Middle axle

happysack:

kindle530:

Contraflow:

espresso:
First time we got Scanias, they sent a guy out to show us the ropes, and he said it is good practise to always leave the middle axle down except for when unit only, which is what I have always done since.

:open_mouth:

+1^^ with the cheekey monkey.
Remember the bint who drove for Stobarts who jacknifed in the snow on the motorway? She was empty and had her middle axle down.
I do remember hearing once that Stobart wanted all their motors to run with middle axle down, so people thought they were always loaded (this was quite a few years ago)

I never heard that at all when I had a mid lift. The only time I would drop it when empty was if I had a decker fridge on. It seemed to sit better on the road. Or if needing to save the 3 inch extra ride height to get under bridges or to stop clattering trees!

As for that bint… quite standard brainless driving for a majority of our company.

I pulled into Stoke depot for fuel once, and was asked if my trailer was loaded, I said yes, he told me to drop the lift axle… I explained that I was full of toilet roll and didn’t weigh bugger all, he said it was company policy…

Needless to say, I didn’t drop the lift axle, I couldn’t give a ■■■■ about company policy, my safety comes first and setting off, handling and braking are all better with the axle UP, if it drops itself I won’t over-ride it, but otherwise it stays up.

cheers for that wayne, i was’nt imagining it then!

Well blow me. No one ever asked me if I was loaded or empty.

happysack:
Well blow me. No one ever asked me if I was loaded or empty.

Well, they did me, and when I got back to Trafford Park, talking to the other drivers, it’s not only quite common but is actually company policy too (according to them) to run with the lift axle down when loaded.
Then some started spouting about it being to do with the road tax on the truck and some other stuff.

I wasn’t bothered, was agency, just go to work to pay the bills, will take any and all advice that makes my job easier or quicker, but won’t put myself at increased risk doing something crazy like that.

In my time, I’ve been involved in 2 ‘trials’ on braking, one was a 10t recovery truck braking with the spec lift in and then with it out, the difference was astonishing, the 2nd was a 3 axle unit with a 3 axle empty trailer, braking with lift axle up and with it down, again the difference was quite a bit - in favour of axle up! Which shocked every one of us, we all thought extra wheels on ground with extra brakes = stop quicker.