I am wondering how trainers teach this procedure on a C+E drawbar test. Talking to other providers they all vary slightly
Now it has been some eight months since I passed my C+E on W&D but if I remember correctly*
With the unit and trailer parked side by side…
Check Brake
Number Plate
Airline
Eye
–>Whilst doing this also check body condition and general road worthiness (i.e. plating, nothing going to be dangerous spray suppression)
Ensure pin is in a position to take the trailer
Back up finishing just short of actually completely coupling and check unit and trailer height measures up…If so then back under
Check Pin has dropped
Airlines
Legs
Brakes
*I have been a sleep numerous times since passing and therefore I struggle to remember what I did yesterday yet along 29th Sepetember 2009 so there might be things forgotten 
I was taught to go from back to front (back of the trailer to front and then back of unit to front).
Starting with the vehicle coupled; the main things to remember, to avoid getting any faults marked, is parking brake first and leg before pin. The rest (of the uncouple) can be done in any order. Big no no stepping over the drawbar - reaching over it is okay.
Park the prime mover next to the trailer.
The examiner will ask you (the candidate) to “Couple to this trailer as if you’ve never seen it before.” He’s wanting to see the parking brake checked (applied i.e. on), the walk-around roadworthy condition checks, including tyres, doors secured and integrity of the drawbar/eye. Check the hitch (is open) on the prime mover and then line the vehicle and trailer up. Stop a few feet short to re-check alignment (although you can’t fail if you don’t and the coupling is successful - it’s better safe than sorry for the candidate!) then reverse until the hitch clicks. A couple of tugs to ensure safe complete coupling, engine off and dismount.
Visual check of hitch coupling indicator is complete/secure and then the rest can be doe in any order, bar releasing the parking brake which should be done last (a point we discussed at length as once the hitch is secure and the vehicle parking brake is applied, the trailer is ‘safe’ whether it’s own parking brake in applied or not).
Very important - ask the examiner to assist with a lights check. Finished.
I have never taught drawbar or driven one one the public highway but I have a question…
On artic it is easy to know roughly where the coupling pin is but on a drawbar the coupling is totally blind so… How does the trainee know when to stop the prime mover when backing up to the trailer ?
Rog,
Do you mean the stop short or once the ‘connection’ has been made?
Lining-up the prime mover and trailer is a case of getting the student to appreciate a ‘balanced picture in the mirrors’ i.e. central. Stopping short is a matter of practise/judgement, and the actual couple itself is very similar to an artic i.e. ‘CLICK’ and resistance. Tug, tug, going nowhere (cos the trailer parking brake is on of course!) so the two are coupled!
marcustandy:
Stopping short is a matter of practise/judgement
that’s the bit - ‘how close’ and ‘how do you know’ ■■
I am assuming that there is a trick to this - a mark or place that the driver sees or lines up in the mirror(s) which lets them know exactly how far is enough or too far when reversing to connect to the trailer??
ROG:
I am assuming that there is a trick to this - a mark or place that the driver sees or lines up in the mirror(s) which lets them know exactly how far is enough or too far when reversing to connect to the trailer??
marcustandy:
Stopping short is a matter of practise/judgement
I was allowed to get on with it and basically learn from practice but I watched how the unit and trailer came together. The way I did it (and might be totally wrong but heck it worked for me) was, on the unit body there is the horizontal plating at the bottom of the body (with the studs in). I lined the top of that with the middle of the trailer one and I was there.
I’ve a reversing camera 
never missed yet 
But I do practice with out it,I find if Im dead straight in the mirrors she’ll usually take first time.
Simon
Do what i did. When i un coupled and pulled forwards a few feet to put the bumper down, have a look arouned and see what is in line with your mirrors before you move the prime mover again
In my case, there was a little tree to my right which i used as a guide so i stopped in the right place
Wait till you get an “A” frame joby one that some ■■■ has reversed it in somewhere and not straigtened it up thats a bloody laugh to hit you have to line up on the front axle of the trailer and an absolute nightmare to reverse over a distance you have to use the arse end of the prime mover good advice for this is a third hand (knob on steering wheel) and a lot of steering hard locks then taking it off quick when th “A” frame has done what you wanted it to, not like a ■■■ I worked with kept pulling the whole rig forward to straighten it (very bad idea) needed binoculars to see him after an hour he just ended getting further and further away and our couplings where near the bumper with the tail swing you could correct easy took me some time to master it, turned up at a drop once walked in ( always a good idea on first time places) it was a log reverse up lane gate on left, in gate reverse right then left round corner where 2 loading bays was set back some artic drivers started ■■■■■■■ themselves as they was waiting but was told I had a slot as going for boat which thay was fine with, guy offered to watch me back, I done it in almost 1 a couple of arse twitches to correct the “A” frame and that was it, artic drivers gave me a round of applause and admitted they couldn’t do it, bloody europeans cheat with a front coupling 
Hey elmet training, how’s it going Paul, saw you in drag today with your trailer on. I can give you a few pointers cos had drawbar before gtting the artics. At Walton they are happiest with when parked alongside the trailer you just tell the examiner that you would remove the plate and lower the primemover bumber bar, no point doing it cos it’s a pain and they would rather save time down there. Apart from that, its the same as when you taught on our artics.
Doesn’t what order the lines go on, just ensure your ratchet handbrake is applied, we had air operated handbrake and coupling on ours, makes it much easier and more reliable. You will notice that the examiner will be looking for the coupling to be secure when the candidate is coupling because they taught to look for the handle being in the right place, ours was modified because it fouled the trailer on tight turns, that used to confuse them cos it was the wrong way up!