Having completed 46 years of truck driving. One thing I would like to add to your checks. Is to shine a torch across the 5th wheel pin, to see that the bar has come across. It's stood me in good stead for all those years and it takes a second to do.
@@johnmayberry7669 I think you are missing the point that this is an instructional video for people about to take their test for the first time. The examiner wants to see a professional driver doing things profressionally; certainly not dawdling but not going so fast that vital checks might be missed.
It does seem that doesn't often get taught, but most experienced drivers I see do exactly that. Drop the suspension, get under the trailer, lift the suspension back to to take the trailer's weight, and vice versa when dropping it. Saves smashing up the mudguards and also taking the weight off the trailer legs means you don't risk bending them when doing your tug test (I've done that, couldn't wind the legs up, absolute nightmare)...
Yes this is not unusual, it is called a close quarter uncouple. Previously we did do this because we had a refrigerated trailer. With regards to the suspension that can come down to company policy or safe system of work. We do not use that due to skids on the tractor unit these are designed to do this job perfectly. If the rain and spray suppression is making contact with the trailer then this can be removed.
Been a shunting on a dock for 13 years, self taught on these, I always lift as u go under, an lower as I leave a trailer, in the real world drivers don't leave an inch, doing my hgv tests next month old habits an all that ☹
Its good practice to drop the air out the unit when dropping a trailer. Ive damaged mudguards by not doing it. When picking up a trailer you should also drop the air out the unit then reverse under stopping short of the kingpin.. raise unit suspension all the way then back into kingpin (that way no damage to legs when doing tugtest and no grease all over) all this should be on test
Hi Mark, appreciate the input! The procedure in the video is a more in depth account of what is needed for the DVSA driving test. But there could always be more info added.
@@NationalDrivingCentre If you have a loaded trailer, the distance from the legs to the headboard can 'droop', therefore if leaving a gap under the legs this can result in the underside of the rubbing plate damaging the mud guards and tail lights once clear of the 5th wheel. (been there done that...) When coupling up, by leaving the landing legs short of the ground, the 5th wheel scrapes the grease off the 5th wheel on to the edge of the rubbing plate. When the driver stands on the catwalk to plug in the suzies, you can get the grease on the leg of your jeans, which can then can transfer to inside the cab. jeans ruined, grease inside the cab... not good. Not a criticism on your teachings, but DVSA need to come into the real world. These are skills for life, which should be done correctly or could result in serious injury or damage.
Once coupled up to the trailer and taking a forward 'shunt' or 2, to ensure the king pin is engaged, if the landing legs are still on the ground, this can cause undue stress on the legs and mechanism.
@@neilwarden7973 Yes.. With a heavy loaded trailer the legs DO need to be wound all the way down and then the suspension lowered. If not the trailer nose may be too low to get under again. There is also the danger of shooting the unit out if lowering it on the run-up ramps.
Now try that with a fridge trailer! And that must be the first time I have ever seen a driver not using gloves. All trailer power and air lines start of nice and clean but a few really tight turns and a bit of screwing around, those lines can get covered in grease.
Thank you, with regards to personal protective equipment this always comes down to company policy (it is not the law to wear gloves). It is always reminded when you turn up to a company to read the safe systems of work or method statement with regards to PPE. 👍👍👍👍 As long as your hand held equipment is kept clean and tidy, (Like ours is) then no transfer of dirt to the steering wheel.
@@NationalDrivingCentre Probably you didn't notice the grease on your colleague's hands. And PPE is imposed by the law.(Health and Safety at Work Act).Imagine touching this freezing iron in minus degrees during the winter.
ITS NOT THE LAW TO WEAR GLOVES????? ITS HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENT....I WILL CLIMB IN AND MY HANDS WILL BE FILTHY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL...FUCKIN PAIR OF DICK HEADS....
Pretty darn stupid on stilts to eschew the gloves tbh ? who needs a cacky steering wheel ? Bit of bogus machismatry going down here methinx ? l usually lubricate the male suzy (oerr)... with a finger scrape of grease from the trailer front to enable an easier purchase and avoiding risking a back strain issue as some plugs can be fairly unyielding at times.
Thanks Paul and Keith passed my reverse and uncoupling and recoupling. This week got my class 1 test on Monday the 14 of Oct thanks for all Ur videos great help keep up the good work.
Nice video, but in America we always look to make sure the locking jaws are secure around the kingpin, and we always leave the landing gear handle loose after cranking gear down, that way it doesn't flip up and get jamed under the trailer rail when the next guy hooks it.
Had that last week recently back after 20 or so years away and took me a few minutes to work out how to unjam the jacking legs lever but lucky jacked up air suspension and the lever dropped into position
Years ago when doing my HGV 1 we were taught to disconnect the lines nearer to oneself so not leaning over and perhaps getting gunge on your clothes. When connecting start with the furthest one.
Doesn’t care about gunge otherwise he would wear gloves, obviously likes spending his working day with dirty hands, added flavour for when he has his sandwiches at lunchtime. And then leaving a dirty steering wheel for the next guy.
I was taught that, too. Just this weekend at work the company I work for now has decided they want red airline first, then yellow, and yellow the red when coupling and uncoupling for safety. I see their logic, and so long as your unit's lines are mashed with grease or twisted to hell, it's probably a safer way of working.
That's a top tip that my mentor gave me on my 2 week assessment / induction ( My firm are very thorough & supportive) I am on frdges so split couples, a bit of a PIA taking the gloves on and off but it pays dividends to have clean hands & a clean steering wheels and grab handles. These are the smaller, finer details when we get on the road.
Back when i passed my class1 in 2009, you had to learn and sit your test with a manual gearbox. I was asked to do some yard shunting soon after passing my test and struggled a little with the auto box having been used to using a clutch pedal! Needless to say, i put the vehicle in D rather than crawler mode and took off from under the trailer like a greyhound gong after a mechanical rabbit😂
No idea why I'm watching this - I work on the railway. But what amazes me and I never really thought about it but there's more to hooking up one of these things than coupling together two modern trains.... This is more like coupling a loco to wagons or old carriages with buffers, chains, air and power lines. Fascinating.
Started my c+E this morning. Mastered the reverse manoeuvre ready for the test tomorrow. Using your videos as content to build the confidence up. Thank you!!
@@edi8656 reversing bit is easy bro. Just listen to your instructor and he’ll tell u exsctly what references to use when reversing. Took a few attempts to pass the driving bit though cos whacked a kerb few times lol but got there in the end
Passed my Class 2, 2 years ago thanks to your videos. I’ll be doing my Class 1 in October/November so watching these videos early so I know what to expect.
I’m an American trucker. The procedures are basically the same. While the mechanisms like airline couplers in European trucks are much more complicated than American trucks. Excellent work!
Had already passed my test and have beeb driving class 2s for the past 6 months, however I'm going into a class 1 soon and the last time i coupled a trailer was for my test so I'm just refreshing my memory 😂 Thank you guys
Going from car to class 1. Ive done my theory, had my medical, done my cpc and got my two week practical course booked in next month. Sure, two weeks will be enough, the thing thats daunting me is ive never stepped foot in a lorry cab, ive never towed anything, not even a small trailer in a car. At the moment i drive for a living delivering cars, so i spend a lot of time on the roads and confident on them. But its like i am going into everything blind regarding lorries, hence why i am here to get some pointers. Thanks for the vid guys, will surely be watching plenty more in the coming month.
@@NationalDrivingCentre First day today, done the reversing and this. A few different things. After pulling out the king pin, we're told to pull forward a few feet, then lower the trucks suspension until there is a gap between 5th wheel and the trailer, and then drive off, and the trucks suspension automatically raises. Then have to re-lower it when coupling back up, basically do it in reverse, move the tractor a few feet under, raise it with the remote so the legs come off the floor, then drive back locking it into the 5th wheel. And then two shunts forward after the trailer is locked in place, just to make sure. All in all, pretty much all the same. Thank you.
