Hello folks ,advice needed.
I’ve managed to find a bit of work pulling double decker trailers .
I have never pulled them before ,I know the height is an issue and forward planning of routes would make the job easier ,is there anything else I should be aware off ?
Thanks in advance
Dee
Be careful of the rock and rolling.
Make sure all the heavier stuff is loaded on the bottom deck :thumbup:
Take your time at roundabouts most deckers are fitted with a anti tip device which puts the brakes on if your trailer leans to far but don’t rely on it.
Make sure the runners/rails are greased because its a nightmare trying to pull curtain shut when your at full stretch and it gets stuck lol
If its a hydraulic deck rather than a fixed deck… Make sure if the top deck isn’t fully loaded you use a load bar to section off the front part of the deck by the head board so you can place the weight in the middle of the deck ie evenly distribute the weight between the 4 rams that raise the deck. Otherwise if all the weights at the front the deck won’t raise evenly and level. The trailers I use need a little extra help to raise the deck too so the engine needs to be running for a bit of extra juice 
I pull them regularly, and much of what has been said is spot on.
One thing that has not been said though, is from set off you will get wheel spin on your drive axle if it’s a box because usually they can’t get anything into the swan neck, hence the problems. If it’s a curtain and you are there when they load it, then try and get some weight on the pin, and make sure the weight is on the bottom deck anyhow.
Damage to the front n/s corner is VERY common because of trees etc. Make sure that those you are pulling for are aware as you could end up with a bill for damage you haven’t caused. Take pics if possible with a date stamp if it’s your phone, and keep them on a hard drive for future arguments.
If your just trunking, then you shouldn’t have any battery problems, but if your tipping them with the tailift, then once you’ve tipped the top deck, then fire the engine up for a few minutes to charge your truck batteries up, otherwise you’ll end up flat.
And of course alter your height indicator and carry a spare pair of undercrackers. 
Ken.
urban859:
Take your time at roundabouts most deckers are fitted with a anti tip device which puts the brakes on if your trailer leans to far but don’t rely on it.
Also at roundabouts,if it’s got small wheels,watch the ■■■■■■■. The tyres are an awkward size,and the wheels ain’t readily available either.
Thanks very much folks as usual always get the right info on here ,a great forum altogether .
It is a box double decker with hydraulic deck and tail lift.
I’m a bit daunted as I’ve seen lads driving them especially down the m1 and they seem very close to some of the motorway bridges to the extent if I’m behind one I always keep well back just in case untill I’m between bridges and then pass them.
Food for thought!
Also tipp top deck first I’m sure?
Thanks all
Dee
Doesn’t matter which deck you tip first if its all coming off. But obviously never turn a wheel with the top deck loaded and the bottom empty 
One more thing is, when the top deck is up… Make sure all 4 stops come out if your walking underneath it. The stops are there so if the hydraulics fail then the floor doesn’t come crashing down. It will only fall 6 inches or so onto the stops
As for the height… Some may call it over the top but the first thing I did was to buy a truck sat nav. I don’t fancy weaving my way around an accident on the motorway on the back roads without some sort of help lol
stokiedan:
As for the height… Some may call it over the top but the first thing I did was to buy a truck sat nav. I don’t fancy weaving my way around an accident on the motorway on the back roads without some sort of help lol
■■■■■.
Ken.
I still duck going under some bridges !!! Lol
not sure on what type of work you are doing but keep an eye on axle and gross weights if you have access to a weighbridge as they are easily overloaded,i work for a large retail company who run dd’s and they are regularly overloaded by bank staff…our current record at our depot is 51 ton gross with 10 ton over each rear axle!!! every little helps!
If it’s blowing a hoolie, run alongside another artic roughly half way up the side of his trailer. It disrupts the airflow enough to stop any low pressure on your leeward side sucking you over.
As said, make sure you get plenty of weight on the lower deck. I was fortunate in that the ones Target Express used to run had most of the bottom deck below the rear axle line so were incredibly stable and could be thrown around quite a bit.
Don’t worry about what’s behind you too much, you’ll soon find yourself comfortable pulling them. That said, at first your ■■■ will squeak every time you check your mirror when going around roundabouts and seeing the lean on them, absolutely nothing to worry about though.