Me thinks you are all looking at this from the wrong end!
It isnt a problem to drop an empty skelly with a box on the bridge, but what about when you have loaded and you drop the trailer back on the bridge 33500kg How strong is that weighbridge?
That weight on the legs with something like a 6 inch contact patch on a 30 year old bridge, these bridges were built to weigh 40ton spread evenly over its length. I would have dropped it but when the legs go through the metal plates, i would laugh at the weighbridge man with that smirk. I told you so!
While on the subject of a weighbridge, what about weighing in at a factory and leaving handbrake off? The tanker men will know what I mean. Again because of the old design of uk bridges and some new computerised ones, a shifting load like liquid takes forever to settle and give a true reading. it always feels wrong to me but ive done it for 25 years
but there still was no harm in dropping the trailer on the bridge,which was the Q?
We drop loaded 30ft bulk boxes (on a regular skelly at 35ft position, so more weight on the legs than a 40ft) quite regularly with no trouble at all, including the ones full of tiles which tend to be loaded in “steps” with all the weight in the front end.
The important things are:
To drop them as level as possible. Too high and the legs buckle, too low and you’ll never get under it again without damaging the unit because of the sheer weight on the back end. Saw someone turn a Eurotech into a speedboat this way once…was very funny, but very expensive!
Drop them on flat ground. Otherwise the leg which is lower will take more than it’s fair share of the load, and (again) buckle. I know this. I have done it. Recently.
Don’t do the old “leave the legs an inch off the ground before pulling out” trick. See consequences above!
My concern would be the same as Wheel Nut’s…would the bridge be able to take it? One only to be tried by people paid by the hour, methinks…
I don’t think the dutch have 60 tons in their containers.
I work for Maersk Sealand, the shore side cranes wouldn’t be able to lift a box that heavy unless the safety devices were by passed - and I don’t think think to many people would do that.
Just think “Well boss I don’t really know why the crane is lying on the ship”.
30 tonne load ? Never mind the weigh-bridge, it wouldn’t get that far With my old Premium and Montracon sliding skelly plus sensible tank of juice the absolute max I’d allow in the box is 26.5 tonne. 4 tonne-ish for a 40ft box give a hundred or so kilos leaves about 13.5 tonne for the unit and skelly which is about right.
If it had been more like that weight then no problem dropping on weigh-bridge. If it collapses that their tough-[zb]. Like I say though, a 30 tonne load wouldn’t be going in my box, that’s for sure
metalhead10:
thought 40ft high cube has a gmw of just over 30 tonne
Yes they do, but just pause for a second and remember what the max weight is on UK roads without an STGO plate That’ll be 44 tonne then. Hence why on a 40ft or HC you don’t want any more than 26 tonne in it
Right folks, some questions been raised so will try to clarify. I have the thankless task of holiday relief. I, therefore, have no real knowledge of the quality of the kit I am using; you get a feel as the day/week progresses.
I have experienced on different occassions working for other Companies bad situations where you drop the the trailer and achieve the drop in more ways than one. ie you pull out from under the trailer and the body slides down the legs and the nose ends up on the floor. The load was declared at 30000kgs, which should include container for shipping purposes. It was steel and they are not noted for their quality of loading, so would load be balanced etc… I considerred my health and safety. I consider I had a valid point to raise
dwjinuk:
The load was declared at 30000kgs, which should include container for shipping purposes. It was steel and they are not noted for their quality of loading, so would load be balanced etc…
Aye, that’s more like it.
I wouldn’t have any problem dropping trailer on weigh-bridge if need be. I would (in this case) raise the unit rear suspension a bit first and then wind legs down so that the trailer front end remained reasonably level and could get back under it farily easily.
With my old Premium and Montracon sliding skelly plus sensible tank of juice the absolute max I’d allow in the box is 26.5 tonne. 4 tonne-ish for a 40ft box give a hundred or so kilos leaves about 13.5 tonne for the unit and skelly which is about right.
That’ll be 44 tonne then. Hence why on a 40ft or HC you don’t want any more than 26 tonne in it