Dunno then?:
I voted no cos I never do. Cant really see the need,the L shaped lever is spring loaded and indeed would fall under gravity into position. Having said that I always look to make sure it has. How far do we need go with locking devices? The early style 5th wheel only had 1 safety feature ie. the dog clip. No one suggested it should have another clip to prevent that one from coming adrift. Take it to its extreme and you can imagine a long line of ever smaller clips all preventing the next one from dislodging . And all of them smothered in thick black turntable grease
I really don’t see what the problem is here. If it has a clip, fit it. It takes two seconds. And I have short unreliable arms, so it obviously isn’t that hard.
Since I don’t make a habit of wiping my wheelarches against the underside of trailers when I pick them up, I don’t find I get dirty doing it, either. A bit wet occaisonally, but hell, what’s a bit of water? Just wear a seperate jumper for mucky outside stuff.
And if you wear gloves and angle the clip right, you don’t get any grease that way either - and again, that’s speaking as someone with a quite major intention tremor!!!
On the subject of why they are now fitted, there was a lot of controversy when this type of fifth wheel first came out - I had an early one without a clip on a Scania. There were several incidents of trailers coming off on rough ground where the L-shaped piece bounced up allowing the knife to release. Once this had happened to a few decent, experienced drivers and was deemed not to have been the result of incompetance, dogclips started to be fitted as a back up measure.
Sorry if I’m coming across a little sharply here, it’s just that I’m getting more and more cynical about the minority of drivers in this industry who make a massive fuss about the smallest things. We’re so spoilt these days, the job’s so easy, it’s like we want to dig our own metaphorical graves - then wonder why no one takes us seriously.
It’s everything from walking 10 feet to a toilet rather than ■■■■■■■ on the wheels to potentially getting a speck of dust on us from a pallet because we might horror have to move it 40 feet. Good grief.
Yes I absolutely always put my clip on, the only exception would probably be if I was shunting a trailer a short distance but that doesn’t really happen.
I was under the impression that if a chain/clip is fitted, that it must be used?
Every morning I always make a point in checking it too, I wouldn’t put it passed someone these days to pull the clip and handle out so I or whoever was to drive off without checking and dropping the trailer.
Lucy:
Sorry if I’m coming across a little sharply here, it’s just that I’m getting more and more cynical about the minority of drivers in this industry who make a massive fuss about the smallest things. We’re so spoilt these days, the job’s so easy, it’s like we want to dig our own metaphorical graves - then wonder why no one takes us seriously.
It’s everything from walking 10 feet to a toilet rather than ■■■■■■■ on the wheels to potentially getting a speck of dust on us from a pallet because we might horror have to move it 40 feet. Good grief.
You’re bang on there, Lucy! The funny thing is that the people who seem to moan the loudest tend to be the people doing the least amount of work anyway. 9 times out of 10, if I hear someone winging about their hard life on the road it’ll be someone working at TDG or Wincantons, doing 4 on 4 off trunking rather than someone away 6 days, 5 nights, in an old battered truck doing roping and sheeting. As I’m 23 I may not have a right to make these accusations but I have been on the road with my dad since the age of 4 and have noticed things vastly change for the worse with regards drivers attitudes and work ethics. Its probably a change in wider society but people now seem to think they are entitled 70hrs pay per week for doing 48hrs and they should never get the slightest speck of dirt on them because that would be totally dickenzian! and my God, if a modern driver should have to do a night out! People often describe this job, saying that its “horses for courses” which I think it certainly is, we now just have a hell of a lot of lame donkeys on the race track, thats all.
eldor:
I wouldn’t put it passed someone these days to pull the clip and handle out so I or whoever was to drive off without checking and dropping the trailer.
Saw that happen on a ferry years ago. This particular driver did whatever it took to be in pole position on the ferry so he could get away to a flyer when it docked. He would push, barge, cut up and generally be a nuisance when boarding. A guy called Kevin, the name has been changed to protect the guilty, decided enough was enough so pulled his 5th wheel handle before he got back to the truck, he was halfway up the linkspan before the air lines went and brought him to an abrupt stop with the trailer still on the ferry. Delayed us all for about 15 minutes but was funny I have to say. Didn’t cure him but he did check the handle from then on.
Coffeeholic:
Saw that happen on a ferry years ago. This particular driver did whatever it took to be in pole position on the ferry so he could get away to a flyer when it docked. He would push, barge, cut up and generally be a nuisance when boarding. A guy called Kevin, the name has been changed to protect the guilty, decided enough was enough so pulled his 5th wheel handle before he got back to the truck, he was halfway up the linkspan before the air lines went and brought him to an abrupt stop with the trailer still on the ferry. Delayed us all for about 15 minutes but was funny I have to say. Didn’t cure him but he did check the handle from then on.