Great work yes there's always a little bit difference between companies and trucks. When you do end up at the firm you are employed with just check their companies safe systems of work as to the main routine.. 👍👍@@Glenn7719
@@NationalDrivingCentre All done and passed my test. CV updated, Licence sent off, CPC done a couple of months ago and Digi tacho also sent off for, and all ready started applying for jobs. Ive got a bit of a safety net where my brother works, they take on new drivers, he's been there around 20 years and plus, he gets a £1000 bonus for referral. 👍 I live near Dartford, plenty of opportunities around with Tilbury docks, Purfleet, Thurrock etc, so fingers crossed, hopefully something comes up soon. And thanks for all your videos, ive watched quite a few of them over the past year, they've really helped me out, much appreciated.
my father passed his hgv in the 70s and my brother about 15 years ago i have always wanted to but never had the money well happy to say i can finally make my dream come true and am just waiting for my provisional to come back so i can start my journey hoping to have my pass certificate by the end of the year
I know nothing about trucks or driving, but I am about to buy a used trailer for storage and this is a very useful vid to familiarize myself with. Thank you very much.
Black plate. I sometimes find that the kingpin doesn't want to budge! But moving the unit back or forward will then be able to release it. But obviously all the sizes etc need reattaching.
I was shown first number plate ,park brake ,legs, sussies then pin, pull forward slightly then lower the air suspension then do in reverse and still do it to this day never failed me in 15 years.
Perfect routine. That is the key to this task. With regards to the suspension that can come down to company policy or safe system of work. We do not use that due to skids on the tractor unit.
I don't think it matters what order you do it in, everyone works out their own system, except that pulling the pin should be the last thing you do when uncoupling, so the trailer's got the handbrake on and legs down before you release it from the unit. I worked with a guy years ago who was in the habit of pulling the pin as soon as he got out of the cab then doing the brakes, lines and legs. This was fine until one day he was parked on a slight backward slope, got out, pulled the pin, and a brand new milk tanker trailer slid off the back of the unit, dropped onto its knees, and ripped the front open on the back of the unit's chassis.
One thing that I would say is when releasing the trailer break at the end of your checks is, that you wait for 5 seconds with your hand covering the break so you can re-apply it if the vehicle starts to move due to the cab break accidentally disengaging from the on position.
As a near 70yr old lorry driver, one thing i have learnt over the years is if you future truckers intending to go tramping is instead of fitting the 5th wheel clip when coupling, fit a padlock through the hole. I have learnt there are some unscrupulous people about that will pull the pin while you are asleep. There are some people that don't check it in the morning.
I completed my reversing and re-coupling test a bout a week ago, and I just finished my C+E road test with zero faults. Absolutely delighted with it. Only thing is the vehicle I had to use was a drawbar unit (like two Class 2’s stuck together). I am worried when I go to workwith normal artics I’m going to struggle, so I’m binging all these videos to help me out! 😂
This is very true, and this is the problems we have with certain training schools. You'll find a lot of companies will carry out assessments when you start and often what they do is separate a tractor and trailer and ask you to put it back together. This is a good indicator to see if you are familiar with these units. If you have any questions or problems, please give us a call. We are here to help. Kind Regards Paul 👍👍 and great work on the pass.
This is the exact thing you do on your C+E test guys remember the acronym B = brake (trailer brake) L= legs, wind up the legs A = airlines, disconnect K= kingpin, make sure it’s open And you won’t go far wrong 👍
When we take the C-E in Denmark, we always use a rigid truck and a dolly trailer. Except for a few exercises on dry/wet road on maneuver-day on the track, which is done in both rigid truck/dolly trailer and tractor/trailer.
@@NationalDrivingCentre I think it is much more difficult to back up with a rigid truck/dolly trailer than it is with a tractor/trailer. So if you can back up with a rigid truck/dolly trailer, chances are that you are able to back up with a tractor/trailer. I wouldn't be so sure the other way around. I think that is one of the reasons why we use the rigid truck/dolly trailer. (Even though the combined vehicles in Denmark are probably 75 % tractor/trailers and 25 % rigid truck/dolly trailers). Another reason is probably that the driving centers already have a rigid truck for the C license courses. It's cheaper for them to simply slap a dolly trailer on it for the C-E, than having to buy a tractor/trailer in addition to the rigid truck. It's probably smartest using the more difficult way during learning, so one knows that one is able to handle all scenarios. We also use manual transmission instead of automatic. But I would have liked to at least having tried to couple/uncouple a tractor/trailer. That wasn't possible at my course.
@@NationalDrivingCentre How much does it cost in your country? In Denmark a C license takes 30 weekdays and cost £ 4.000 and a C-E license takes 20 weekdays and cost £ 2.400. In addition are a few fees to photo, doctor, government, etc.
Hope I don't confuse you when saying this but after watching the video, Everything you do from the first (trailer legs) to the last (Kingpin) on the uncoupling basically you do the last one first and the first one last.
In the UK the trailer is not a registered vehicle even though it has a numberplate once we connect the tractor unit to the trailer the trailer will then have the same numberplate as the tractor unit.👍
Great video guys, but why did he not wear gloves? Not great for the steering wheel! I’m taking my reverse, coupling/uncoupling test today. Feeling confident!
Wearing gloves, it's not a legal requirement as long as the equipment you are using is clean and tidy (like ours) then it would come down to your company's safe systems of work. There's no reason for dirt to be on the handles or couplings that you will be using, not when you take a pride in the truck that you are using. Best of luck for your test. Hope all goes well.🤞🤞👍👍
When coupled should student carry out a "rolling brake test" (drive forward a few yards, gently apply service brake, then park brake on, engine off). I was expected to by examiner. Mind you I did my test some year ago back when we had to do a "controlled stop and all gear change exercise up and down the box!
My word Will that was some time ago. I remember teaching that. They will do it for the wagon and drag but not for the tractor unit and trailer for some reason.
@@NationalDrivingCentre If you can explain it, it's not a fail. I did similar on an ADI drive and avoided a timed bus lane because I KNEW it was full of cars. I told them what I was doing as I did it and was told afterwards that BECAUSE I explained it as I did it it was fine. If you have any queries, just tell the examiner beforehand what you're going to do and they'll tell you if you're being an idiot.
What are the other two hose connections for, apart from the brake and electrical hoses. I drove trucks in Australia and they only other connections we had were hydraulics if you were pulling a tipper. R
You some times find a Blues line in the uk, this would be an auxiliary line. So the two electrical lines for lights and EBS or ABS Plus yellow service brake line and the red emergency line. Hope this helps 👍👍👍
As a person in the USA... Can I please ask what all 3 of those Electrical do on your Trailer? Here in the USA we only have 1 Electrical Cable that is used to power the Trailer Lights as well as our ABS system.. We also have 1 or 2 more cables depending if the trailer have a Liftgate... Majority of all newer trailers only need 1 Electrical line and a Liftgate Line if the trailer has one on it. So seeing the UK have 3 Electrical Cables got me quite curious what they do. If you have a video explaining this I would greatly appreciate it.
No problem at all. Thank you so much for watching our videos. The first two electrical cables which are normally black or green. These will be powering the lights running Earth and live, and sometimes even back up voltage for all the lighting system. The cable with the trigger would be our ABS or IBS, depending on what braking system, the tractor or trailer is running. If the vehicle has a tail lift, this will be done on a completely separate circuit and would never be connected when the vehicle is driving. Hope this helps, 👍👍👍👍
@@NationalDrivingCentreI find that crazy that everything you have are separated where all of ours are in one cord here in the US…. I understood most of your terminology on this post.. but when you said the lights on Earth and Live… that terminology confused me. But yeah our Lift-gate (tail lift) is always plugged in at all times as it charges the batteries for our lift-gate.. I also found it crazy how your parking brake on the trailer is there on the outside where ours is directly in our trucks… if you’re curious…… here is ours….. We have 3 cables for all of our trailer (exclude lift-gate)…. Blue line is our brake line… Green is our electrical of all lights and ABS, Red is our service line which is used to release the trailer brakes from the Red Brake button inside the truck.
@@NationalDrivingCentreas for your Air Line connectors.. I can completely understand your connection method as I can see that being a better secured way to prevent them from coming off in transit so good on you guys for that.. ours is a easy put on with just one hand depending on your on physical difference like Height… but they can be annoying if the black caps are damaged from wear and tear which can cause air leaks
Hi When checking the rear wheel on the drivers side in the video there is what i believe to be a stone within the tread of the tire, or could be a nail still in the tire, could this have been picked up during the test?
