Are all trailer brakes the same as in pull a little round knob for on and push for off.also is there another knob for shunt or are they the same? sorry new driver here just dont want the trailer on top of me .
In my experience they’re mostly the same as u describe Position of the button varies.
The shunt button is generally separate
NORMALLY THE TRAILER PARK BRAKE IS RED
PULL OUT TO PARK AND STOP TRAILER MOVING
PUSH IN TO DRIVE OR TO ROLLTHE TRAILER DOWN THE HILL WHILE YOU UNCOUPLE
If it’s an older trailer there might be a ratchet lever usually in front of the wheels.
Thanks for your help. this site is a god send for the inexperienced drivers 
sweeper1gg:
Thanks for your help. this site is a god send for the inexperienced drivers
Don’t believe everything you read mate. A lot of people on here talk right out of their arses.
sweeper1gg:
Thanks for your help. this site is a god send for the inexperienced drivers
Yes most of the time but be warned if you ask a silly question you could get slaughtered.
dukeofdirt:
sweeper1gg:
Thanks for your help. this site is a god send for the inexperienced driversDon’t believe everything you read mate. A lot of people on here talk right out of their arses.
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF MATE
villa:
dukeofdirt:
sweeper1gg:
Thanks for your help. this site is a god send for the inexperienced driversDon’t believe everything you read mate. A lot of people on here talk right out of their arses.
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF MATE
…ok
if your ever unsure ask another driver in yard tend to avoid transport office as they don’t know ■■■ from elbow (some can’t even drive a car 
)
I looked at a trailer the other day and it only had 1 black round knob on it passenger side near cab so if that’s the only button must be trailer brake? but thought black was shunt.
Depends. Some shunt buttons are black, some are blue etc etc. Some park brake btton are red, some are black, some are blue. When you check the trailer prior to coupling up, both buttons should be pulled out. Don’t just look, try them to make sure. When you have coupled and have the red airline on, the shunt button will not stay in if pressed, but the brake will.
HTH
The park brake is PULL to active and the shunt button is PUSH to activate so if in doubt always pull both, as said once the red line is on the shunt button won’t work
Can’t believe that they haven’t standardised all this stuff.
If they can design electronic stability programmes, surely they could mount these valves in the same place with simple colour codes (like suzies). 
Generally, nowadays, most trailers and certainly the newer ones have the same type of handbrake system in use and that, as has been previously mentioned, consists of a red knob which is pulled out to activate the hand brake and a black or blue button which is ued to operate the shunting control.
There are however some older trailers which are still in use today that do not have this type of handbrake set up and will have what are called single acting brake chambers. When the unit is first disconnected from the trailer, the brakes will automatically apply but as is very often with these older types of trailer, after a period of time, the air will deplete and in the event of the mechanical handbrake not being applied the trailer, if parked on a gradient, has the potential to runaway hence the importance of ensuring the mechanical ratchet handbrake is applied and applied with sufficient force to ensure that it can not move.
lankyphil:
Depends. Some shunt buttons are black, some are blue etc etc. Some park brake btton are red, some are black, some are blue. When you check the trailer prior to coupling up, both buttons should be pulled out. Don’t just look, try them to make sure. When you have coupled and have the red airline on, the shunt button will not stay in if pressed, but the brake will.HTH
I see now, that’s a huge help for me that,