If anyone is interested in taking a look the FTA have produced a new 26 page guide to safe trailer coupling and uncoupling. I’ve only had a quick read but it looks to contain useful information
Maybe admin may want to put this in the newbie section as well?
In depth, well photgraphed, informative and educational.
Not one sentence about stowing winding handles when dropping trailers.
Nothing about hydraulics? Can be a bit messy if you forget to disconnect those before pulling clear 
26 pages■■?
the nodding donkey:
26 pages■■?
Carryfast wrote it! 
I couldnt find the page about the $1,00,0000 per wind of the legs■■? 
Evil8Beezle:
the nodding donkey:
26 pages■■?Carryfast wrote it!
Typical all negative replys can’t help some folk.
the nodding donkey:
26 pages■■?
Coupling - Pin, Lines, Legs, Brake, Plate (on)!
Uncoupling - Brake, Legs, Lines, Pin, Plate (off)!
Many drivers don’t even seem to know or follow this basic skeleton in the normal case.
Trainers are no help - to a group of ten people, they usually reel off about 30 steps for each, which no one remembers, and then no one sees them again except when there’s bad news.
On a side note, in-house trainers in this game also seem to lack the trust and confidence of drivers unlike anything I’ve observed elsewhere. I’ve heard really scathing terms like “backstabbers” and “d*ckheads” regularly used.
26 pages but I can do it in about 60 seconds does make me good 
bobbya:
Typical all negative replys can’t help some folk.
Thank you please.
bubsy06:
I couldnt find the page about the $1,00,0000 per wind of the legs■■?
plus intrest @21%
shreck:
bubsy06:
I couldnt find the page about the $1,00,0000 per wind of the legs■■?plus intrest @21%
We are out of europe so its 56255855% extra according to the remainers
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
Nice they’ve written a detailed guide. Just a suggestion
Having gone to the effort for providing a long winded safety minded framework it’s a shame no mention was given to the following in the actual procedure for coupling up:-
Their text:-
“Stop when the bottom of the fifth wheel ramps are level with the front of the trailer (1). Apply the truck parking brake (2), stop the engine and remove the keys (3)”
Could add:-
Assess terrain immediately behind the tractor unit, paying attention to adhesion, surface type, dips or inclines. For instance, if the terrain behind the tractor unit is potholed, it may be necessary to stop halfway through the later coupling reverse, to raise the suspension in order to maintain positive contact between the fith wheel and rubbing plate. (4)
I just read the opening post and saw it was written by someone at the FTA so never bothered to continue as more than likely whoever wrote it learned their driving skills in a class room or university.
Doesn’t seem to say anything there about lowering the height of the unit to put the fifth wheel below the trailer when coupling to avoid moving grease off the fifth wheel.As opposed to use the ramps/fifth wheel forks to lift it. 
Carryfast:
Doesn’t seem to say anything there about lowering the height of the unit to put the fifth wheel below the trailer when coupling to avoid moving grease off the fifth wheel.As opposed to use the ramps/fifth wheel forks to lift it.
I look forward to your 2.5 million word re-write then mate!
raymundo:
I just read the opening post and saw it was written by someone at the FTA so never bothered to continue as more than likely whoever wrote it learned their driving skills in a class room or university.
Yeah, I’d also mention that most modern units do not have fith wheel ramps, so stating these as a useable distance marker when stopping is unclear and confusing guidance for new drivers. Picky maybe, but when constructing procedures you have to be clear and relevant. Good effort though. Better than nowt!
Freight Dog:
raymundo:
I just read the opening post and saw it was written by someone at the FTA so never bothered to continue as more than likely whoever wrote it learned their driving skills in a class room or university.Yeah, I’d also mention that most modern units do not have fith wheel ramps, so stating these as a useable reference to stopping is unclear and confusing guidance for new drivers. Picky maybe, but when constructing procedures you have to be clear and relevant. Good effort though. Better than nowt!
It seems obvious that they are just using that as an example to ( rightly ) show that you’re supposed to approach the trailer with the trailer at a ‘lower’ level to the fifth wheel table height.So that the rearward movement of the unit ‘lifts’ the trailer.
‘Not’ go back under it with the trailer at a higher level that the unit then use guesswork to stop in time and use the air suspension to lift the trailer.On the bs idea of not wiping a bit of grease off the fifth wheel.
Evil8Beezle:
Carryfast:
Doesn’t seem to say anything there about lowering the height of the unit to put the fifth wheel below the trailer when coupling to avoid moving grease off the fifth wheel.As opposed to use the ramps/fifth wheel forks to lift it.I look forward to your 2.5 million word re-write then mate!
I look forward to the apologies from all those that have been doing it all wrong.By going back under the trailer with the fifth wheel sitting at a lower height than the trailer then lifting it using the air suspension because they are scared of wiping a bit of grease off the fifth wheel. 