I don't know if my method is awkward but I always lower legs fully, pull forward then drop suspension from cab and drive out, when hooking up lower suspension get under it raise to take the weight then reverse to lock it in
A good point. As you need to remember Shane we are trying to teach students with very limited knowledge of category C+E so giving them a basic routine is the simplest way once they go to their place of business they can then study their systems of work or method statement and help that company will carry out the couple.
Depends on the tractor unit. Scanias are taller at the kingpin in general. We used to have issues if anyone drove the 2 scania units we had who DIDN'T know better, you'd have to raise the air in them to hit the kingping, which put DAF/MAN etc at a stretch, which meant you couldn't lift the legs which made it hard to wind...
Failed my recoupling test today when I forgot to check the trailer break was on when checking the new trailer over. School boy error. Always remember BLACK especially the B! Never mind, retesting tomorrow. Shame it's going to cost me another £40!!
Perfect videos guys, u couldnt of made that any better, has to b the best one ive watched on here.. got my lessons and test next week. The nerves are slowly setting in. Need / really want to pass.
Hi guys. Is it recommended to put the air suspension on the unit down before pulling out from the trailer…and then raising it back up when coupling back up to the trailer. Thanks guys
@@mrknowitall126 so sorry, this all comes down to your companies safe systems of work. In some cases you can lower the suspension to then make your way under the trailer. However, some companies do this a little bit differently and they will use the skids of the trailer. Hope this helps 👍👍
I'm still new to this process. Can I ask. Are you supposed to do two tugs after reversing back into the trailer to check its connected before you alight from the cab to do the rest of the procedure?
No problem whatsoever, so once you've pushed back into the trailer, you'll feel the fifth wheel connect and the trailer won't move anymore. We're going to leave the vehicle in reverse and just very gently push back to make sure all the safety catches and safety Sears have engaged. After that, we're gonna put the vehicle into drive or select first gear and just gently pull forward to make sure the fifth wheel has locked correctly. I hope this helps. If you've got any questions, please give us a call. Kind Regards Paul.👍👍
Had my test on Wednesday used this video to double check all the correct procedures one last time before heading in past both tests first time thanks for that last minute hand 😃
I'm about to start training to be a hgv driver I'm a mechanic by trade wouldn't you also use a torch to check the inside on the tyres and also when you have done the light check wouldn't you also check for air leaks on the breaking system to make sure the system is fully operational?
Hi. Do you not have taps on your air lines ? I drive in Australia and all the euro trucks I've seen have taps. Most American trucks don't have taps because they have 2 separate parking breaks 1 for truck and 1 for the trailer. Also I understand what your trying to do with leaving an inch under the landing gear (legs) but with a loaded trailer it could damage the guards unhooking.
When I started in the early 1980s we had taps, but they were gradually phased out in favour of the self-sealing connectors. I'm not sure why, perhaps drivers were connecting airlines and forgetting to turn the taps on! We used to have three air lines as well, there was a blue one as well as the red and yellow. To be honest I never knew what it was for, but if it was there I used to connect it up anyway. The blue lines were phased out years ago as well.
For anyone struggling to remember the routine just follow BLACK Brake- trailer Legs Air lines Clip King pin When coupling trailer do it in reverse order but make sure you check trailer brake is on. KCLAB
All the trailers I encountered had a ratchet handbrake Undoing the lines put the brakes on/ratchet just added security. By coupling first you be able to check the lights as well in one go.
Good morning Brian, only come across ratchet handbrakes in the military nearly all trailers we come across now have airbrakes very rare to come across ratchet brakes but thank you for your comment good luck and stay safe.👍👍👍
I must watch this video at the twice a Day, I'm doing my class 1 very soon I'm trying to do as much homework on the uncoupling and coupling procedure as I can along with the reversing exercise. Such an informative video and explained is great Detail.
So for the light test on the trailer , would I ask the examiner to check the lights or operate the lights for the check ? About to start my training but nice to know the tips and tricks thanks for the videos guys very helpful
The best thing to do is ask Examiner and more often than not they will be glad to help. If the examiner was to say "imagine you are on your own" then carry out the light check as if you alone working.👍👍👍 good luck for the test hope all goes well.
@@NationalDrivingCentre I (and most others I knew) used to put all the lights on, including the hazards, before getting out of the cab, then walk around once it was coupled up and check everything was on. The only trouble is how do you check the brake lights? At night you might see a pool of red light behind you when you put the brakes on, or see them reflected off another vehicle or a building, but very often you have no way of testing whether your brake lights are working. I always wondered why the manufacturers didn't fit a switch to put the brake lights on, perhaps with an annoying buzzer so you didn't forget to turn them off again and drive down the road with your brake lights on. Out of interest, on a modern HGV test if the examiner tells you to imagine you're on your own are you expected to try and test the brake lights or do you just test all the others and hope the brake lights are working?
Personally I put the legs all the way down without the inch gap and use the units air suspension to lower the unit to get out and then on the recouping go in with a lowered suspension and then jack it up to the highest and slide onto the kingpin. We all have our own ways..
Very true Paul. Thank you for your comment. Yes, this will all come down to your companies safe system of work and when the drivers go to there employers this will be in place as part of H&S and management of health and safety at work regulations. 👍👍👍👍
Sorry not sure what you mean. As you exit the vehicle, that is when you are told "this is a new vehicle and you've never seen it before in your life" and so therefore this would be a good time to start your checks robbed and move the track to unit in front of the trailer and then realise you have a flat tyre. Thank you so much for your comment.👍👍
Another great video guys. Im itching to do my class one but being put off and worried about failing before ive even started.. ive been a class 2 driver for about 8 years and feel nows the time to do my class one
@@NationalDrivingCentre id love to but im here in Wales 🏴🏴.. ive been watching your videos on here, very formative and will help alot, thanks again 👍🏽👍🏽
Great video, I've been passed 3 months now but never really had to do it at work. Have got to do it this week and your video help remind me on the process 👍
Thanks for all these videos guys, putting in for my Class two once the provisional is through I think I might even try for the Class one now because of these helpful videos
I have my off road tomorrow but I've been taught to always connect and disconnected the red suzie first, then yellow then whatever order next. is thus correct?
There is absolutely no need to do it in any order it makes no pros or cons either way. Remain thing with the lines just to make sure that meeting tidy when you're finished. 👍👍
A great question, if you look at are the videos on "show me tell me" it will explain how to do this, but this can be done a number of ways. You can put something heavy on the pedal or you could reverse up to something to give you reflections, but with most of the newer vehicles now you can press a button on the key fob which will make all the lights flash for about 5 to 8 seconds, allow you to check all lights. Hope this helps. 👍👍
Passed this part of my test today, when i got to the walkround of the vehicle, the examiner said, and i quote "ok, ok, its not an MOT, that'll do", only went half way down one side haha
This is on the basis that the student has never seen this trailer before and therefore as one of the most important things to check, should be first.👍👍👍👍
An excellent question, there are many different ways you can do this. 1. You could ask someone to help you. 2. You could use the reflection of a building or vehicle behind you. 3. Many of the new vehicles today have a loan test button, this means when you push the button, this will make all the lights come on for about 10 seconds, allowing you to check them. 4. You could put something onto the pedal this could be a pedal depressor. Hope this helps, and thank you so much for your question 👍👍👍 Kind Regards Paul.
Not taking my test but going back on to the Arctic’s, this videos was helpful and reminded me of a few things… but seriously wear gloves lol, don’t be that guy that leaves the steering wheel disgusting because you can be bothered to wear gloves 👍🏻👍🏻
I got asked to do a bit of yard shunting at my work (I'm a van driver with a class 1) and didn't have a pair of gloves. It took me weeks to grow the dirt out from under my fingernails.
This comes down to the safe systems of work within the company. It is not the law. 👍 So when you start with your company check there SSOW or method statement.
Always used to get told to go by the acronym B.L.A.C.K , brakes , legs, auxiliaries (suzies) clip and kingpin then reverse order to recouple…how would this affect the test scenario as you did the suzies before the legs on recouple?
Thank you for your comment. This would have no affect on the test. We have done how you said "Brake, Legs, Aux, Clip and kingpin and like you said the reverse to recouple. so Aux is before legs in the reverse order.
