Also, when you pick up a loaded 20 ft box before you leave the dock dab the brakes to move it as far forward as it will go on the pins, because when you do it at 56 mph you will wonder what the hell is going on when 30 tonnes moves an inch and a half!!
I have bolt croppers too, saves a lot of time at some places.
Get yourself a comfy pillow 
and Internet ! 
If you’re picking up two twenty’s , make sure the doors are facing the way they require them to, ( not always backward facing !), pull forward to get the seal number, & reverse back in to the bay for your second box , if you are collecting both from the same place. Twist locks off before you reverse onto the bay.
Always handy to have a hammer , short solid bar like off an old jaw pin tow hitch, & a long hollow steel bar for back doors. Torch , & Pen on a long bit of string is handy, I seem to loose serious quantities of pens in cabs, they fall , disappear, roll away 
Accsess to food and beverage, & something to do while you are waiting, is also a must, especially if you are there for quite a lonnnng time, & your kit if parked up overnight.
shuttlespanker:
cieranc:
For nipping the security tags/bolts off the doors.not the drivers responsibility, that is purely down to the customer
if the driver stops for a break, and the container gets broken in to whilst he is in the cafe feeding his face, if the driver has bolt cutters, the suspicion can fall upon him, as he has the means and the time to be able to get in to the container
if the customer has not got bolt cutters, then that is their problem, not the drivers
the drivers job is to deliver the container to the customer, the customer then does what he wants with it and takes as long as he wants to do it
i would of thought you would carry a set just should the need arise to open your wallet heared its got padlock on it 
btw did i see you going over the a42/m42 start of the week in white daf
I don’t carry cutters iv had it were iv been the first ever box the customer has had and they didn’t have cutters I told them I don’t carry any for liability reasons and they go any get some or a hack saw which can be funny to watch
psv8:
shuttlespanker:
cieranc:
For nipping the security tags/bolts off the doors.not the drivers responsibility, that is purely down to the customer
if the driver stops for a break, and the container gets broken in to whilst he is in the cafe feeding his face, if the driver has bolt cutters, the suspicion can fall upon him, as he has the means and the time to be able to get in to the container
if the customer has not got bolt cutters, then that is their problem, not the drivers
the drivers job is to deliver the container to the customer, the customer then does what he wants with it and takes as long as he wants to do it
i would of thought you would carry a set just should the need arise to open your wallet heared its got padlock on it
me open my wallet■■?
now you really are taking the ■■■■ 
as forseeing me on the A/M42, probably, what were you driving?
Angus25:
I don’t carry cutters iv had it were iv been the first ever box the customer has had and they didn’t have cutters I told them I don’t carry any for liability reasons and they go any get some or a hack saw which can be funny to watch
had the very same, one place went to a foundry type place next door, all they had was a Stihl saw
they cut the seal off alright, shame they took half of the handle with it 
shuttlespanker:
Angus25:
I don’t carry cutters iv had it were iv been the first ever box the customer has had and they didn’t have cutters I told them I don’t carry any for liability reasons and they go any get some or a hack saw which can be funny to watchhad the very same, one place went to a foundry type place next door, all they had was a Stihl saw
they cut the seal off alright, shame they took half of the handle with it
There’s a tyre place at Scunthorpe that uses a gas axe to cut the bolt seal off.
If you need to write the seal number down on paperwork as well always do it before they cut it off as hunting around for it with other seals are about is not fun!
weeto:
Also, when you pick up a loaded 20 ft box before you leave the dock dab the brakes to move it as far forward as it will go on the pins, because when you do it at 56 mph you will wonder what the hell is going on when 30 tonnes moves an inch and a half!!
Not dont this but did try and drive off one evening with the locking pins still in and the park brake still on… i thought why am i moving and the trailer is…CLUNK ahhh thats why!! Was with one of the lads from work at the drop and he popped the pins in and applied the brake for me to slide it… as i didnt do it my self i completely forgot!
drivergraham:
A big hammer bolt croppers and a crowbar that’s what I have
I was always told - and have always stuck with the advise - DO NOT carry your own bolt croppers.
If the container gets robbed, who gets the blame?
It’s not our job to remove the seal, if they want us to assist, use their bolt cutters and then someone will be there to see you do it.
Hammer, Crowbar. If the doors are super stiff, ask for assistance - it’s their box, not yours. 6 weeks at sea for a 5yr old container can make the doors rather difficult.
Trucknet will love you, take a lappy and some way of getting on the internet, most days the threads are changing on here to give you loads to read 
I don’t carry bolt cutters , never have done. A couple of bits of string are handy to carry to tie the doors back when you have a scabby old box on and the tie backs are gone. Make sure your trailer locking pins are set before setting off , it’s not happened to me but I’ve seen a few sliders that have come apart ending up in two pieces
waynedl:
drivergraham:
A big hammer bolt croppers and a crowbar that’s what I haveI was always told - and have always stuck with the advise - DO NOT carry your own bolt croppers.
If the container gets robbed, who gets the blame?
It’s not our job to remove the seal, if they want us to assist, use their bolt cutters and then someone will be there to see you do it.Hammer, Crowbar. If the doors are super stiff, ask for assistance - it’s their box, not yours. 6 weeks at sea for a 5yr old container can make the doors rather difficult.
Trucknet will love you, take a lappy and some way of getting on the internet, most days the threads are changing on here to give you loads to read
+1
try to stick with nights at maritime ,its a doddle…I mean its really hard work and we all deserve a pay rise 
Pick up the bolt after it has been cut off as will go through tyres
weeto:
Also, when you pick up a loaded 20 ft box before you leave the dock dab the brakes to move it as far forward as it will go on the pins, because when you do it at 56 mph you will wonder what the hell is going on when 30 tonnes moves an inch and a half!!
Blimey you too more than dab the brakes to make a 30 ton box move, granted, heavy braking at 56 will make them move, and you wonder WTF is happening
convoy:
I’m going to start doing container work this month
and have never done any before so any advice for a
newbie is greatly received also I have my adr but never
used it but will do sometimes on this work.
Good read and nice pics. 
Photos ! , have I missed summat ■■?
bonnie lass:
Photos ! , have I missed summat ■■?
Old in-house joke. Convoy will get it.
Oh , ok
shuttlespanker:
cieranc:
For nipping the security tags/bolts off the doors.not the drivers responsibility, that is purely down to the customer
if the driver stops for a break, and the container gets broken in to whilst he is in the cafe feeding his face, if the driver has bolt cutters, the suspicion can fall upon him, as he has the means and the time to be able to get in to the container
if the customer has not got bolt cutters, then that is their problem, not the drivers
the drivers job is to deliver the container to the customer, the customer then does what he wants with it and takes as long as he wants to do it
Glad its not just me then. times that I’ve seen drivers break their own seals just coz they cant wait 10 mins for the customer to do it.
Was somewhere a few weeks ago 6am drop, backed on one off the bays still sealed at 5.30, another driver came in about 5 mins later lines up with next door bay, breaks his own seal opens doors and backs on. when the wharehouse guys came in at 6, they took 5 mins to break my seal I move forward open doors reverse back on job done. the other driver was over the moon coz he was going to get a 3 hr break, coz he was on break at 5.35, where as I broke my break between 0600 - 0610. He was less impressed when they put shortages on his paperwork and signed unsealed
I cant be bothered to caution drivers about breaking own seals anymore, I just let them find out the hard way