dropping and picking up trailers should be no problem and damage like this can be avoided in the first place if the trailer is dropped correctly!
Frankydobo:
A portion of blame must go to the guy that dropped the trailer, which was obviously too high anyway. A driver should be able to back up to the trailer bedplate and feel it touch the fifth wheel or runup ramps, lower suspension and back further under, lift up trailer on suspension and back all the way under. Shouldn’t need to get out the cab if its been dropped properly. In these days of air suspension dropping and picking up trailers should be no problem and damage like this can be avoided in the first place if the trailer is dropped correctly!
No portion of the blame must go on the driver that dropped the trailers. The air can go out of the trailer suspension meaning the front will rise a bit. I’ve always went on the assumption that it is the driver who is hooking up that should ensure the trailer isn’t too high. It’s worked for me up till now at least.
Frankydobo:
A portion of blame must go to the guy that dropped the trailer, which was obviously too high anyway. A driver should be able to back up to the trailer bedplate and feel it touch the fifth wheel or runup ramps, lower suspension and back further under, lift up trailer on suspension and back all the way under. Shouldn’t need to get out the cab if its been dropped properly. In these days of air suspension dropping and picking up trailers should be no problem and damage like this can be avoided in the first place if the trailer is dropped correctly!
The trailer was dropped with the supension level (trailer empty) and with the same unit!! NOT high, we believe the driver went under with the suspension lowered?? Poss air pressure low ( hence low ) BUT even if the trailer was a bit high it’s still the responsibility of the driver coupling up to check it!
Quinny:
My Cab■■?Do you own it?
Then if not, it ain’t yours and if a substitute vehicle was provided by your employer to do the job that they pay you for, then live with it.
And remember, not all staff drivers are angels either when it comes to damaging vehicles.
Ken.
if someone drives a vehicle every day for an employer, he will usually refer to it as “my cab” “my truck” or “my lorry”. this is usually the type of driver that takes pride in the vehicle he drives, and the job he does.