Comming off a slightly damp (not wet mind you, just damp) A511/A50 Roundabout at Coalville this afternoon with the traction control on, just got to the point where you gently put the power on and noticed the back end of my trailer start to swing in towoard the drivers side in my mirror . I wasnāt going too quick anyway (less than 18mph from what I can make out) as I ādrive like Daisyā I took my foot off the accelarator and steered in towoard the mirror the trailer was swinging into (it felt the right thing to do is all I can say - weather it did any good, I donāt know). It didnāt do me a lot of good and the bloke on the outside of me in a transit didnāt look to chuffed either as I ended up at a slightly jaunty angle on the roundabout . I stopped in the next avalible labye to compose myself before heading home.
Didnāt half put the thruppney bits up me, I can tell you . Could have been a lot worse than it was and a valuable lesson learnt. These things can happen, even at the slowest speeds.
yes they do happen at the lowest of speeds and there aināt alot that you can do about it,apart from calling on your experiance of driving articās over the years.you just pray that no-one getās injured during these mishaps.
The merest weight transfer forward can lighten the rear just enough to reduce traction and initiate a slide.
And as most of us know, when it happens, it just happensā¦
Something that has always escaped me is this: When driving a car or ārigidā for that matter, the conventional method of escaping a āskidā is to steer into the direction that the reer of the vehicle is travelling. (Its very rare to have the space and time available to āpowerā out) So, surely, if you were to steer into the skid in an artic you would be compounding the break and creating a ājack-knifeā?
Therefore, āwhat is a generally accepted method of getting out of a skid in an articā?
Something else to consider for any ānewā professionals is this: A vehicle is at its most stable when travelling in a straight line at a constant speed. Any deviation from this, braking, steering etc. sets up gravitational forces that affect its stability immensely. If you can, always brake in a straight line, early enough to avoid creating āloss of controlā situations.
We have the same problem with Mercedes 2543 Axors. The tractor units have a tendancy to āaqua-planeā when negotiating junctions on wet roads - they can be extremely vicious for the unwary! As the unit slides sideways, it can give the impression that the trailer is jack-knifing! Caught me out a few times when Iāve been chasing my tail!!!
brummie:
We have the same problem with Mercedes 2543 Axors. The tractor units have a tendancy to āaqua-planeā when negotiating junctions on wet roads - they can be extremely vicious for the unwary! As the unit slides sideways, it can give the impression that the trailer is jack-knifing! Caught me out a few times when Iāve been chasing my tail!!!
That sounds about right Brummie. You could well have hit the nail right on the head, the unit was a Scania 380l T reg but it sounds about riight for what happened.
so is there a way to avoid this at all?? i did notice that a couple of weeks ago while in daventry especially near roundabouts i was going dead slow up to them but the slightest pressure on the brakes the tractor unit felt like i was losing control of it and i did notice that on some occassions my trailor seemed to be swinging out a bitā¦is this a common problem or is it just a newbie not driving rightā¦it happened both loaded and unloaded
Despite the fact that it bends, the same principle applies in that you should still steer into the skid. It wonāt exacerbate the problem doing so. If you steered away from the skid then that would most likely cause you to jack.
Iāve had it happen a few times when negotiating tight turns and roundabouts where the trailer wants to lead the way and Iāve never had a problem correcting it. Just ease off the gas very very gently and it will correct itself if itās in its early stages. NEVER BRAKE and never lift off the gas pedal harshly as that could have the trailer coming round even worse as the weight balance transfers to the front corner of the trailer which is already pushing sideways. Those of you that drive anything with liquid in will know what I mean.
If the trailer is well on its way to coming round then steer into it as much as you can and if possible, accelerate too to help pull the unit straight.
Golden rules are never to brake when skidding, never brake when cornering or turning especially in the wet and if a corner or turn is actually tighter than you prepared for, brake whilst youāre still going straight, not as you make the turn.
Liberace:
Ok all, thanks for the advice, especially ROB, Iāll know what to do if I get it again. You ought to see me pottering around at the munite though .
Think you mentioned you were driving an Axor somewhere; these are actually a very good unit to experiment with . I find them predictable in that I know they will slide on a wet roundabout for example. If youāve got a good sense of judgement of where they bite you can power slide them all the way round a roundabout . I speak from experience as it was very early one morning and I toeād it at about 20 degrees slide round the big wide roundabout of the M54 with the A449 - great fun . Just make sure youāre counter-steering like hell, keep the gas steady and be ready for it snapping back at you the other way if/when it suddenly finds some grip .
Er, no Rob, itās a Scannie (aside from today when theyāve got no work for me and Iām sat at home paid 8 hours ). Personally it put the wind up me enough not to invite it do do that again .
None taken Piggy, I still constantly feel like a newbie - even though Iām not far away from the two year thing and am still asking questions but I guess your allways learning in this game anyways. I think the day I wonāt ask a stupid question is the day I give up driving .
and never lift off the gas pedal harshly as that could have the trailer coming round even worse as the weight balance transfers to the front corner of the trailer which is already pushing sideways. Those of you that drive anything with liquid in will know what I mean.
. I find them predictable in that I know they will slide on a wet roundabout for example. If youāve got a good sense of judgement of where they bite you can power slide them all the way round a roundabout 
. I speak from experience as it was very early one morning and I toeād it at about 20 degrees slide round the big wide roundabout of the M54 with the A449 - great fun 
. Just make sure youāre counter-steering like hell, keep the gas steady and be ready for it snapping back at you the other way if/when it suddenly finds some grip 