Two little tips to remember. 1-When un-coupling and winding the legs down stand facing to the rear of the trailer..When re-coupling up and winding the legs up stand facing to the front of the trailer.It makes winding so much easier. 2-The ten second rule.When you press the trailer brake button in to release the brakes wait for ten seconds before walking away.God forbid you've forgotten to apply the handbrake on the tractor unit.
I started driving artics back in the days when trailer brakes were mechanical, not air, and to be honest no-one ever bothered putting the trailer brakes on, preferring to rely on the brakes coming on when the red line was removed. The first time I coupled a trailer up for real, not on training, I climbed on the catwalk, coupled the lines up, climbed down again, and thought "This thing's moving!". I'd forgotten to put the handbrake on on the unit, which was okay as long as it was coupled to the trailer with the brakes on, but as soon as I put the red line on and blew the trailer brakes off it started to roll. Fortunately it only rolled back a couple of yards and into a pile of pallets, so I got away with it. It taught me a valuable lesson though, and for ever afterwards before I put the red line on I looked through the back window of the cab at the handbrake lever to make sure it was on, and if there was no window I'd get down and open the door and have a look. The moral of the story is to make absolutely sure you've put the handbrake on the unit before you knock the trailer brakes, off, and wiith modern air handbrakes I'd keep my hand on the handbrake button for a few seconds to make sure the vehicle isn't rolling, ready to bang the handbrake back on if something starts to go wrong.
As soon as i get back to the yard to drop the trailer i remove the plate and stow it as i have had a couple of times i forgot for 10 mins and it was a nightmare trying to find it and recover it later .
Do you get any/many people passing the test for fun? I'm a software developer but I'm thinking of getting the C+E license one day just to have that experience. Who knows, maybe one day I get bored of writing code and decide to head out in a truck :D
A fantastic question. Yes, quite often we get people that do this. We've had quite a few Pilots and some doctors. Lots of different people who have thought about driving C+E's through their lives but never got the chance. So yes it does happen. 👍👍
When I go under, as a shunter who's done 50,000 trailers, I would life the air suspension to ensure the feet of the legs are well clear of the ground. If someone has not dropped.the trailer leaving the inch floor clearance, then the feet will be flat on the ground putting strain on the legs. I would also have done the height check, then walked round to check no one is stood behind the trailer and that the parking brake is definitely on
@@NationalDrivingCentre applying the break before dropping the trailer but also checking it's applied before going under as well as walking round the back of the trailer to check it's clear behind
Hy. It is safer to lower the truck axle, when disconnecting, before pulling away ... risk damaging the mud flaps. My steps when disconnecting are 1 trailer brake and king pin 2 pull out one meter and legs down 3 suzies 4 lower the truck axle and pull out. I am over 100kg and the suzies are in central position ... no way connecting them with the king pin on.
Perfect routine. That is the key to this task. Yes this is not unusual, it is called a close quarter uncouple. Previously we did do this because we had a refrigerated trailer. With regards to the suspension that can come down to company policy or safe system of work. We do not use that due to skids on the tractor unit. If the rain and spray suppression is making contact with the trailer then this can be removed.
Having completed 46 years of truck driving. One thing I would like to add to your checks. Is to shine a torch across the 5th wheel pin, to see that the bar has come across. It's stood me in good stead for all those years and it takes a second to do.
A very good point Ray I hope everyone takes it on board. 👍👍👍👍👍
Agreed 🤘
No wonder l left a shite industry.. christ you wouldn't be in a job long if you spent so much time on a trailer check before you left the yard
@@johnmayberry7669 I think you are missing the point that this is an instructional video for people about to take their test for the first time. The examiner wants to see a professional driver doing things profressionally; certainly not dawdling but not going so fast that vital checks might be missed.
I take it there are no reverse or fog lights on your trailers then???
I was told to pull forward a foot, then lower air suspension before pulling away.
It does seem that doesn't often get taught, but most experienced drivers I see do exactly that. Drop the suspension, get under the trailer, lift the suspension back to to take the trailer's weight, and vice versa when dropping it.
Saves smashing up the mudguards and also taking the weight off the trailer legs means you don't risk bending them when doing your tug test (I've done that, couldn't wind the legs up, absolute nightmare)...
Yes this is not unusual, it is called a close quarter uncouple. Previously we did do this because we had a refrigerated trailer. With regards to the suspension that can come down to company policy or safe system of work. We do not use that due to skids on the tractor unit these are designed to do this job perfectly. If the rain and spray suppression is making contact with the trailer then this can be removed.
Been a shunting on a dock for 13 years, self taught on these, I always lift as u go under, an lower as I leave a trailer, in the real world drivers don't leave an inch, doing my hgv tests next month old habits an all that ☹
So was I mate
Its good practice to drop the air out the unit when dropping a trailer. Ive damaged mudguards by not doing it. When picking up a trailer you should also drop the air out the unit then reverse under stopping short of the kingpin.. raise unit suspension all the way then back into kingpin (that way no damage to legs when doing tugtest and no grease all over) all this should be on test
Hi Mark, appreciate the input! The procedure in the video is a more in depth account of what is needed for the DVSA driving test. But there could always be more info added.
This is the way I do it using the air system I find it protects the mudguards and lights better.
@@NationalDrivingCentre
If you have a loaded trailer, the distance from the legs to the headboard can 'droop', therefore if leaving a gap under the legs this can result in the underside of the rubbing plate damaging the mud guards and tail lights once clear of the 5th wheel. (been there done that...)
When coupling up, by leaving the landing legs short of the ground, the 5th wheel scrapes the grease off the 5th wheel on to the edge of the rubbing plate. When the driver stands on the catwalk to plug in the suzies, you can get the grease on the leg of your jeans, which can then can transfer to inside the cab. jeans ruined, grease inside the cab... not good.
Not a criticism on your teachings, but DVSA need to come into the real world. These are skills for life, which should be done correctly or could result in serious injury or damage.
Once coupled up to the trailer and taking a forward 'shunt' or 2, to ensure the king pin is engaged, if the landing legs are still on the ground, this can cause undue stress on the legs and mechanism.
@@neilwarden7973 Yes.. With a heavy loaded trailer the legs DO need to be wound all the way down and then the suspension lowered. If not the trailer nose may be too low to get under again. There is also the danger of shooting the unit out if lowering it on the run-up ramps.
About to start my C+E, these videos are helping me understand aspects. Love the clear calm delivery keep up the good work 👍
Thank you so much Ross. Best of luck for the training, hope all goes well. 👍👍👍👍👍
Now try that with a fridge trailer! And that must be the first time I have ever seen a driver not using gloves. All trailer power and air lines start of nice and clean but a few really tight turns and a bit of screwing around, those lines can get covered in grease.
Thank you, with regards to personal protective equipment this always comes down to company policy (it is not the law to wear gloves). It is always reminded when you turn up to a company to read the safe systems of work or method statement with regards to PPE. 👍👍👍👍 As long as your hand held equipment is kept clean and tidy, (Like ours is) then no transfer of dirt to the steering wheel.
@@NationalDrivingCentre Probably you didn't notice the grease on your colleague's hands. And PPE is imposed by the law.(Health and Safety at Work Act).Imagine touching this freezing iron in minus degrees during the winter.
ITS NOT THE LAW TO WEAR GLOVES????? ITS HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENT....I WILL CLIMB IN AND MY HANDS WILL BE FILTHY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL...FUCKIN PAIR OF DICK HEADS....
@@clivegrah I was about to say that. he opend the tractor door to put the trailer plate with the hands full of grease.
Pretty darn stupid on stilts to eschew the gloves tbh ? who needs a cacky steering wheel ? Bit of bogus machismatry going down here methinx ? l usually lubricate the male suzy (oerr)... with a finger scrape of grease from the trailer front to enable an easier purchase and avoiding risking a back strain issue as some plugs can be fairly unyielding at times.
Thanks Paul and Keith passed my reverse and uncoupling and recoupling. This week got my class 1 test on Monday the 14 of Oct thanks for all Ur videos great help keep up the good work.
Thank you so much and a big well done. Best of luck for Monday 🤞🤞👍👍👍 Kind Regards Paul
Nice video, but in America we always look to make sure the locking jaws are secure around the kingpin, and we always leave the landing gear handle loose after cranking gear down, that way it doesn't flip up and get jamed under the trailer rail when the next guy hooks it.
