Am I right in thinking all I have to do is push the shunt button, connect the airlines and lift the trailer up and that’s it?
Soz for being ‘thick’ but… if ya don’t know, ya just don’t know.
You might want to press the red knob in. 
Yorkysays:-:
Am I right in thinking all I have to do is push the shunt button, connect the airlines and lift the trailer up and that’s it?
Soz for being ‘thick’ but… if ya don’t know, ya just don’t know.
Are you talking about the normal way to connect a trailer or using the shunt button to quickly move a trailer, it could just be me but the question seems to be a bit confusing as to what you’re trying to do.
The shunt valve uses the air stored in the trailer to release the trailer brakes, without a suzie being fitted.
As soon as you fit a red suzie, it’ll blow the shunt valve back out, over-riding it.
For a normal hitch up, you should set the park brake, make sure it’s applied. Then hitch up, fit suzies and finally release the park brake before driving away.
Shunt brake isn’t normally part of a hitch up.
No the shunt button is there to save you using the suzies when shunting on site if you push the shunt button in and connect the suzies the shunt button will blow out its there to save you using the red air line whie shunting trls on site.
BIG AW
I need to drop one trailer, pick another up, move that one out of the way so I can put the original trailer in it’s place. Ummmm, think I made it sound over complicated.
Ahhhh, no suzies connected, that’s good. Is it worth connecting the lights at night?
Yorkysays:-:
Ahhhh, no suzies connected, that’s good. Is it worth connecting the lights at night?
No not unless the elf and safety brigade are mustard if your getting on the duck board to connect the light suzie you might as well put the red air line on
BIG AW:
Yorkysays:-:
Ahhhh, no suzies connected, that’s good. Is it worth connecting the lights at night?No not unless the elf and safety brigade are mustard if your getting on the duck board to connect the light suzie you might as well put the red air line on
I see, thanks.
Could really do with lights but I’ll try without any suzies tonight.
Thanks for the replies.
If you have a snapped red suzie line, then it is possible to fold the (broken) line, put a cable tie to hold it that way, which then allows the cab to build up normal air for itself. Pressing the blue button in on the already connected trailer (except red line) then allows the combination to be moved, albeit with jerky brake action.
The blue button is therefore to bypass a red-line connection not working for some reason. Some tug shunters will press in the blue button, rather than connect a red airline when moving trailers about at depots I’ve noticed as well. Because standing trailers have differing amounts of “remaining air” left, the blue button cannot always be relied upon to work however, as previous posts have correctly pointed out that it is the trailer’s own reservoir that allows the blue button to work. If that reservoir is drained of air, pressing the blue button will not take the brakes off, and you ain’t going anywhere except by re-charging the reservoir from without using a normal red airline connected back to it!
Sod’s law also states that when “snapping a red suzie, the break will be at the very root at the tractor A frame end”, thus leaving you no length to “put a kink in” as it were. 
Shunt button should be covered by a sharp blade on a spring, anyone not a mechanic or a full time shunter using one should cause the thing to snap shut removing finger tips.
They are not meant to be used in normal operations, some do, usually those who dont have a minute to live and look for dodgy short cuts to save the 10 seconds it takes to attach the red line.
Juddian:
Shunt button should be covered by a sharp blade on a spring, anyone not a mechanic or a full time shunter using one should cause the thing to snap shut removing finger tips.
I’m with you on that one, they make it too easy to leave a trailer parked up without any brakes on. Personally I don’t think trailers should have them, it’s not like it’s any great effort to plug the red air line in to release the brakes.
Paul
If the trailer is loaded use the air lines, it is quite embarrassing when a trailer jackknifes in the yard when its raining 
I’ve heard tales of “running yourself over with your trailer” as well… 
I always thought that was because you brake hard with the blue button on, and the brake only slows the cab, not the trailer - since the brake lines are not connected at all. If the trailer is on the heavy side (fully loaded) and indeed in the rain (less friction) then you might even be playing “pendulum trailers” in the yard, skittling other parked up trailers as you attempt to whizz it around with a tug…
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tug driver bother to put the dog clip on either.
