Hi folks
I did a shift shunting containers yesterday and took some pictures. Note that I have photoshopped off the owner’s name of the truck to preserve their privacy.
Learning to use this beastie was the main challenge of the day. Here it is on the narrow setting, as I’ve just loaded a 20’ container.
Those tyres are chest-high on me, and I’m 6’. As I hadn’t even ever used any sort of fork-lift bigger than a hand pump-truck it took a bit of getting used to. Visibility was an issue as was the extreme slipperyness of the yard 
View from the rear. It felt like driving a Wimpey two-bedroom starter home: 
Here’s me bringing a 20 footer to load onto my wagon:
And here it is in position. Getting the containers onto the wagon was tricky, as it was so slippery that the container machine would barely steer. I had to be lined up properly from a long way back, and that was hard to judge.
Here’s the view from my cab of the stack of containers that I had moved during the day. Quite neat for a beginner I think: 
Once when I got to the yard my colleague was using the container machine. I took the opportunity to photograph his trailer, as it’s a bit special:
Here’s a picture of his truck later, with it’s clothes on. That’s a 30’ on the front trailer and a 40’ on the b-trailer::
Z
Nice collection of pics there ZP - cheers.
Looks like a lot of fun in the snow. 
Cracking pics and description ZP.
That’s given me an insight into a job I’ve never done, so thanks for that.
BTW, glad to see that you got some work.
top pictures mate, how do you get along on the roads in the snow, over here peoples abandon their cars if it sleets for more than 5 minutes!..
WOW
Nice to see things from that perspective - nice one
wirralpete:
top pictures mate, how do you get along on the roads in the snow, over here peoples abandon their cars if it sleets for more than 5 minutes!..
Well, I’m new to wagon driving here (after a break of about 13 years) and I have to say it is a bit nerve-wracking 
. I’ve lived here for long enough to be confident with a car, whatever the conditions, but driving something big has had me really sweating a few times.
The last time I was out ‘down the road’ it didn’t seem too bad at first - then I noticed flashing blue lights ahead. I slowed very, very gently and saw that two cars had slid off the road. What really scared me was that when I tried to accelerate I realised that I had virtually no grip whatsoever. The pusher axle was already completely raised as I had an empty box on. It was a kilometre or two before the conditions had got so that I could get back up to 60kmh again, and a kilometre or two further before I had the balls to drive at 80 again .
Having said that, from my experiences car driving and from what my HGV driving colleagues have told me it’s very rare that it is that slippery on the main highways. Around town there have been times when the need to plan ahead has been very clear - for example timing oneself through traffic lights so as not to have to stop, half-lifting the pusher axle in good time if needed, keeping enough speed on going uphill, and so on.
I’m really looking forward to the summer
Z