Thank you so much for your input Toni. Much appreciated.👍👍
Had that last week recently back after 20 or so years away and took me a few minutes to work out how to unjam the jacking legs lever but lucky jacked up air suspension and the lever dropped into position
Years ago when doing my HGV 1 we were taught to disconnect the lines nearer to oneself so not leaning over and perhaps getting gunge on your clothes. When connecting start with the furthest one.
Good call Brian. Got to keep yourself looking fresh!
Doesn’t care about gunge otherwise he would wear gloves, obviously likes spending his working day with dirty hands, added flavour for when he has his sandwiches at lunchtime. And then leaving a dirty steering wheel for the next guy.
I was taught that, too. Just this weekend at work the company I work for now has decided they want red airline first, then yellow, and yellow the red when coupling and uncoupling for safety. I see their logic, and so long as your unit's lines are mashed with grease or twisted to hell, it's probably a safer way of working.
That's a top tip that my mentor gave me on my 2 week assessment / induction ( My firm are very thorough & supportive) I am on frdges so split couples, a bit of a PIA taking the gloves on and off but it pays dividends to have clean hands & a clean steering wheels and grab handles. These are the smaller, finer details when we get on the road.
Excellent videos Paul and Keith really helped passed C+E yesterday thanks.
Thank you so much. Well done 👍👍👍
Back when i passed my class1 in 2009, you had to learn and sit your test with a manual gearbox. I was asked to do some yard shunting soon after passing my test and struggled a little with the auto box having been used to using a clutch pedal! Needless to say, i put the vehicle in D rather than crawler mode and took off from under the trailer like a greyhound gong after a mechanical rabbit😂
🤣🤣🤣
No idea why I'm watching this - I work on the railway. But what amazes me and I never really thought about it but there's more to hooking up one of these things than coupling together two modern trains.... This is more like coupling a loco to wagons or old carriages with buffers, chains, air and power lines. Fascinating.
Thank you so much for your comment Mike. Would love to have a go at doing it with a loco 😬😬👍👍
Thanks Paul and Keith passed my class 1 today no minors. Thanks for all your videos great help keep up the great work.
Thats great work, well done 👍👍
Started my c+E this morning. Mastered the reverse manoeuvre ready for the test tomorrow. Using your videos as content to build the confidence up. Thank you!!
Great work. Best of luck, hope all goes well. 👍👍👍🤞🤞🤞
How did you get on with test mate I'm starting soon
@@edi8656 reversing bit is easy bro. Just listen to your instructor and he’ll tell u exsctly what references to use when reversing. Took a few attempts to pass the driving bit though cos whacked a kerb few times lol but got there in the end
Cheers, just watching a few of your videos as a refresher as Im driving for work for the very first time on monday 😬
Thank you. Best of luck hope all goes well.
Passed my Class 2, 2 years ago thanks to your videos. I’ll be doing my Class 1 in October/November so watching these videos early so I know what to expect.
Great work, Thank you so much 👍👍👍👍👍
I’m an American trucker. The procedures are basically the same. While the mechanisms like airline couplers in European trucks are much more complicated than American trucks. Excellent work!
Thank you so much for your comment, hope all is going well stay safe.👍👍
Had already passed my test and have beeb driving class 2s for the past 6 months, however I'm going into a class 1 soon and the last time i coupled a trailer was for my test so I'm just refreshing my memory 😂 Thank you guys
Thank you so much. Best of luck for the new job 👍👍👍👍
Got my reverse training tomorrow so im watching this for my personal knowledge. 10x for posting it. !
Best of luck and thank you👍👍🤞🤞
Going from car to class 1. Ive done my theory, had my medical, done my cpc and got my two week practical course booked in next month. Sure, two weeks will be enough, the thing thats daunting me is ive never stepped foot in a lorry cab, ive never towed anything, not even a small trailer in a car. At the moment i drive for a living delivering cars, so i spend a lot of time on the roads and confident on them. But its like i am going into everything blind regarding lorries, hence why i am here to get some pointers.
Thanks for the vid guys, will surely be watching plenty more in the coming month.
Thank you so much for your kind words. Best of luck for your training.👍🤞
@@NationalDrivingCentre First day today, done the reversing and this. A few different things. After pulling out the king pin, we're told to pull forward a few feet, then lower the trucks suspension until there is a gap between 5th wheel and the trailer, and then drive off, and the trucks suspension automatically raises. Then have to re-lower it when coupling back up, basically do it in reverse, move the tractor a few feet under, raise it with the remote so the legs come off the floor, then drive back locking it into the 5th wheel. And then two shunts forward after the trailer is locked in place, just to make sure.
All in all, pretty much all the same. Thank you.
Great work yes there's always a little bit difference between companies and trucks. When you do end up at the firm you are employed with just check their companies safe systems of work as to the main routine.. 👍👍@@Glenn7719
@@NationalDrivingCentre All done and passed my test. CV updated, Licence sent off, CPC done a couple of months ago and Digi tacho also sent off for, and all ready started applying for jobs. Ive got a bit of a safety net where my brother works, they take on new drivers, he's been there around 20 years and plus, he gets a £1000 bonus for referral. 👍 I live near Dartford, plenty of opportunities around with Tilbury docks, Purfleet, Thurrock etc, so fingers crossed, hopefully something comes up soon.
And thanks for all your videos, ive watched quite a few of them over the past year, they've really helped me out, much appreciated.
Absolutely great work well done. Best of luck for the future. Hope all goes well thank you so much. 👍👍👍@@Glenn7719
Done my cpc infeb 2020.. then covid, i drove 7,5 4 10 yrs.. really good video , no messin....alot to know . , they know .
Thank you so much 👍👍
my father passed his hgv in the 70s and my brother about 15 years ago i have always wanted to but never had the money well happy to say i can finally make my dream come true and am just waiting for my provisional to come back so i can start my journey hoping to have my pass certificate by the end of the year
Great work best of luck for the future, hope your training goes well.👍👍👍👍
I know nothing about trucks or driving, but I am about to buy a used trailer for storage and this is a very useful vid to familiarize myself with. Thank you very much.
No problem, Thank you so much 👍👍👍
Thanks for your demonstration as I m take too long to the backward most of time
You are more than welcome👍👍
Black plate. I sometimes find that the kingpin doesn't want to budge! But moving the unit back or forward will then be able to release it. But obviously all the sizes etc need reattaching.
A great point, Thank you so much👍👍
Started my class 1 training today. 5 years on class 2, ADR and HIAB but still nervous and knowing it’s a whole different animal!
Great work, well done. Best of luck. Hope all goes well. 👍👍
I was shown first number plate ,park brake ,legs, sussies then pin, pull forward slightly then lower the air suspension then do in reverse and still do it to this day never failed me in 15 years.
Perfect routine. That is the key to this task. With regards to the suspension that can come down to company policy or safe system of work. We do not use that due to skids on the tractor unit.
I don't think it matters what order you do it in, everyone works out their own system, except that pulling the pin should be the last thing you do when uncoupling, so the trailer's got the handbrake on and legs down before you release it from the unit. I worked with a guy years ago who was in the habit of pulling the pin as soon as he got out of the cab then doing the brakes, lines and legs. This was fine until one day he was parked on a slight backward slope, got out, pulled the pin, and a brand new milk tanker trailer slid off the back of the unit, dropped onto its knees, and ripped the front open on the back of the unit's chassis.
One thing that I would say is when releasing the trailer break at the end of your checks is, that you wait for 5 seconds with your hand covering the break so you can re-apply it if the vehicle starts to move due to the cab break accidentally disengaging from the on position.
Some great points, thank you so much👍👍
Watched your videos on reverse and uncouple and the recouping. Passed my 3a today . Thanks
Great work Paul. Well done and thank you.
Thanks for the video got my class 1 test Thursday morning. Watching your videos in the evenings are helping me keep all the info in my head
Thank you so much. Good luck🤞🤞🤞
Past my Class 1 today! And this video helped with that! So thank you .
Thank you so much👍👍👍
As a near 70yr old lorry driver, one thing i have learnt over the years is if you future truckers intending to go tramping is instead of fitting the 5th wheel clip when coupling, fit a padlock through the hole. I have learnt there are some unscrupulous people about that will pull the pin while you are asleep. There are some people that don't check it in the morning.
