The drawbar should not be confused with the fifth wheel coupling. The drawbar requires a trailer which either loads the drawbar lightly (for example a small boat trailer, or caravan, or the load is the weight of the coupling components only (larger trailers, usually but not always with a steerable hauled axle, front or rear). By contrast, the fifth wheel is designed to transmit a proportion of the load's weight to the hauling vehicle. Drawbar configuration is mostly seen on hydraulic modular trailer and ballast tractor combination to haul oversize loads which require special trailer and tractor. If your vehicle has air suspension, remember that it may move when you park it or when you start it: make sure you’re not parked too close to other vehicles, buildings, street furniture, etc, which the vehicle body could collide with if it moves.

Howard Ostle does not mince his words. “We’re terrible at drawbar coupling maintenance in Britain,” he states; and as UK sales and marketing manager at VBG Group Sales, he has seen the consequences of a lax approach taken by too many operators.When you’re parking on a hill, you can use the wheels and the engine to make sure your HGV cannot roll away in case the parking brake fails. Turn the steering wheels slightly towards the kerb: if the vehicle rolls, it will steer into the kerb and stop. Bear in mind that if a drawbar combination is involved in an accident, and the cause appears to be a fault in the link between the prime mover and the trailer, then the enforcement authorities will want to see evidence that inspection and maintenance procedures were adhered to. The operator will be in hot water if no such evidence can be produced. In foggy weather you should avoid parking on the road; if you must park on the road, leave your parking lights on. Parking on a hill You’ll need to think carefully about where you stop or park your heavy goods vehicle (HGV) to make sure it will be safe, legal and will not cause an obstruction to other road users.

To help ensure that the prime mover and trailer are properly coupled together, VBG has introduced an air-operated coupling with red and green lights that complement the red and green lights in the cab. If the green light is illuminated, then all is well. If the red light has come on, however, then the driver should stop immediately and investigate why. Before you leave your vehicle, make sure the engine has stopped, the ignition system is switched off and the parking brake is on. Grease is not necessarily harmful, argues Andy Walton, technical manager at Marcar Steel and Engineering, which distributes V.Orlandi drawbar equipment in the UK. It all depends on how much is used. “Orlandi couplings have a grease nipple and all you need to do is give them a shot of grease once a year,” he says. If you’re parking at night on a road, you must use the parking lights on your vehicle. You do not need to use lights if you’re parked off-road, eg in a lorry park.

If you’re stopping overnight in a lorry park, it’s a good idea to park with the rear doors close to another lorry to keep the load safe. Always park in a secure, well-lit, reputable lorry park or designated parking area if possible. The coupling is far closer to the road surface than a fifth wheel is, he points out, and that means it is closer to all the dirt and grit that highway surfaces generate. Combine all this detritus with grease, and you have a recipe for trouble. It uses a crosshair which enables the driver to aim for the towing eye when reversing (pictured). Green guiding lines indicate the optimum height range of the vehicle in relation to the eye.

Leave the vehicle in gear: if the parking brake fails, the engine should stop the wheels turning. (This only applies to an HGV with manual gears.) Although in a distant second place compared to fifth wheels, drawbar couplings are used in the UK and must be properly cared for to continue to serve in the long term, finds Steve Banner Other brands are heading down the cast steel route, too – but no matter whether cast steel or cast iron is involved, drawbar couplings have to be treated with consideration. A drawbar is a solid coupling between a hauling vehicle and its hauled load. Drawbars are in common use with rail transport, road trailers, both large and small, industrial and recreational, and with agricultural equipment. convenient – you’re more likely to cause damage, either to your vehicle or another vehicle, if it’s an awkward spot

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Unfortunately goods vehicles and trailers are often targeted by thieves. To help keep your vehicle secure Turning to the couplings themselves, V.Orlandi is now supplying them with a cast steel rather than a cast iron jaw. “Cast steel is standard on the 57mm coupling and optional on the 50mm model,” says Walton. “It’s harder to break than cast iron.” Agricultural equipment is hauled by a tractor-mounted drawbar. Specialist agricultural tools such as ploughs are attached to specialist drawbars which have functions in addition to transmitting tractive force. This was partly made redundant with Ferguson's development of the three-point linkage in his famous TE20. Use plenty of lubricant instead,” Ostle advises. “Oil is a cheap mechanic, and if you lubricate a coupling, then you won’t get a problem.” use the equipment provided to avoid working at height; if you cannot avoid it, use fall arrest systems, especially when roping and sheeting