Do you mean they are not reliably short or they just don’t turn up some days
I have to agree with most people - if you check that the handle is locked by giving it a push/pull thenit takes about 5 seconds more to put the clip on.
Do you mean they are not reliably short or they just don’t turn up some days
I have to agree with most people - if you check that the handle is locked by giving it a push/pull thenit takes about 5 seconds more to put the clip on.
They don’t turn up some days. Metaphorically speaking.
I’ve voted “always”, in reality I don’t very often use that particular type of coupling but always use the dog clip if there’s one to use regardless of the type of fifth wheel coupling.
Lucy:
Sorry if I’m coming across a little sharply here, it’s just that I’m getting more and more cynical about the minority of drivers in this industry who make a massive fuss about the smallest things. We’re so spoilt these days, the job’s so easy, it’s like we want to dig our own metaphorical graves - then wonder why no one takes us seriously.
It’s everything from walking 10 feet to a toilet rather than ■■■■■■■ on the wheels to potentially getting a speck of dust on us from a pallet because we might horror have to move it 40 feet. Good grief.
You’re bang on there, Lucy! The funny thing is that the people who seem to moan the loudest tend to be the people doing the least amount of work anyway. 9 times out of 10, if I hear someone winging about their hard life on the road it’ll be someone working at TDG or Wincantons, doing 4 on 4 off trunking rather than someone away 6 days, 5 nights, in an old battered truck doing roping and sheeting. As I’m 23 I may not have a right to make these accusations but I have been on the road with my dad since the age of 4 and have noticed things vastly change for the worse with regards drivers attitudes and work ethics. Its probably a change in wider society but people now seem to think they are entitled 70hrs pay per week for doing 48hrs and they should never get the slightest speck of dirt on them because that would be totally dickenzian! and my God, if a modern driver should have to do a night out! People often describe this job, saying that its “horses for courses” which I think it certainly is, we now just have a hell of a lot of lame donkeys on the race track, thats all.
Eldor, its not your age or experience i would question. Its your view point. Where to start? If a working week on average is 37.5 hours why shouldn’t a HGV driver who stays out all week doing 60plus hours expect 2 weeks wages? Of course he should moan if he is getting dirty and working in dirty conditions for the same wages (or less) than someone who works in clean conditions. As regards a ‘modern driver’ who has to do a night out i think you will find that as has always been there are jobs where it is expected and jobs where it isn’t. No one who works in a ware house would sleep there overnight, let alone stay for 4 or 5 hours longer than their expected shift so why does this suprise you if say a day driver has to do a night out and has a beef about it?
I think you’ll find that the
wider change in society
you mention is a relativley recent phenomenon which requires servicing 24/7 outlets. Pre ‘recent’ being half days on a Wednesday or Thursday, early dart on a Friday and closed all Sunday.
The only ‘Lame donkeys’ we have in the transport job are the guys with no other education, who can do nothing else and want to do nothing else and are happy to give almost a whole week of their life for 5 hundred quid and think its good and they’re doing well. You’ve been brought up on it since you where four? And you seem to aspire to it so i don’t expect you to agree with me.Still you’re only young and you have lots of trucking years in you, go get 'em !!!
Driveroneuk:
Jost 5th wheels… the ones with the L shaped safety catch that drops down as the handle goes in.
They have a dog clip aswell (usually on a little chain) [sometimes its missing]the necessity of which is questionable. Do you always use it?
Its a long way under, means stretching over the wheel arches (nasty in winter)
& is tight up to the greasy trailer swivel plate.
I usually do.
This question ONLY applies to this type of 5th wheel.
you don’t need the dog clip as it has a automatic Clip,but when dog clip is fixed is it a legal requirement to fit them!
Precisely, Fred … and all new motors have them so they must be there for a reason
if there are fife holes can you fitt fife Clips and you must use all of Them,if with or without reason.
Fifthwheelbuilder build Fifthwheel that they are Safe in Use,and fitting aditional Safetyclips means not the it is without unsafe or Ilegal,as it is already fitted with an Safety-L
If in doupt just fitt some extra clips.
anywhy,if you know how a Fifthwheel is build and how it works will you find out that the Clip is over,becouse its holds its looked by the Spring on the Handle underneed the Plate,and if you loose “one” Part on the Closing or loking Mechanismus underneed than helps you no Clip anymore Some more Question
Oh,Yes
When You hock up will you hear twice the fifthwheel.First when it closed,and the second Time when it’s locked.At that Time must be the Handle in the Gap,provided,or anything is wrong.To fit no a Clip on a wrongworking Fifthwheel makes you not a safe Driver, You agree?
. And all of them smothered in thick black turntable grease
Some more Question