A very good point John, That really show the importance of a daily walk around check.
Thank you so much 👍👍
it is very good to clean all tires with your hands and then transfer the dirt to the steering wheel.
Haha this is true Chris 🤪
Just my lessons and practical test to do I feel like these videos will help a lot Thankyou for the vids
Thank you so much. Best of luck for the training 👍
I completed my reversing and re-coupling test a bout a week ago, and I just finished my C+E road test with zero faults. Absolutely delighted with it. Only thing is the vehicle I had to use was a drawbar unit (like two Class 2’s stuck together). I am worried when I go to workwith normal artics I’m going to struggle, so I’m binging all these videos to help me out! 😂
This is very true, and this is the problems we have with certain training schools. You'll find a lot of companies will carry out assessments when you start and often what they do is separate a tractor and trailer and ask you to put it back together. This is a good indicator to see if you are familiar with these units. If you have any questions or problems, please give us a call. We are here to help. Kind Regards Paul 👍👍 and great work on the pass.
Very interesting I didn't know there was so much to do before you took the truck out onto the main road, you live and learn. Alan/Liverpool.
So true Alan. Thank you so much 👍👍👍👍
Very good verbal instruction / Would be happy to attend your course.
Thank you so much Robert, we would be happy to have you👍👍👍👍
This is the exact thing you do on your C+E test guys remember the acronym
B = brake (trailer brake)
L= legs, wind up the legs
A = airlines, disconnect
K= kingpin, make sure it’s open
And you won’t go far wrong 👍
A great top tip , thank you so much.👍👍👍👍
I use BLANK...Just added the N for number plate... And KNALB to reverse the process 👍
@@brunocardoso8758 Great work 👍👍
I would recomend to help the students out to remember which order to do things in by using the work BLACK
B-BRAKE
L-LEGS
A-auxiliary
C-clip
K-kingpin
Great work 👍👍👍
I am doing my class one soon , so I will updae you about the result . However, I am sure the your videos is helping me to pass . thanks
Thank you so much for your comments. Best of luck for the test hope all goes well.👍👍👍👍
When we take the C-E in Denmark, we always use a rigid truck and a dolly trailer. Except for a few exercises on dry/wet road on maneuver-day on the track, which is done in both rigid truck/dolly trailer and tractor/trailer.
That’s interesting, do you think it’s a better way of doing things?
@@NationalDrivingCentre I think it is much more difficult to back up with a rigid truck/dolly trailer than it is with a tractor/trailer.
So if you can back up with a rigid truck/dolly trailer, chances are that you are able to back up with a tractor/trailer. I wouldn't be so sure the other way around.
I think that is one of the reasons why we use the rigid truck/dolly trailer. (Even though the combined vehicles in Denmark are probably 75 % tractor/trailers and 25 % rigid truck/dolly trailers).
Another reason is probably that the driving centers already have a rigid truck for the C license courses. It's cheaper for them to simply slap a dolly trailer on it for the C-E, than having to buy a tractor/trailer in addition to the rigid truck.
It's probably smartest using the more difficult way during learning, so one knows that one is able to handle all scenarios. We also use manual transmission instead of automatic.
But I would have liked to at least having tried to couple/uncouple a tractor/trailer. That wasn't possible at my course.
@@NationalDrivingCentre How much does it cost in your country?
In Denmark a C license takes 30 weekdays and cost £ 4.000 and a C-E license takes 20 weekdays and cost £ 2.400. In addition are a few fees to photo, doctor, government, etc.
Excellent video.. used as a refresher before job interview
Thank you so much. Good luck🤞🤞🤞🤞
Me too. Thanks guys
Hope I don't confuse you when saying this but after watching the video,
Everything you do from the first (trailer legs) to the last (Kingpin) on the uncoupling basically you do the last one first and the first one last.
Thank you so much for your comment.
Why was the number plates removed ? Is this a UK requirement ? To stop theft of the trailer ?
In the UK the trailer is not a registered vehicle even though it has a numberplate once we connect the tractor unit to the trailer the trailer will then have the same numberplate as the tractor unit.👍
@@NationalDrivingCentre Thank you for the prompt reply.
Great video guys, but why did he not wear gloves? Not great for the steering wheel!
I’m taking my reverse, coupling/uncoupling test today. Feeling confident!
Wearing gloves, it's not a legal requirement as long as the equipment you are using is clean and tidy (like ours) then it would come down to your company's safe systems of work. There's no reason for dirt to be on the handles or couplings that you will be using, not when you take a pride in the truck that you are using. Best of luck for your test. Hope all goes well.🤞🤞👍👍
When coupled should student carry out a "rolling brake test" (drive forward a few yards, gently apply service brake, then park brake on, engine off). I was expected to by examiner. Mind you I did my test some year ago back when we had to do a "controlled stop and all gear change exercise up and down the box!
My word Will that was some time ago. I remember teaching that. They will do it for the wagon and drag but not for the tractor unit and trailer for some reason.
@@NationalDrivingCentre If you can explain it, it's not a fail. I did similar on an ADI drive and avoided a timed bus lane because I KNEW it was full of cars. I told them what I was doing as I did it and was told afterwards that BECAUSE I explained it as I did it it was fine. If you have any queries, just tell the examiner beforehand what you're going to do and they'll tell you if you're being an idiot.
Very Friendly and Educated staff. A Great training company.. Keep up the Good Work.
Thanks Kaleem!
Hhncfgjnfjfmfdf
Any depo for training in cumbria, i really need help
What are the other two hose connections for, apart from the brake and electrical hoses. I drove trucks in Australia and they only other connections we had were hydraulics if you were pulling a tipper.
R
You some times find a Blues line in the uk, this would be an auxiliary line. So the two electrical lines for lights and EBS or ABS Plus yellow service brake line and the red emergency line. Hope this helps 👍👍👍
As a person in the USA... Can I please ask what all 3 of those Electrical do on your Trailer? Here in the USA we only have 1 Electrical Cable that is used to power the Trailer Lights as well as our ABS system.. We also have 1 or 2 more cables depending if the trailer have a Liftgate... Majority of all newer trailers only need 1 Electrical line and a Liftgate Line if the trailer has one on it. So seeing the UK have 3 Electrical Cables got me quite curious what they do. If you have a video explaining this I would greatly appreciate it.
No problem at all. Thank you so much for watching our videos. The first two electrical cables which are normally black or green. These will be powering the lights running Earth and live, and sometimes even back up voltage for all the lighting system. The cable with the trigger would be our ABS or IBS, depending on what braking system, the tractor or trailer is running.
If the vehicle has a tail lift, this will be done on a completely separate circuit and would never be connected when the vehicle is driving.
Hope this helps, 👍👍👍👍
@@NationalDrivingCentreI find that crazy that everything you have are separated where all of ours are in one cord here in the US…. I understood most of your terminology on this post.. but when you said the lights on Earth and Live… that terminology confused me. But yeah our Lift-gate (tail lift) is always plugged in at all times as it charges the batteries for our lift-gate..
I also found it crazy how your parking brake on the trailer is there on the outside where ours is directly in our trucks… if you’re curious…… here is ours….. We have 3 cables for all of our trailer (exclude lift-gate)…. Blue line is our brake line… Green is our electrical of all lights and ABS, Red is our service line which is used to release the trailer brakes from the Red Brake button inside the truck.
@@NationalDrivingCentreas for your Air Line connectors.. I can completely understand your connection method as I can see that being a better secured way to prevent them from coming off in transit so good on you guys for that.. ours is a easy put on with just one hand depending on your on physical difference like Height… but they can be annoying if the black caps are damaged from wear and tear which can cause air leaks
Hi
When checking the rear wheel on the drivers side in the video there is what i believe to be a stone within the tread of the tire, or could be a nail still in the tire, could this have been picked up during the test?
Just a stone🧐
Doing class 1 training tomorrow, given me a good idea of what to expect, thank you
Best of luck, hope all goes well 🤞🤞🤞👍👍👍
Passed 1st time thanks 😂
I see your all videos is it very helpful for all new drivers
Thank you so much 👍👍
Great video. Nice and clear with good advice. Thanks.
