The golden rule of split coupling is “TRAILER AND UNIT PARK BRAKE ON!”
eagerbeaver:
Rjan:
The process should be outlawed or at least treated (and regulated) like working on live electric cables.I know at least once (and possibly more) I’ve been a moment’s hesitation away from a serious mistake when split coupling.
It sounds funny admitting that I forget now exactly what the circumstances have been, I just know I’ve come too close.
You have come close to a serious mistake. But you don’t ’ remember ’ ?
I’m certainly struggling to put faint recollections into words without sounding like I’m burbling like a burst ■■■■■■■■. The mistakes did not materialise.
I seem to recall a situation where the trailer could have come at me on the catwalk after putting on the red line, and I literally stopped while I already had it in my hands ready to push, although I’m struggling to reconstruct what set of circumstances would have made that likely.
I also seem to recall the risk of the unit and trailer running away from each other due to being mithered or “helped” during a split coupling, or dropping it on its knees or something, but again I struggle to remember the context exactly, whether I was coupling or uncoupling at the time, etc.
Thing is we’ve all dropped a bollock of one sort or another, the older tackle had different dangers due to cable parking brakes that only worked for the month after MOT, and pre spring brakes where the brakes released once air pressure was lost, if something moved where it shouldn’t we all called each other all the ■■■■■ under the sun and learned from the mistake.
Now though we’re surrounded by H&S nazis itching to justify their jobs, and a curious bunch of fellow workers dying for a pat on the head who will shop you for any such misdemeanor, so instead of a good natured ■■■■ take from your mates, or the gaffer tell you what you are in not such a fiendly tone if he saw it, you are summarily dismissed for gross misconduct.
I believe coupling up has never been safer, due in no small way to air suspenders spring brakes and parking brakes that work, but we’ve all got to get it right every time cos some bugger is always watching you can guarantee that.
Split coupling IMHO should become banned everywhere within a certain time frame, no need for it any more, the companies have options of sliding suzie blocks which can be connected on the ground or two position fifth wheels like Asda operate, where the fifth wheel is right back for (un)coupling and once coupled and lines connected you simply reverse back till the fifth wheel clicks in to its second position for running, no reason the two coupling up positions couldn’t be incorporated into a normal sliding fifth wheel frame for those who need fully adjustable fifth wheels, similar to the sliding chassis locks on a skelley trailer.
Juddian:
Split coupling IMHO should become banned everywhere within a certain time frame, no need for it any more, the companies have options of sliding suzie blocks which can be connected on the ground or two position fifth wheels like Asda operate, where the fifth wheel is right back for (un)coupling and once coupled and lines connected you simply reverse back till the fifth wheel clicks in to its second position for running, no reason the two coupling up positions couldn’t be incorporated into a normal sliding fifth wheel frame for those who need fully adjustable fifth wheels, similar to the sliding chassis locks on a skelley trailer.
Of course there’s…
A reason not to adopt this method… cost.
If it costs money you can be assured it’s not very high up on the list. I agree with you that split coupling just invites mistakes but, if the driver can be blamed and money saved by not implementing new fangled costly equipment then, that’s what will happen.
Sand Fisher:
The-Snowman:
Almost came a cropper today.
Went to hook up a trailer, went under it but as it was a fridge I decided to split couple as I was in an Actros that needed a lot of leverage to get the red line in. Put the suzzies on then noticed the rear door had blown round and was catching the trailer next to so I went and closed it. I then noticed the one next to me had its offside door open so I closed that then noticed all the trailers were the same. “Wonder why that is?” I thought but carried on and put the legs up, let the trailer brake off, jumped in and moved off. The trailer parking is downhill slightly with a barrier in front so I was angled when I braked slightly and felt the trailer move. “Hmm. That didnt feel right” so I stopped. It took a second to dawn on me what id done.
“[zb]” thinks I. I didnt connect the pin!
Jumped out and sure enough the kingpin isnt locked. Put the trailer brake on and reversed. I’ve never been relieved to hear the kingpin lock but I sure as [zb] was that time!
It was a scary moment and I thank my stars it was downhill.
Its scary how easily it is to be distracted and how close I came to coming a cropper all for wondering why some trailer doors were open
So any newbies reading this, when hooking up a trailer dont be distracted like a cat with a shiny object!Tut tut didn’t follow your BLACK procedure!
Easy done mate. Thing I usually forget is taking the trailer brake off. Doesn’t help when they are on the off side.
Please explain how you follow the ’ BLACK ’ acronym when the first thing in the list is to attach the dog clip?
yourhavingalarf:
Juddian:
[…]Of course there’s…
A reason not to adopt this method… cost.
