HRS:
ERF-NGC-European:
This Paul Gee picture is most interesting to me, in that it appears to have a Trailor Savoyard tilt trailer, built in France. I notice that it has the tandem spread-axle bogie rather than the tandem close-axle bogie favoured by the French at the time ('70s). Can any of our French bretherin from the ‘Saviem’ thread shed any light on what possible legislation or preference might have led to this oddity?Robert
0
Hi Robert, As know one has come back to you let me “have a go”.
Late 70’s saw a real dilemma in weights, axle specification and road fund licience for hauliers in the uk.
As you know standard was 32 ton 2+2 ( 2axlw artic + 2 axle trailer) it could then go 36 ton 3+2 or 2+3 and 38 ton on 3+3.
As trailers tend to outlast units by about 4 to 1 it was cheaper to upgrade a trailer but a close coupled tandem could take a forward axle the wide spread could not, due to turning circle restrictions ,That still apply to day.
Add this to pin lengh, short , med, long and you can see the issues arising.
What unit to buy ? 6x2 tag, mid lift, twin steer, double drive, or in the case of Volvo at one time, self steer.
Add all this to a little axle derating from the government and overall spacing between wheels for the uk bridge requirements and weights.
I am sure the answer to your question is in here somewhere.
A very difficult time for the hauliers and a bl**dy nightmare for a young’ish truck salesman, cheers Harvey
Thanks mate! I do appreciate the legislation dilemma at the UK end - indeed I used to pull tandem spreadies about myself back in the day. And of course there are legion photos around showing UK operated Trailor Savoyade tilts but not French ones. My question was about what French legislation mitigated against them following our example and spreading the axles 
.
Cheers, Robert