Thank you so much 👍👍 this is exactly what it's therefore.
Great video. However I do have a question. Doesnt not lowering the trailor legs all the way down prevent the grease from the fifth wheele coming off?
A great question, thank you. As long as the firth wheel and base plate are greased to spec then no.
@@NationalDrivingCentre Thank you for your prompt answer.
At the end when Keith was at the rear of the trailer checking the lights, why did they not check the reverse (white) light was functioning?
🧐 this was checked prior to him leaving the yard.👍
I passed my c+e by watching your videos
Thank you so much. And a big well done 👍👍👍👍
I don't know if my method is awkward but I always lower legs fully, pull forward then drop suspension from cab and drive out, when hooking up lower suspension get under it raise to take the weight then reverse to lock it in
A good point. As you need to remember Shane we are trying to teach students with very limited knowledge of category C+E so giving them a basic routine is the simplest way once they go to their place of business they can then study their systems of work or method statement and help that company will carry out the couple.
Depends on the tractor unit. Scanias are taller at the kingpin in general. We used to have issues if anyone drove the 2 scania units we had who DIDN'T know better, you'd have to raise the air in them to hit the kingping, which put DAF/MAN etc at a stretch, which meant you couldn't lift the legs which made it hard to wind...
Failed my recoupling test today when I forgot to check the trailer break was on when checking the new trailer over. School boy error. Always remember BLACK especially the B! Never mind, retesting tomorrow. Shame it's going to cost me another £40!!
So sorry to hear that it's good to have a routine and to stick to it. Best of luck for tomorrow. 🤞🤞👍
Perfect videos guys, u couldnt of made that any better, has to b the best one ive watched on here.. got my lessons and test next week. The nerves are slowly setting in. Need / really want to pass.
Thank you so much Troy👍👍👍👍. Best of luck for the training🤞🤞🤞.
@@NationalDrivingCentre thank you Paul. Ive been watching all your videos all weekend prepping myself 👍🏽👍🏽
Hi guys. Is it recommended to put the air suspension on the unit down before pulling out from the trailer…and then raising it back up when coupling back up to the trailer. Thanks guys
Thank you so much for your comment and input 👍👍
@@NationalDrivingCentre thanks but I was asking you guys lol wasn’t telling 🤣
@@mrknowitall126 so sorry, this all comes down to your companies safe systems of work. In some cases you can lower the suspension to then make your way under the trailer. However, some companies do this a little bit differently and they will use the skids of the trailer. Hope this helps 👍👍
Im revising to take me theroy next week and LGV Multible test. and revising using the books. Very Helpful information and Thank You...! 😎
Great work Steve best of luck for the test hope all goes well.👍👍👍
I'm still new to this process. Can I ask. Are you supposed to do two tugs after reversing back into the trailer to check its connected before you alight from the cab to do the rest of the procedure?
No problem whatsoever, so once you've pushed back into the trailer, you'll feel the fifth wheel connect and the trailer won't move anymore. We're going to leave the vehicle in reverse and just very gently push back to make sure all the safety catches and safety Sears have engaged. After that, we're gonna put the vehicle into drive or select first gear and just gently pull forward to make sure the fifth wheel has locked correctly.
I hope this helps. If you've got any questions, please give us a call. Kind Regards Paul.👍👍
Took my test yesterday. Forgot to take the 2 shunts when recoupling failed on that
So sorry to hear that. Hope it all foes well for the next one.🤞🤞🤞
Starting my c+e training next friday 🤞
Best of luck. Hope all goes well.👍👍
Had my test on Wednesday used this video to double check all the correct procedures one last time before heading in past both tests first time thanks for that last minute hand 😃
Great work Andrew. well done 👍
Another cracking video,, be watching this non stop and taking notes , Diolch yn fawr, Thanks both
Mae croeso mawr i chi. Thank you so much 👍👍👍
Thanks guys. I’m just about to start my HGV journey. These videos are so helpful. Thanks again
You're more than welcome Mark hope all goes well and good luck. 👍👍👍👍
I'm about to start training to be a hgv driver I'm a mechanic by trade wouldn't you also use a torch to check the inside on the tyres and also when you have done the light check wouldn't you also check for air leaks on the breaking system to make sure the system is fully operational?
Some good points. 👍👍
Hi. Do you not have taps on your air lines ? I drive in Australia and all the euro trucks I've seen have taps. Most American trucks don't have taps because they have 2 separate parking breaks 1 for truck and 1 for the trailer. Also I understand what your trying to do with leaving an inch under the landing gear (legs) but with a loaded trailer it could damage the guards unhooking.
Thanks for the comment Murray, We only really see taps on NATO hitch. Not to much from day to day trucks.
When I started in the early 1980s we had taps, but they were gradually phased out in favour of the self-sealing connectors. I'm not sure why, perhaps drivers were connecting airlines and forgetting to turn the taps on! We used to have three air lines as well, there was a blue one as well as the red and yellow. To be honest I never knew what it was for, but if it was there I used to connect it up anyway. The blue lines were phased out years ago as well.
If someone forgets one of the things in this process, is this a major fail?
It depends what it is. If it is something like forgetting the trailer brake for example then yes it is. Are you doing your test soon Birdie?
@@BirdieBrietling Uh oh. Whereabouts did you take the test?
For anyone struggling to remember the routine just follow BLACK
Brake- trailer
Legs
Air lines
Clip
King pin
When coupling trailer do it in reverse order but make sure you check trailer brake is on.
KCLAB
Nice👍
All the trailers I encountered had a ratchet handbrake Undoing the lines put the brakes on/ratchet just added security. By coupling first you be able to check the lights as well in one go.
Good morning Brian, only come across ratchet handbrakes in the military nearly all trailers we come across now have airbrakes very rare to come across ratchet brakes but thank you for your comment good luck and stay safe.👍👍👍
Doing a one day refresher next week to get back into a bit of C+E ,these videos are fantastic
Thank you so much good luck👍👍
I must watch this video at the twice a Day, I'm doing my class 1 very soon I'm trying to do as much homework on the uncoupling and coupling procedure as I can along with the reversing exercise. Such an informative video and explained is great Detail.
Thank you so much. Best of luck for the test👍👍👍🤞🤞.
where are you learning your course??
@@ibrahimuhincha1457 I did my Training and passed with EP Training services.
Excellent, I did my class 1 with them . Great service.
@@AD-cn2uw 👍👍
So for the light test on the trailer , would I ask the examiner to check the lights or operate the lights for the check ? About to start my training but nice to know the tips and tricks thanks for the videos guys very helpful
The best thing to do is ask Examiner and more often than not they will be glad to help. If the examiner was to say "imagine you are on your own" then carry out the light check as if you alone working.👍👍👍 good luck for the test hope all goes well.
@@NationalDrivingCentre I (and most others I knew) used to put all the lights on, including the hazards, before getting out of the cab, then walk around once it was coupled up and check everything was on. The only trouble is how do you check the brake lights? At night you might see a pool of red light behind you when you put the brakes on, or see them reflected off another vehicle or a building, but very often you have no way of testing whether your brake lights are working. I always wondered why the manufacturers didn't fit a switch to put the brake lights on, perhaps with an annoying buzzer so you didn't forget to turn them off again and drive down the road with your brake lights on.
Out of interest, on a modern HGV test if the examiner tells you to imagine you're on your own are you expected to try and test the brake lights or do you just test all the others and hope the brake lights are working?
Just use the button on the key fob flashes all the lights in sequence
Our mercs have them as do our dafs scanias and volvos
Personally I put the legs all the way down without the inch gap and use the units air suspension to lower the unit to get out and then on the recouping go in with a lowered suspension and then jack it up to the highest and slide onto the kingpin. We all have our own ways..
Very true Paul. Thank you for your comment. Yes, this will all come down to your companies safe system of work and when the drivers go to there employers this will be in place as part of H&S and management of health and safety at work regulations. 👍👍👍👍
Why haven't you put the tractor unit infront before doing the checks?
Sorry not sure what you mean. As you exit the vehicle, that is when you are told "this is a new vehicle and you've never seen it before in your life" and so therefore this would be a good time to start your checks robbed and move the track to unit in front of the trailer and then realise you have a flat tyre. Thank you so much for your comment.👍👍
When doing the light check would you not check the side marker lights r working as well?