If it costs money you can be assured it’s not very high up on the list. I agree with you that split coupling just invites mistakes but, if the driver can be blamed and money saved by not implementing new fangled costly equipment then, that’s what will happen.
It is often management fantasy that they have the defence of “blaming the driver” if a serious human casualty arises.
They can only blame the driver if he deviates without reasonable excuse from a procedure that has been first demonstrated to him, then rehearsed under supervision over several separate occasions (at pace and as part of a wider context of work), and then regularly exercised, and such real training costs a hell of a lot of money in the long term compared to intrinsically safe equipment.
A “reasonable excuse” for a driver might simply be that a driver was interrupted unexpectedly, or that (like Snowman) he was distracted by some other confusing circumstances (such as why all trailers doors were open and flapping around in the wind), and then eyes are back on the employer for having an insufficiently controlled and predictable environment for a safety-critical task, that the worker was inadequately familiar with the site, that other workers were not adequately trained to understand that interruptions should be avoided, etc.
Also, paper instructions and classroom slideshows (which I’ve frequently encountered) are an essential supplement to practical training, but they aren’t a substitute for it. Most of us become better at assembling flat-pack furniture not because we become better at reading or following instructions, but because we become more familiar (from past practical experience) with its components, tools, and assembly principles.
Managers whose liability-evasion strategy is a pile of paperwork and a slideshow should think about whether they want their “training” to be characterised in a court of law as handing a worker flat-pack instructions and telling them to get on with it.
I once dropped a trailer half-loaded with biscuits.
When the boss saw it he said “Crumbs!”
No bollocking, but I’ve never done it since, and never forgot that time!
Now long retired, but I still do not like being spoken to when coupling up my caravan. (Oh, hell, am I allowed to use that word on here?)
emmerson2:
I still do not like being spoken to when coupling up my caravan. (Oh, hell, am I allowed to use that word on here?)
Sinner. May a plague of locusts infest your socks.
James the cat:
emmerson2:
I still do not like being spoken to when coupling up my caravan. (Oh, hell, am I allowed to use that word on here?)Sinner. May a plague of locusts infest your socks.
God help the locusts!
eagerbeaver:
Please explain how you follow the ’ BLACK ’ acronym when the first thing in the list is to attach the dog clip?
NO … the first thing you do is check that the bloody trailer brake is on!! 
Who taught you? 
Sand Fisher:
eagerbeaver:
Please explain how you follow the ’ BLACK ’ acronym when the first thing in the list is to attach the dog clip?NO … the first thing you do is check that the bloody trailer brake is on!!
Who taught you?
Yep, you should. But as regards the BLACK acronym, how do you attach a dog clip first when you haven’t engaged the pin in the fifth wheel?
I dropped my trailer on its knee’s after being distracted by another driver, as soon as I started pulling forward I knew I hadn’t wound the legs down but I just couldn’t stop in time then that THUD and I put my head in my hands 
Just to add insult to injury, all this happened right in front of the TM!
He came up to me and said “do I need to b*&^%$£ you” ? “No, the embarrassment factor more than enough thank you” so it as a case winding the legs up enough so the ‘Early Risers’ did the rest of the job!
eagerbeaver:
Sand Fisher:
eagerbeaver:
Please explain how you follow the ’ BLACK ’ acronym when the first thing in the list is to attach the dog clip?NO … the first thing you do is check that the bloody trailer brake is on!!
Who taught you?
Yep, you should. But as regards the BLACK acronym, how do you attach a dog clip first when you haven’t engaged the pin in the fifth wheel?
Because it’s reversed mate, KCALB, Kingping-Clip-Airlines-Legs-Brake, and I agree checking the Brake is on before the fifth wheel even touches the trailer is the first thing that should be done, I also check the load/paperwork, tyres and look for loose bits before I even go under, I’m not going to waste my time coupling up only to find the trailers wrong or going nowhere because I did the walkaround afterwards.
Maybe I am living in a parallel universe.
How the f**k during a split coupling can I do the kingpin/clip first when I haven’t engaged the pin in the fifth wheel?
eagerbeaver:
Maybe I am living in a parallel universe.How the f**k during a split coupling can I do the kingpin/clip first when I haven’t engaged the pin in the fifth wheel?
No need for the heavy sarcasm EB I missed the split coupling part, I was referring to a standard couple up, sorry old bean, please extinguish the flames from your laser powered death stare 
Reef:
eagerbeaver:
Maybe I am living in a parallel universe.How the f**k during a split coupling can I do the kingpin/clip first when I haven’t engaged the pin in the fifth wheel?
No need for the heavy sarcasm EB I missed the split coupling part, I was referring to a standard couple up, sorry old bean, please extinguish the flames from your laser powered death stare
No worries mate. Just a bit of juvenile behaviour (again 
)
