A colleague has told me that in the old days (70’s) petrol tankers (artic) used to have the landing legs removed. Has anyone any idea as to why this would happen.
Gypsies weighing them for scrap?
dave19544:
A colleague has told me that in the old days (70’s) petrol tankers (artic) used to have the landing legs removed. Has anyone any idea as to why this would happen.
As they were never used ( when uncoupled in the workshop a frame was put under) it was a weight thing…to get the biggest tank behind a day cab with max axle weights.
Along with no spare wheel or anything else.
Thanks for the laugh made my night
dave19544:
A colleague has told me that in the old days (70’s) petrol tankers (artic) used to have the landing legs removed. Has anyone any idea as to why this would happen.
Worked at a petrol station from 1988 for 4yrs, I don’t remember seeing legs on any tank trailer.So it was more recent than the 70’s. I did ask a driver, it was to save weight and there was no need for them to be uncoupled, as they were inspected/serviced and MOT’d as a complete unit.
I remember BP out of Kings Heath in Northampton had the landing gear removed on all their trailers. Over here I also have seen a few fuel tankers with them removed.
Would it not be so the driver can’t just unhook it and leave it somewhere. This would be security/safety as the driver can only leave the trailer at a yard which had a stand for the trailer.
They where removed to save weight, some of the Cobo tanks that Asda operate have aluminium legs to save weight, they will only support an empty barrel though.
m1cks:
Would it not be so the driver can’t just unhook it and leave it somewhere. This would be security/safety as the driver can only leave the trailer at a yard which had a stand for the trailer.
Lets be honest, if the driver was going to leave the trailer he may aswell leave the truck aswell, can’t get into any more trouble than they’d already be in! 
even now, BP trailers don’t have legs, it’s a weight thing. 
optidrive:
Correct…It’s all to do with minimum vehicle weight & maximum litreage being delivered.
A few years back, Brogan fuels were running bull nosed Scania’s with steel tanks & we (BP) could load 2000 ltrs more than them & still be within legal weights.
optidrive:
I have been driving for them the last 13 years and every tank tanker has always had its own legs ! Before that i worked for Total and they had plenty of tanks resting on trestles,a bit desperate i always thought considering the bloody profits they made !!
If you unhook a fully loaded tanker there is the risk of the legs going thru the bottom of the trailer.Remember most modern tankers have no chassis,the legs are mounted to the barrel.
miss claire:
If you unhook a fully loaded tanker there is the risk of the legs going thru the bottom of the trailer.Remember most modern tankers have no chassis,the legs are mounted to the barrel.
Maybe in upside-down-land, but not here. Who, in their right mind is going to leave themselves open to a claim that could run into hundreds of millions of pounds by manufacturing a tanker that would fail in such a fashion? That is of course, assuming it passed type-approval or TUV tests (for example) in the first place.
miss claire:
If you unhook a fully loaded tanker there is the risk of the legs going thru the bottom of the trailer.Remember most modern tankers have no chassis,the legs are mounted to the barrel.
Really 
Well you learn something new here everyday !!
DUFFMAN:
miss claire:
If you unhook a fully loaded tanker there is the risk of the legs going thru the bottom of the trailer.Remember most modern tankers have no chassis,the legs are mounted to the barrel.Really
I started for Shell in the early seventies and none of the trailers had legs,dont think weight ever came into it,they(tractor and trailer)were always operated as a dedicated outfit,if the tank had to be detached we had hydraulic trestles?jacks to support them.
As for the other comment about legs mounted directly to the tank,in 45 years of tank work ive never ever seen that,and i doubt very much it happening.Our legs in later years were mounted to the chassis rails.
If the tank and unit are always kept together the driver doesnt need a C+E to driver the thing, or does he?On the buses the driver of a bendy bus doesnt need D+E because it doesnt come apart in normal service.Surely the same rule should apply in this case.
alamcculloch:
If the tank and unit are always kept together the driver doesnt need a C+E to driver the thing, or does he?On the buses the driver of a bendy bus doesnt need D+E because it doesnt come apart in normal service.Surely the same rule should apply in this case.
Where’s the popcorn smiley? Good question though!
alamcculloch:
If the tank and unit are always kept together the driver doesnt need a C+E to driver the thing, or does he?On the buses the driver of a bendy bus doesnt need D+E because it doesnt come apart in normal service.Surely the same rule should apply in this case.
Ah, but bendy busses are rear engined in the rear of the rear part. You could drive the front bit on its own but there would be a lot of pushing.