Yes, absolutely as part of walk around checks. 👍👍👍
@@NationalDrivingCentre appreciate the reply passed my class 1 today your videos helped alot 👍
Another great video guys. Im itching to do my class one but being put off and worried about failing before ive even started.. ive been a class 2 driver for about 8 years and feel nows the time to do my class one
Thank you so much. Pop in for a free assessment to see.👍👍👍👍
@@NationalDrivingCentre id love to but im here in Wales 🏴🏴.. ive been watching your videos on here, very formative and will help alot, thanks again 👍🏽👍🏽
Great video, I've been passed 3 months now but never really had to do it at work. Have got to do it this week and your video help remind me on the process 👍
Great work, well done👍👍👍 thank you so much.
Thanks for all these videos guys, putting in for my Class two once the provisional is through I think I might even try for the Class one now because of these helpful videos
Its worth a look at. thank you so much 👍👍👍.
I have my off road tomorrow but I've been taught to always connect and disconnected the red suzie first, then yellow then whatever order next. is thus correct?
There is absolutely no need to do it in any order it makes no pros or cons either way. Remain thing with the lines just to make sure that meeting tidy when you're finished. 👍👍
Do you have to turn on the ignition to do the lights check? Thanks
That would depend on the make of vehicle. Some times there is a check light button on the fob.👍👍👍
In the real world during your daily checks how do you check if brake lights are working if you are by yourself?
A great question, if you look at are the videos on "show me tell me" it will explain how to do this, but this can be done a number of ways. You can put something heavy on the pedal or you could reverse up to something to give you reflections, but with most of the newer vehicles now you can press a button on the key fob which will make all the lights flash for about 5 to 8 seconds, allow you to check all lights. Hope this helps. 👍👍
Looking to do my class 1 next year is the un coupling test apart of your actual final driving assessment or separate all together
It is now a separate part of the test called the 3A (off road exercise). This will normally be carried before your main driving test, the 3B. 👍👍👍
Passed this part of my test today, when i got to the walkround of the vehicle, the examiner said, and i quote "ok, ok, its not an MOT, that'll do", only went half way down one side haha
Great work well done there's just no pleasing some examiners.😜😜
Can I ask why you do you not check the trailor brake is on before you hitch up.
This is on the basis that the student has never seen this trailer before and therefore as one of the most important things to check, should be first.👍👍👍👍
Maybe a silly question but how do you check your rear lights if you are on your own?
An excellent question, there are many different ways you can do this.
1. You could ask someone to help you.
2. You could use the reflection of a building or vehicle behind you.
3. Many of the new vehicles today have a loan test button, this means when you push the button, this will make all the lights come on for about 10 seconds, allowing you to check them.
4. You could put something onto the pedal this could be a pedal depressor.
Hope this helps, and thank you so much for your question 👍👍👍 Kind Regards Paul.
@@NationalDrivingCentre cheers, just about to dip my toes into training for my C and E after 10 years in clock and watch restoration 😅
@@Flip5ide wow, from a horological specialist, into the world of trucks and trailers. Best of luck and hope all goes well 👍👍
@@NationalDrivingCentre thank you, yes need a change, maybe in 10 years I'll head back to that trade.
Thanks for the demonstration.....really appreciated your efforts team
We will make more to help and if you have any recommendations let us know!
Not taking my test but going back on to the Arctic’s, this videos was helpful and reminded me of a few things… but seriously wear gloves lol, don’t be that guy that leaves the steering wheel disgusting because you can be bothered to wear gloves 👍🏻👍🏻
👍
I got asked to do a bit of yard shunting at my work (I'm a van driver with a class 1) and didn't have a pair of gloves. It took me weeks to grow the dirt out from under my fingernails.
What about the finish checks on trailer lights, my way. 1st trailer brakes, number plate checking lights, legs, lines then 5th pin release.
Its good to have your own routine, whatever works well. We checked the lights at 13:08.
You didn't mentioned the safety gear that must be worn while doing the check up of the trailer .
This comes down to the safe systems of work within the company. It is not the law. 👍 So when you start with your company check there SSOW or method statement.
Simple and criteria, great explanation gents.
Thank you so much.👍👍
Always used to get told to go by the acronym B.L.A.C.K , brakes , legs, auxiliaries (suzies) clip and kingpin then reverse order to recouple…how would this affect the test scenario as you did the suzies before the legs on recouple?
Thank you for your comment. This would have no affect on the test. We have done how you said "Brake, Legs, Aux, Clip and kingpin and like you said the reverse to recouple. so Aux is before legs in the reverse order.
Two little tips to remember.
1-When un-coupling and winding the legs down stand facing to the rear of the trailer..When re-coupling up and winding the legs up stand facing to the front of the trailer.It makes winding so much easier.
2-The ten second rule.When you press the trailer brake button in to release the brakes wait for ten seconds before walking away.God forbid you've forgotten to apply the handbrake on the tractor unit.
Thank you for the comments. Some great tips.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
That sounds like you've had a runaway before...
I started driving artics back in the days when trailer brakes were mechanical, not air, and to be honest no-one ever bothered putting the trailer brakes on, preferring to rely on the brakes coming on when the red line was removed. The first time I coupled a trailer up for real, not on training, I climbed on the catwalk, coupled the lines up, climbed down again, and thought "This thing's moving!". I'd forgotten to put the handbrake on on the unit, which was okay as long as it was coupled to the trailer with the brakes on, but as soon as I put the red line on and blew the trailer brakes off it started to roll. Fortunately it only rolled back a couple of yards and into a pile of pallets, so I got away with it. It taught me a valuable lesson though, and for ever afterwards before I put the red line on I looked through the back window of the cab at the handbrake lever to make sure it was on, and if there was no window I'd get down and open the door and have a look. The moral of the story is to make absolutely sure you've put the handbrake on the unit before you knock the trailer brakes, off, and wiith modern air handbrakes I'd keep my hand on the handbrake button for a few seconds to make sure the vehicle isn't rolling, ready to bang the handbrake back on if something starts to go wrong.
Well depends which way the legs wind up
As soon as i get back to the yard to drop the trailer i remove the plate and stow it as i have had a couple of times i forgot for 10 mins and it was a nightmare trying to find it and recover it later .
So true, Very easy to forget. 👍thank you so much for your input.
Good video got my test soon
Thank you so much Best of luck for the test.👍👍
I passed my test in an ERF, non of these green lights. Just had to manage, especially with the kids coming in now they need to learn more than ever.
Proper driving that in an ERF!
@@NationalDrivingCentre It's going to be have be a Generational change, love to see people passing their test no matter what.
Do you get any/many people passing the test for fun? I'm a software developer but I'm thinking of getting the C+E license one day just to have that experience. Who knows, maybe one day I get bored of writing code and decide to head out in a truck :D
A fantastic question. Yes, quite often we get people that do this. We've had quite a few Pilots and some doctors. Lots of different people who have thought about driving C+E's through their lives but never got the chance. So yes it does happen. 👍👍
When I go under, as a shunter who's done 50,000 trailers, I would life the air suspension to ensure the feet of the legs are well clear of the ground. If someone has not dropped.the trailer leaving the inch floor clearance, then the feet will be flat on the ground putting strain on the legs. I would also have done the height check, then walked round to check no one is stood behind the trailer and that the parking brake is definitely on
Some good points👍👍Correct, Like the height check we done at 9:38 and the trailer brake at 1:38 and 5:55.🧐🧐🧐
@@NationalDrivingCentre applying the break before dropping the trailer but also checking it's applied before going under as well as walking round the back of the trailer to check it's clear behind
Hy. It is safer to lower the truck axle, when disconnecting, before pulling away ... risk damaging the mud flaps. My steps when disconnecting are 1 trailer brake and king pin 2 pull out one meter and legs down 3 suzies 4 lower the truck axle and pull out. I am over 100kg and the suzies are in central position ... no way connecting them with the king pin on.
Perfect routine. That is the key to this task. Yes this is not unusual, it is called a close quarter uncouple. Previously we did do this because we had a refrigerated trailer. With regards to the suspension that can come down to company policy or safe system of work. We do not use that due to skids on the tractor unit. If the rain and spray suppression is making contact with the trailer then this can be removed.