Just passed a canute trailer on fire m74 south bound near Gretna 1st off would you pull the 5th wheel and snap your suzies to get tractor unit away and second what causes trailer fires
If it’s possible to drop the trailer without killing yourself then yeah of course I would, why wouldn’t anyone try to save the unit, I wouldn’t necessarily snap the Susie’s, if the fire was towards the back then you could have time to get the legs at least part way down and it only takes a few seconds to drop the lines onto the catwalk.
As for how it started, it could be a number of things, mechanical fault or something in the load, who knows.
I know I would try and save the unit the driver of the canute unit didn’t and it was only the tyres on fire all of them but just the tyres I would have done something to save the unit just could not believe he was just stood watching it with highways agency
Brakes were binding, get very hot & Whoosh ! Up go the tyres. Should have had time to save the unit though, unless the wind was blowing to the front. ?
How would you know they were blinding
If the driver had got the unit away, what would his boss do, award him the George Cross?Why put yourself at risk? It’s a company vehicle after all. If you can, get your kit out and keep away. I’d rather have to drive a replacement wagon than a trip to a burns centre. Having said that if someone was trapped, I’d do all I could to help.
drivergraham:
How would you know they were blinding
Release the parking brake and check the unit and trailer roll as part of daily checks. Melted wheel nut indicators are another sign. Otherwise if it happens after a problem develops from an emergency stop, or something, checking mirrors but, in fairness, you might not see a lot until it was too late.
A wheel bearing can be another cause same effect as a binding brake heat build up. Regarding dropping the trailer surely any driver worth his salt would if at all possible try to save the unit. The Fire and Police services I don’t think would be to chuffed if you were stood there watching it burning knowing you initially had time to get it away. Eddie.
Supposing you could get to clip and kingpin but not get legs down, would you entertain dropping trailer onto it’s knees? I guess it’s mainly damage to road and anything nearby to consider, as the trailer won’t exactly be hooked up to anything again in a hurry.
th2013:
Supposing you could get to clip and kingpin but not get legs down, would you entertain dropping trailer onto it’s knees? I guess it’s mainly damage to road and anything nearby to consider, as the trailer won’t exactly be hooked up to anything again in a hurry.
Christ yeah I’d drop it on its knees! It’s on fire, the road surface is going to be damaged anyway so to hell with it. Also as a tramper With an insane amount of crap I carry I’d do my level best to get the unit out. It’s all well and good saying grab your kit and run, but for me it’d be quicker to just pull the pin. I’d end up making that many trips to get stuff that I’m sure to forget something. I also imagine our lass would be livid if I left her on the bunk but saved my I pad.
I’d rather give my boss a bill for new rear light clusters than a bill for a complete tractor unit. Yes insurance would cover it but it’s the downtime and other factors when it comes to writing off a unit.
m1cks:
I’d rather give my boss a bill for new rear light clusters .
With a heavy enough trailer M1cks you’d come out like an Exocet missile and clear the lights no bother! 
drivergraham:
1st off would you pull the 5th wheel and snap your suzies to get tractor unit away
Doesn’t matter what anyone on this thread writes you do not know how you’d react. You might like to think you’d pull the pin but you could be like a rabbit in headlights and freeze.
It’s actually happened to me on the M6 south near Preston. I subsequently found a wheel bearing had gone, blew 1 tyre which some other driver saw and managed to stop me, then when stopped everything started heating up to the point of fire. All 6 tyres on that side eventually blew with an almighty bang, I phoned the fire service first then decided that the fire at this stage wasn’t big and threatening so I got the legs down Suzie’s off and got the unit away a safe distance. There is nothing you can do but stand at the side of the road and watch your trailer disappear in the flames until the fire service arrives.
10 points for you.
Can insurance companies refuse to pay if your uncoupled on public roads?
irishbatch:
Can insurance companies refuse to pay if your uncoupled on public roads?
no
I have just come in mind of one of McGAWN of AYR an ATKINSON BORDERER came off the M6 onto the M61 few hundred yds up the pull on the 61 heres smoke from the dash so ALEC runs round opens the passenger door to get his trailer handle off the cab floor when there was a WOOSH and off it went he managed to grab his case of the seat and he said under 10mins and all that was left was the chassis and engine fibreglass cab was a wee pile o ash. The trailer had slight damage at the front. Eddie.
its amazing how quick you can actually drop a trailer when its on fire,when it happened to me at Darrington on the A1 i shot up the catwalk, lines off, jumped off the battery box and wound the legs down, my usual routine would of been to go and get the numberplate next but seeing as that was the end that was on fire i was willing to sacrifice it and went straight round for the pin, i bet it all took less than 30 seconds and i was away from under it, I thought i had done particularly well getting it off the road and dropped off safely, 20 minutes later i was getting a bollicking off a red faced farmer for setting his fence on fire 
I would save the unit if possible and i would only pull the pin if i thought lines were too risky. Legs aren’t important. The trailer will probably be written off anyway judging by an insurance mans opinion when a Shetland transport trailer was set on fire in Aberdeen. An accelerant was thrown in the back and lit. The damage was only the trailer body and reckoned it would be written off or converted to flatbed. Damaged legs don’t compare to the cost of the unit plus the extra damage created by all the flammable materials which are on the unit
the police and fire brigade are not going to worry about the legs damaging the road surface when you prevent several hundred litres of fuel from spilling when the tank ruptures