Unbraked Trailers in Agriculture

[brightspark]

I saw a double articulated trailer being reversed on a site and it was incredible

 

[normspanners]

I saw a double articulated trailer being reversed on a site and it was incredible

 

[normspanners]

When I worked for williams brothers hauliers as an apprentice the cattle delivery drivers truck of choice was the wagon and drag's used for getting in and out of the seemingly impossible welsh cattle markets, that nearly always where in tiny villages with hundreds of tractors other trucks all rammed in the town centre,at one time. They could put them in stupid places that looked impossible to line up with pen gates with mm accuracy. mostly entirely on the rear hitch, some red faced beginner drivers would cheat and use the front hitch.
I remember watching a huge german trucker the type with the big mustache reverse a Loooooooong wagon and drag (massive compared to an artic), out of a ships hold in cyprus and was in awe of him he had the greek officer stood on the door step screaming at him left left left and he would go right right right then when he was shouting straight he had a full lock on he was not taking the slightest bit of notice, he reversed out through all the various cars abandoned (like crazy mans poo)he turned 90 deg through the tiny hole in the SIDE of the ship (it was a huge ship that went to all the tiny islands) down the ramp it went onto the dock side then 90 again out into brilliant sunshine alongside the harbour wall with the tyres mm from the dockside and he, and the cab was still inside the ship !! he was driving with clogs on and in reverse, foot off the clutch he only made a couple of corrections it was incredible. btw then reversing cameras hadnt been invented.
nobody could teach that it was paramount to being psychic.A bit like the trailer end, was the end of his fingers and he 'felt his way out'!!

 

[normspanners]

It was a bit like this a flippin small hole to get a flippin big long truck out of !!! but the difference was, the dock side was long and thin also!! a bit like threading not one, but several staggered needles with a caterpillar d10.

 

[normspanners]

I am skilled at all types except dollies (never use), double trailers (once or twice a year) and artics. Every other type of farm, car or plant setup is easy.
Can't recall seeing any farmers myself who can't handle a cattle trailer as well as tractor stuff.

The old fiddle brakes on tractor where handy for reversing drags or two axle steered trailers, for slight trailer adjustments, coz the tractor back end used to sort of leap across a few inches or a few feet depending how hard they were hit with out the steering being moved, seemed to get a better 'aspect' as such, with out the front of the tractor doing the waltz.

 

[Justme]

A rear axled agri trailer behind a tractor is a whole different beast compared to a mid axle behind a car.

If you haven't tried it, have a go sometime - I found it a right laugh

Lol I have a tractor, did have two. Done plenty of tractor towing.

The thing is they all claim to be gods gift to towing & driving.

 

[Justme]

I am skilled at all types except dollies (never use), double trailers (once or twice a year) and artics. Every other type of farm, car or plant setup is easy.
Can't recall seeing any farmers myself who can't handle a cattle trailer as well as tractor stuff.

Most are looking over the top of trailer from the tractor or hanging out the door if using the 4x4.

 

[TomCGB]

I think it depends on the tractor and trailer combo people learn in and their relative height. Trouble is its easy to stop using the mirrors if you can see over the top of the trailer. I learnt in a JCB Fastrac (quite low) with a large twin axle grain trailer (quite high) so my only option was to learn using only the mirrors.

It was my first day and my new boss told me to take the fastrac and trailer down to the lake. He pointed me down this narrow twisty bumpy dirt track (on private land). So I merrily went down the track for I would have thought about 2 miles only to find its a dead end. I call up the boss and hes laughing his head off, "well you better come back then" he says. No place to turn, hemmed in by trees and deep ditches all the way. By the time (a long time) I got back to the farm in reverse I wasn't even angry anymore, but my reversing with a trailer had got much better. Good thing too, as some of the barns were a tight fit to get into, especially considering limited room because of a building opposite.

I'm not claiming to be god's gift, and I do acknowledge that reversing a tractor and trailer, or at least a modern one, you get into lots of bad habits.

 

[Agrismith]

I think it depends on the tractor and trailer combo people learn in and their relative height. Trouble is its easy to stop using the mirrors if you can see over the top of the trailer. I learnt in a JCB Fastrac (quite low) with a large twin axle grain trailer (quite high) so my only option was to learn using only the mirrors.

It was my first day and my new boss told me to take the fastrac and trailer down to the lake. He pointed me down this narrow twisty bumpy dirt track (on private land). So I merrily went down the track for I would have thought about 2 miles only to find its a dead end. I call up the boss and hes laughing his head off, "well you better come back then" he says. No place to turn, hemmed in by trees and deep ditches all the way. By the time (a long time) I got back to the farm in reverse I wasn't even angry anymore, but my reversing with a trailer had got much better. Good thing too, as some of the barns were a tight fit to get into, especially considering limited room because of a building opposite.

I'm not claiming to be god's gift, and I do acknowledge that reversing a tractor and trailer, or at least a modern one, you get into lots of bad habits.

I dont think it so much laziness as the fact that in comparison to lorry and even alot of 4x4s tractor wing mirrors are usually awefull

Seen recently some fitted with a second wide angle mirror like a lorry and cant believe its taken this long to do this

 

[Bill Edwards]

I think that the inability to use mirrors causes a lot of problems.

 

[Spark plug]

The worst thing I have ever reversed was a trailer on the back of a centre steer dumper, that really makes your head hurt.

 

[wookie]

I think that the inability to use mirrors causes a lot of problems.

Farmers tend not to use the mirrors on their tractors but that's often because they've already smashed them off the tractor

 

[Agrismith]

The worst thing I have ever reversed was a trailer on the back of a centre steer dumper, that really makes your head hurt.

I find them easier than a normal steer vehicle to reverse with and a pivot steer machine is by far the easiest way to learn to reverse a tuntable trailer or dolly

 

[brightspark]

this is interesting