Works gone a bit quiet in the rubbish game and my boss has been offered work pulling trailers from the docks. Its not work we have experince of and if you see a 6x4 landfill spec tractor pulling a curtainsider it will be me. Spoke to my dad about it as he had done a bit of this work but it was about 30 years ago for some tips. He said back then you often had to change the airline conectors as a lot of trailers had palm couplings which i assume are like the american type ones and they often had no or not working lights so he carried a light board and he said brakes coud be rubbish or non existent. Is this still the case or have things changed just looking for a few pointers so i can be prepared.
hi kr79
You will need a set of palm couplings for 90% of trailers and a set of lenses for most trailers aswell depending whose trailers you will be pulling depends how well the brakes will work 
think its cobelfret but will check
Bulbs and a handle for the legs might be needed too.
Hi cobelfret are all good trailers . but you will need a handel and lenses.hi viz for purfleet etc. good luck.oh and a oblong number plate is a good idea to.
On cobelfret you won’t need palm couplings but carry them anyway you will need lenses and bulbs along with a winding handle and bolt to hold it in place although a handle can be sourced dockside 
trailers are pretty much aok these days as safety regs both here and Europe are tight although you’ll get the odd one with dodgy tyres and airleaks just make sure you report it before you take it anywhere as with everything you’ll be liable…where you gonna be pulling from? If you need anymore info just shout…don’t forget numberplate on chains or bungee ropes we use a square plate attached to an old piece of mudflap save it getting cracked broken …Adam
Probably need both types of bulb, single pin and double pin, as you will not know which you need till you get there.
I used to carry:
All types of bulbs
All types of rear light lenses plus side markers
Leg winding handle
Box of bolts for said handle (no point getting the nuts as it just slows the job down)
Set of palm couplings
BOTH A SQUARE AND RECTANGLE NUMBERPLATE
Set of ladders strapped to the cab back.
Long metal bar for tightening the straps that are like those on Ice Road Truckers
Lump hammer for either braying the rear door handle open or shut and freeing off frozen brakes in winter.
Oh, and most importantly, plenty of reading material and something to make a cup of tea cos sometimes you can turn up at 8am and still be waiting for the trailer to come off the boat long after dinnertime.
Going back further, you needed to carry a couple of spanners because virtually every trailer seemed to need the brakes adjusted up…
Harry Monk:
Going back further, you needed to carry a couple of spanners because virtually every trailer seemed to need the brakes adjusted up…
i just remembered something from my younger days running down the road with step pappy .
we had collected a ferrymaster trailer from god knows where and he was’nt happy with thr brakes so decided they needed some fettlin , any way , we laid under the rear of the trailer and step pappy offered up his spanner to some adjuster or other and tapped it over some kind of locking coller on the adjuster . just on his secong tap the whole thing snapped off and disapeared never to be seen again… 
step pappy coughed , spluttered , and said "right that’ll do " and off we went never to mention it again … 
Check the clearance as a lot of continental trailers have a deep pin and it will convert your sleeper cab to a day cab at the first corner or at least adjust your back lights 
Check trailer for Taliban/■■■■■■■■ - sorry clandestines before leaving the dock
You might need an additional handle with a hexagon, and where are you going
to keep all this stuff that has already been mentioned?
Well if it comes off i will give the boss a shopping list . Im quite hoping it comes off as it will be good to try something new as ive only done landfill tippers etc.
dogthehunter:
On cobelfret you won’t need palm couplings but carry them anyway you will need lenses and bulbs along with a winding handle and bolt to hold it in place although a handle can be sourced dockside
Be purfleet or tilbury i think as we are based at Barking.
axletramp:
You might need an additional handle with a hexagon, and where are you going
to keep all this stuff that has already been mentioned?
Il dump some of the crap i carry for landfill work.
Pm sent kr79 
just remember to get a ‘recheck’ done if the trailer is damaged or you’ll be getting the bill -
grab a roof pole to help sliding the roof and you’ll have to count span sets in and out of the country
build up a nice supply in your lockers - the germans are really tight about strapping loads down exp Hazardous goods
regards
Steve
What company have the worst state trailers these days?
I read on here CCC (continental cargo carriers) were or used to be quite bad.
Some P&O Ferrymasters tilts look well worn on the canvas
Suedehead:
Check trailer for Taliban/[zb] - sorry clandestines before leaving the dock
I wouldnt worry too much about that if you are collecting from a British port, the clandestines will already be on benefits