Tell you why i’m so anti the shunt button.
One of my workmates, a billy bloody whizz, helped me change trailers one night, didn’t want him to cos he’s a known catalyst for disaster, but he did anyway…that won’t happen again.
Unbeknown to me he’d pressed the bloody shunt button in on the empty i’m taking away, now normally connecting the red line pops the shunt button out, but it didn’t with this one (unless he pressed it after i’d connected the red), so i’ve left the premises and driving through the estate and all the bloody warning lights come up on the dash and when i gradually slow up its obvious there’s no trailer brake effort.
Had a butchers and sure enough theres the bloody shunt button pressed in…PITA.
Do not use the shunt button lads, and another tip, don’t let blokes who don’t have a minute to live help you either.
Top and bottom of it, don’t use the shunt button. Usually the lads who use the shunt button in the yard are the same lads who bend the landing legs “cos the Terberg drivers don’t wind the legs up”.
Yeah, but the Terbergs can lift the trailer a lot higher than a unit can.
Been out to a few trailers with bent landing legs, where drivers are trying to shunt them like a Terberg does.
Just do the job properly. Fit a suzie, wind the legs up.
Juddian:
Tell you why i’m so anti the shunt button.One of my workmates, a billy bloody whizz, helped me change trailers one night, didn’t want him to cos he’s a known catalyst for disaster, but he did anyway…that won’t happen again.
Unbeknown to me he’d pressed the bloody shunt button in on the empty i’m taking away, now normally connecting the red line pops the shunt button out, but it didn’t with this one (unless he pressed it after i’d connected the red), so i’ve left the premises and driving through the estate and all the bloody warning lights come up on the dash and when i gradually slow up its obvious there’s no trailer brake effort.
Had a butchers and sure enough theres the bloody shunt button pressed in…PITA.
Do not use the shunt button lads, and another tip, don’t let blokes who don’t have a minute to live help you either.
I don’t know if I am too ■■■■ or what but to be honest I would rather no one helps me hook up. You have your own routine and best to stick to it as its your neck on the line if something happens.
midlifetrucker:
Juddian:
Tell you why i’m so anti the shunt button.One of my workmates, a billy bloody whizz, helped me change trailers one night, didn’t want him to cos he’s a known catalyst for disaster, but he did anyway…that won’t happen again.
Unbeknown to me he’d pressed the bloody shunt button in on the empty i’m taking away, now normally connecting the red line pops the shunt button out, but it didn’t with this one (unless he pressed it after i’d connected the red), so i’ve left the premises and driving through the estate and all the bloody warning lights come up on the dash and when i gradually slow up its obvious there’s no trailer brake effort.
Had a butchers and sure enough theres the bloody shunt button pressed in…PITA.
Do not use the shunt button lads, and another tip, don’t let blokes who don’t have a minute to live help you either.
I don’t know if I am too ■■■■ or what but to be honest I would rather no one helps me hook up. You have your own routine and best to stick to it as its your neck on the line if something happens.
agree with this.
i hate it if someone wants to start chatting while i’m dropping or picking up a trailer, i like to stick to my, (■■■■) routine uninterupted 
Dont use them unless you have to . Stick to your routine or you’ll ■■■■ up sooner or later .
If they somehow manage to snap off in your hand they are perfect for winkling stones out of you tyres . try not to use them unless you absolutly have to.
Just a quick thought , i will not allow anyone to help me pickup/drop off a trailer for the same reason its my routine and im sticking to it , you are running the risk of something being missed .
i have a couple of good mates who do days at the place i do nights. often bump into them as i’m starting my night shift and they’ll tell me they have hooked motor up for me. i say thanks. once i’ve got settled in truck, and they’ve gone home, i still have to walk round and check it for myself, can’t help myself, but never hurts just to have 1 final check.
found the odd dog clip now and then not clipped in place.