Posted By Kate Dervan I recently was conducting a yard audit and spotted a truck which was docked in the loading bay but was not chocked ( it could roll forward particularly if there was movement in the truck such as a forktruck unloading load) I asked the manager and he said that "if a lorry is attached to the trailer with the brake hoses attached, the lorry does not need to be chocked" What do you think? true? or should it be chocked as well to be on the safe side as brakes may fail etc. I am green in the area of transport safety however i do reckon that if the chocks are provided (have been used in the past ) then they should be used now as well as brakes, but I am afraid that this may be overkill.

Posted By Clive Lowery Kate, A few years ago I worked as a driver for a while and at one of the sites I visited they had a portable stand with a large baseplate. Attached to the baseplate was a pole with a locking box on top. As you were processed through the yard and been weighed you were called forward to the loading area, where you parked up with your front wheel on the base plate. You then had to disconnect your airlines and put them in the box, where the lift truck operator would lock the box. Then and only then could you undo one side of your curtains. Once the curtain was opened you had to get back in the cab and stay there until that side was loaded, you were then called out to secure that side and open the second side for loading, then it was back to the cab. After the trailer was loaded and secured, the lift truck operator came along and unlocked the box with the air lines inside. You then had to edge forward of the baseplate and proceed back to the weighbridge and were allowed to leave. If for any reason you did not follow their procedures or left the cab during loading you were removed from site immediately and the haulier was asked to send a replacement driver. This procedure was apparently introduced following a series of accidents and near misses. After its introduction they had a two year incident free period, and loading didn't really take any longer. Hope this helps Clive PS For those who don't know when the red emergency airline is removed the brakes are automatically applied and that trailer is going nowhere.

Posted By Kate Dervan I would be most greatful as the yard is ours but the companies involved are renting our space. We are a manufacturing company not involved really in the goods inwards or outwards. cheers Kate