Now this is going to seem like a stupid question to some of you (well, it IS a stupid question I suppose) but bear with me. Feel free to rip the ■■■■ for asking if you want!
I saw a video on faceache earlier and it was a trailer on fire and the poster wondered why he hadnt disconnected the trailer.
Now I can connect and disconnect a trailer fairly quickly (especially if its teaming down with rain) but I reckon if my trailer caught fire even a quick unhook would seem like an eternity.
So if it happened to you, what would you do? A full unhook or just pull the pin and drive off, letting the suzzies get ripped out and the trailer falling on its knees? I reckon thats what id do since my reasoning is the trailers a goner anyway, and suzzies are fairly cheap to replace but I havent really given it much thought.
Or has anyone had a trailer fire? What did you do?
Again, apologies for the daft question but im hiding behind “information gathering for incase it ever happens to me”
I did hear story about a driver whose trailer caught fire. They managed to get the unit unhooked and moved a safe distance away, unfortunately they left the burning trailer under an electronic motorway sign. The bill for its replacement was rather large.
As for me personally, I guess it would depend on the circumstance, if I had time, do things properly. If I didn’t have time, sod the lot grab me phone and ■■■■ and keep warm.
Just as an after thought, I would imagine most trailer fires are caused by over heating brakes. Would it be best to pull out without dropping the legs, leaving the flames at the highest point of the trailer?
It depends on where the fire is and what you’ve got on board. If it’s a brake or tyre fire and you’re carrying something that will burn slowly then you could probably disconnect it properly. Since I always carry flammables you’d better believe I’m straight out of that cab and running like ■■■■!
I guess that this is one of them scenarios you can never predict until it happens. Speaking personally I’m not particularly bothered about my insured tractor unit but I am bothered about the accumulated personal crap inside it, therefore I’d be keen to get away from the trailer.
I’d also guess that my actions would be shaped by the type of trailer fire. A small, localised wheel fire would probably see me doing a quick, but controlled proper trailer drop, an inferno would see me either running away screaming or a pin pull and accelerate as hard as I could until the air ran out and the brakes came on.
In mist cases I think I’d figure out how close the fire was to the legs. Getting BBQ’d while winding down - not in my contract, but if its still at the back I might do the full thing.
Trouble is when you do general ADR pallet loads, remembering how close the flamable was to the back wheels can be hard, so might just run.
the maoster:
A small, localised wheel fire would probably see me doing a quick, but controlled proper trailer drop, an inferno would see me either running away screaming
There are also loads of variables between those.To the point where the former could turn into the latter within the time it takes to get out of the cab and pull the pin.Running away in the opposite direction screaming like a girl is always a good call at the first sign of fire.It’s then just a question of how brave do you feel at the time.
Late 84 with our old Atki 401 , I had a hub/tyre fire on the hill on M65 near Blackburn with an older empty flat twin axle trailer that wasn’t ours. Stopped pulled pin and dropped it and moved 50m forward, it burned quite well until fire brigade appeared with it on its knees whilst I sort out shagged air . It was craned onto a recovery trailer later and that night they repaired the tarmac.
Sod risking leaving it connected.
Had a Mercedes 2033 that caught fire many years ago, cab underfelt dropped down onto turbo, did the legs, suzies, pin, jumped back in cab by which time cab was filling with smoke and flames were starting to come up through gear lever hole, managed to pull it out from under trailer and then leapt clear.
Annoying thing was I had one of the first ever portable colour TV’s which cost me a fortune and I forgot all about it and left it in the cab.
Boss was pleased though as trailer and load was OK.
The fire was at the back axle on the trailer. You sort of go into autopilot. I disconnected the lines, wound legs down and pulled pin, it all took less than a minute. Got the tractor unit a decent distance away. Called the fire brigade.
Was going to answer but just seen Maoster’s post and that is more or less what I would have put.
My priority would be all my own personal kit and crap in my unit not catching fire, so I’d approach the method of uncoupling according to how severe the trailer fire was.
Another thing snowman, in your case you wouldn’t want your sleeping bag catching fire and losing it now would you.
Depends on the fire really and where it is and what your carrying, if possible I’d try to drop the trailer safely if not let it burn after grabbing my important possesions.
If it’s a MERC then I’d add fuel to the fire and happily watch it ■■■■■■■ burn lol
You will react in whatever way your nature is to react, I don’t think that you can plan or prepare for it, you will do whatever comes naturally for you, just hope it doesn’t maim or kill you should it happen.
I never had a fire myself, but I used to pull fridges a lot, and they burn pretty well. The main causes were the fridge motor or the trailer tyres: if the fridge was on fire, there is no way I would get under it to pull the pin; if it was a trailer tyre, I would uncouple (maybe wind the legs down?) and get the unit clear.
If like me you carry too much stuff of personal value you’ll pull the pin and get it all clear of the fire contained in the tractor unit. If possible I’d disconnect the suzies as well so I’ve got a ride back to the yard before going home suffering from shock which means the rest of the week off to recover [emoji23]
most companies policy would or should be "get out and get away, then 999.
but in the heat of the moment (pun intended really),
I would probably use the “BLACK” procedure, having had it hammered into me so many times by our driver trainers…
wouldn’t bother about the number plate though !
