Maple Fleet Services, supplier of commercial vehicle safety & security solutions, has launched an online survey to gather drivers’ feedback and insights into the issue of trailer coupling accidents.
Trailer rollaways and near misses are something of a taboo subject, yet they remain prominent within our industry, with serious health and safety implications for anyone involved. Perhaps because of this sensitivity, statistics and research on such incidents does not appear to be readily available.
This research sets out to address this void and gain greater understanding of how widespread issues are, and to identify what the industry considers could be done to alleviate such problems. We hope the findings will facilitate better understanding around coupling safety and help to address the root cause whilst promoting greater awareness of trailer safety.
Participation in the survey, which runs until December 20th 2013, is completely anonymous, with the findings set to be published early in the New Year.
Special thanks to Rikki and TruckNet UK for their assistance and allowing us to post this on the forum.
Thanks for reading, your participation is greatly appreciated.
All trailer parking brakes should be installed and visable in one place on the bulk head right across all the makes and models of trailers that are manufactured as a standard practise so you don’t have to hunt where it could be located
Agree that all brake buttons should be in the same place or why not just them set to automatically work as soon as red airline is disconnected I know some trailers have this so why not all
I was under the impression that all trailers brakes did come on automatically with the removal of the red airline. The inherent health and safety issue lies with reconnection of the airline if the trailers brakes have not been applied manually. Then there is a serious danger of the trailer moving. THIS IS WHY NOBODY SHOULD EVER ATTEMPT SPLIT COUPLING UNLESS YOU ARE 110% CERTAIN THAT THE TRAILER BRAKE IS ON.
I had a lorry move on me when I was a newbie hitching up a reefer out of fowler welch’s in Tenham, luckily I wasn’t split coupling on that occasion and the rapid removal of the red airline promptly bought it to a halt. I don’t mind telling you my arse was twitching a bit though. That was the 1st and definitely the last time a forgot to apply the parking brake
mazzer:
Agree that all brake buttons should be in the same place or why not just them set to automatically work as soon as red airline is disconnected I know some trailers have this so why not all
The week old dennison skelly I am using has an automatic trailer brake fitted, they should be retrofitted to all trailers, regardless of cost!
But this industry never learns from its mistakes, unlike the aeroplane industry!
dreamingofoz:
I was under the impression that all trailers brakes did come on automatically with the removal of the red airline. The inherent health and safety issue lies with reconnection of the airline if the trailers brakes have not been applied manually. Then there is a serious danger of the trailer moving. THIS IS WHY NOBODY SHOULD EVER ATTEMPT SPLIT COUPLING UNLESS YOU ARE 110% CERTAIN THAT THE TRAILER BRAKE IS ON.
I had a lorry move on me when I was a newbie hitching up a reefer out of fowler welch’s in Tenham, luckily I wasn’t split coupling on that occasion and the rapid removal of the red airline promptly bought it to a halt. I don’t mind telling you my arse was twitching a bit though. That was the 1st and definitely the last time a forgot to apply the parking brake
The trailer brake does come on when the red line is dropped, but it comes off as soon as it is reconnected, auto trailer brake won’t until you physically turn it off after reconnecting.
Just get into the habit of applying the trailer brake whenever you drop off a trailer, if it annoys the shunter that must be a bonus but you can be sure he will report you if you forget to apply it in places where they insist on you doing so.
Also get into the habit of checking it’s on BEFORE backing under any trailer.
Automatic buttons are fine just so long as they are fitted universally, otherwise drivers become lazy in checking the handbrake is on.
My pet hate is playing hunt the handbrake in the dark and those thick red buttons that are so stiff you need a pair of pliers behind them to get them to move, an issue compounded when they put them behind metal screens designed to cut your fingers off.
No excuses these days there’s not many trailers left with the old ratchet and wire type.
Sadly u could make the button as big as u want on the head bored and put lights on it and some will forget/be to lazy to use it, look at low bridges and we still hit them.
What if the break was some sort of box that u had to pull down over the red air line coupling to release the break and lift off to apply the breaks so u could not remove red line or move lorry if was wrong
mazzer:
Agree that all brake buttons should be in the same place or why not just them set to automatically work as soon as red airline is disconnected I know some trailers have this so why not all
As I got older and more forgetful, I started using a final mental check before climbing back into cab after coupling or uncoupling.
All lorry drivers will be familiar with the term five finger exercise well here’s a new one. Before climbing back into cab look back down the trailer and mentally count off in sequence; 1. Safety clip in/ off pin handle; 2. Number plate on/off; 3.Wheels up/down; 4. Handbrake on/off; 5.all air or electric lines connected/ disconnected.
This doesn’t negate the need to tug the pin when going under or dictate the order in which you carry out the actual checks, which I presume everyone to have a sensible working knowledge of, but it just gives a little piece of mind before moving off. Worked for me maybe it will for some of you.
The Yorkshireman:
As I got older and more forgetful, I started using a final mental check before climbing back into cab after coupling or uncoupling.
All lorry drivers will be familiar with the term five finger exercise well here’s a new one. Before climbing back into cab look back down the trailer and mentally count off in sequence; 1. Safety clip in/ off pin handle; 2. Number plate on/off; 3.Wheels up/down; 4. Handbrake on/off; 5.all air or electric lines connected/ disconnected.
This doesn’t negate the need to tug the pin when going under or dictate the order in which you carry out the actual checks, which I presume everyone to have a sensible working knowledge of, but it just gives a little piece of mind before moving off. Worked for me maybe it will for some of you.
p.s. I’ve stopped doing it now I’ve retired.
The ‘five’ method is what I’ve always used, invaluable if you get interrupted halfway through your sequence. Once the important ‘five’ are covered I look at the ‘add ons’, e.g. trailer suspension and fridge temp.
Many thanks for all the responses to the survey so far. We have recently launched our own safe coupling solution, hence the survey, many of the points raised here make for interesting reading and it’s great to get input and thoughts from those at the sharp end.
Great response from you all so far, very much appreciated - we will be closing the survey tomorrow so if anyone who hasn’t completed it has a few moments to spare that would be great;
While sat pondering I thought why don’t we have the trailer break applied by a lever, bit like an electrical power breaker, that you have to raise before you can disconnect the red air line and stays on until it is put back into a drive position locking the red line in place.
Wouldn’t stop roll aways if the unit break is not applied but the railways use a dead mans handle maybe there is something that road haulage could adapt using, for example, bluetooth type technology.
well here’s a new one. Before climbing back into cab look back down the trailer and mentally count off in sequence; 1. Safety clip in/ off pin handle; 2. Number plate on/off; 3.Wheels up/down; 4. Handbrake on/off; 5.all air or electric lines connected/ disconnected.