Thread: Dock Work
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Old 18th September 2008, 12:08
G-CPTN G-CPTN is offline  
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Tynedale
Age: 79
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Went out to a vehicle inspection in London Dockland. Asked the operator if he had an inspection pit and he showed me a shed with a pit about 18 inches deep. I remarked that the pit wasn't very deep and he replied "Wait until we get it pumped out . . . "
I needed to do a road test (it was an artic tractor) so he arranged a tandem box trailer. I asked what the load was (I'd had live cattle previously . . . ) and he said it was "just plastic pellets for injection moulding, but it's full up . . . "
I carried out my test drive and returning along the A13 almost missed the turning into the depot. Halfway round the corner I felt the steering go light and, looking into the mirror saw the trailer inside wheels were about two feet off the ground! I promptly unwound the steering (fortunately there were no obstructions) and managed to prevent a rollover . . .
It was only then that my brain realised that in order to achieve the weight the load was stuffed up to the top of the box, so the CofG was much higher than I'd been used to with concrete test loads in metal cages.
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