What could have happened?

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

This afternoon on the A14 I saw something rather unsettling.

I passed a Volvo tractor unit pulling one of those 5 axle split trailers with 2 containers on it. As I passed, I noticed that there was about a 15 inch gap between the two containers, whereas they should almost be touching. I looked at the middle of the trailer and it was obviously not joined back together properly - the boom on the rear section that fits into the front was showing about 1 foot!

If you don’t understand my description, I’m referring to one of these, as you can see there is a section of the rear bit that slots into the front bit:

If you know about how these trailers work, could the back section possibly have separated while he was moving? It obviously wasn’t fastened together properly.

I don’t like to think what could have happened if it had!

2

Please excuse the silly question

were you in a position to signal to the driver to pull over

or had something already happened ?

3

glencarron:
Please excuse the silly question

were you in a position to signal to the driver to pull over

or had something already happened ?

I wasn’t really, as the traffic was quite heavy and people behind me, had to concentrate on getting past.

4

glencarron:
Please excuse the silly question

were you in a position to signal to the driver to pull over

or had something already happened ?

you beat me to it , surely the driver was flagged down or was flashed at .

5

we used to have a splitter trailer that you could leave a gap to allow for gensets on the two fridge boxes .could that be it ■■?

6

A mate of mine killed a cyclist on the A14 before the A140 turn-off with one of those trailers -a slipstream job.

7

dilbert:
we used to have a splitter trailer that you could leave a gap to allow for gensets on the two fridge boxes .could that be it ■■?

Dilbert,

It could well be the same thing then.

I have no idea how those trailers work, perhaps it was supposed to be like that.

If so, i’m sure the driver wouldnt have seen the funny side of being flagged down!!

8

As you can see from your pic that there are various holes along the length of the drawbar, must be that he had a bit more drawbar with a few more holes than you are used to :wink:

9

Nothing to worry about,you can set the nooteboom trailer up so there is the gap.
I think they call it set in the “customs position” were as you are able to check the seal on the front container.
Also very handy when you have a genset fitted to the front of a reefer on the back container. :wink:

10

There is a few different variations of them, i have seen some before that have a distinctive gap between the boxes

11

Davemiracleman:
Nothing to worry about,you can set the nooteboom trailer up so there is the gap.
I think they call it set in the “customs position” were as you are able to check the seal on the front container.
Also very handy when you have a genset fitted to the front of a reefer on the back container. :wink:

^ What he said.

Also needed when you carry a 45’ in the neck.

12

Thanks for the responses everyone, i have learnt something new!