1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186 
Close curtains to keep structure
1st March 2007, Page 28
1st March 2007
Page 28
Page 28, 1st March 2007
— Close curtains to keep structure
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
IN 1 IER'View from the Sharp End' (CM 15 February), L Radley refers to "curtainsiders that hadn't been strapped open" as a precaution against high sidewinds.
As a former driver I accept this is the conventional wisdom on the subject, and is included in official notes for the LGV theory test.
However, some trailer manufacturers advise against this method of empty running. In the search for ever more payload the unladen weight of certain designs has been lowered by reducing the amount of superstructure. Consequently the structural integrity of such trailers relies on the curtains being closed.
Failure to do this can lead to the roof blowing off, so if in doubt check with the trailer maker.
Dave Young via e-mail