Fridgeraider:
Heaven has a wall and strict immigration policies. Hell has open borders.
Brilliant!
Thanks again for the insights.
I’m still looking for overall rig length when carrying 40 box
Maybe big firms keep the data on types of boxes and frequency of runs, but They don’t share info !
Fridgeraider
Why would they? It’s commercial information that could be used by their competitors.
As jbaz asked, why such detailed information? I can’t tell you the overall length of a skel with a 40’ on it ( don’t run containers). Maximum length with one of those new fandangled 13.6 trailers on is 16.5 meters, so by my calculations a 40’ should end up around 15.3 m. (ish)
Sorry about the mix of imperial and metric 
Franglais:
Fridgeraider:
yourhavingalarf
bald bloke
jbaz73
andrey1
Very grateful to you for the insights and information offered.
Andrey1 that was a great deal of info there. Thank you.
New question: If you carry 2x20 or a 40 container, How long is the rig overall ?
Is it less than the 16. 5m limit?
Thanks again
Fridgeraider
You’ve spotted the flaw in UK laws.
A 40’ is over length. That’s why the cops always sit outside dock gates, so they can write out tickets.
No such thing as a dumb question?
Oh yes there is!
Sent from my SM-G361F using Tapatalk
so were dose that leave a 45’box, don’t forget the box is the load not the trailer
Albion
Thanks for your patience.
I was coming up with about 15.5, but ’
if you want to know something, ask a man who knows’ as the saying goes.
Why the detailed questions ?
I’m my spare time
I’m working on looking at different levels of efficiency for different modes of transport.
For example , apparently, a tipper can cut fuel consumption a lot if the open back gets sheeted over.
I’m grateful to all at Trucknet who have helped with information.
When I get to any conclusions I’ll get back and let you know.
Thanks again
Fridgeraider
Malcolmgbell
As far as I know, plod isn’t interested in whether it’s the box or the trailer, in their view it is overall length that matters. ( As the actress said to the Bishop!)
If a vehicle is to take to the highway and is greater than 16.5m, then you have to notify plod.
There might be a requirement for an orange flashing light at the R send.
Thanks.
Fridgeraider
cav551:
The gap between the back of the unit and the front of the trailer makes a difference to aero drag as does the smoothness of the trailer sides. So ignoring height and the setting of the roof mounted air deflector, the larger gap and the ribbed sides will mean that a lorry pulling a container will have worse fuel consumption than for eg a fridge trailer of the same nominal dimensions and weight at the same speed.
Air resistance is a factor of frontal area and speed, modified by body shape which creates turbulance, and wind direction. Weight or Mass do not have any bearing upon it.
this trailer give saving to company
Just done rought measurement,16m on 40ft box,as I see it they would not make them as to be out side of the law,as said I can carry 45ft box as there is over hang which is aloud,that’s y they have under run bars
Fridgeraider:
Albion
Thanks for your patience.
I was coming up with about 15.5, but ’
if you want to know something, ask a man who knows’ as the saying goes.
Why the detailed questions ?
I’m my spare time
I’m working on looking at different levels of efficiency for different modes of transport.
For example , apparently, a tipper can cut fuel consumption a lot if the open back gets sheeted over.
I’m grateful to all at Trucknet who have helped with information.
When I get to any conclusions I’ll get back and let you know.
Thanks again
Fridgeraider
I should know the length of 40’ skel + tractor unit off the top of my head, I spent enough years booking vehicles on ferrys, but agee…it’s caught up with me!
Sadly I find such snippets such as your tipper example interesting 
albion:
Sadly I find such snippets such as your tipper example interesting
If memory serves me right “Truck” magazine in the 1980’s did an article after taking a loaded Hino tipper around their ‘test circuit’ of 120miles in Kent area , then again empty with no cover when it used more fuel !
For a comparison.
My 67 plate Volvo FH pulling a walking floor trailer has average 6.64mpg since 1st Jan 18.
It’s loaded to 44t 50% of the time and empty the rest.
It mainly up and down country roads and so does very little motorway mileage.
Castillidie
3 wheeler
albion
Stunning bits of information slowly slowly getting posted.
Averaging 6.64 ! 
BTW the piece about open back tippers, I’ve been looking for it but didn’t find it yet.
I feel sure it said around 20% more consumption when unsheeted.
I didn’t want to make a total farse of myself, so I better keep looking and come back.
Fridgeraider
You might this useful youtu.be/r3aqHbD-O9E
Take a look at this might be of intrest youtu.be/r3aqHbD-O9E
Thanks malcolmgbell
Still I think an 8/ yard muck away is a different proposition to an suv pick-up.
Still working on the numbers yall have been kind enough to pass on to me !
Fridgeraider
If UK container operators used the same spec trailers as the Dutch and Belgians they would probably increase their mpg by as much 2 mpg having a foot of container needlessly higher than the unit is a complete waste of diesel.
cav551:
The gap between the back of the unit and the front of the trailer makes a difference to aero drag as does the smoothness of the trailer sides. So ignoring height and the setting of the roof mounted air deflector, the larger gap and the ribbed sides will mean that a lorry pulling a container will have worse fuel consumption than for eg a fridge trailer of the same nominal dimensions and weight at the same speed.
Air resistance is a factor of frontal area and speed, modified by body shape which creates turbulance, and wind direction. Weight or Mass do not have any bearing upon it.
^^
This
Air resistance plays a huge part in fuel consumption. We use a SAF slider low profile alloy fifth wheel with no chassis plate and with open rear arches the gap between the rear tyres and bottom of the trailer is minimal and in turn drops a 4M Krone or VanHool tilt down to 3.9M coupled and below cab height. Having the trailer very close coupled also helps as does the side deflectors.
Fridgeraider- sorry mate, i cant comment re containers as we dont pull them, just reiterating cav551’s comments… 
Mazzer2:
If UK container operators used the same spec trailers as the Dutch and Belgians they would probably increase their mpg by as much 2 mpg having a foot of container needlessly higher than the unit is a complete waste of diesel.
Is that with a height qube or standard box
malcolmgbell:
Mazzer2:
If UK container operators used the same spec trailers as the Dutch and Belgians they would probably increase their mpg by as much 2 mpg having a foot of container needlessly higher than the unit is a complete waste of diesel.
Is that with a height qube or standard box
TBH don’t know a great deal about containers but on the continent all containers are the same height as the unit or lower. Seem to be the same type of containers as you see in the UK, but with the Dutch skellies the containers are sitting on top of the wheel arches and not a foot above them.
Mazzer2 8’6 normal 9’6 height qube
Mazzer2:
the Dutch skellies the containers are sitting on top of the wheel arches and not a foot above them.
With low profile drive axle tyres, open rear arches and low profile fifth wheel with no chassis plate overall height can be significantly reduced. The UK doesnt seem to have cottoned onto this drag reduction malarky… 
Apparently in 2016 6.5 million containers entrered the UK via ports.
Presumably , as we’re not all knee deep in discarded containers, they must be being taken back to the ports either full or empty.
According to my maths, that make roughly 13 million movements of containers by trucks in the UK in the course of one year. ( Apparently 72% go out loaded and the rest go out empty.)
Some drivers out there must have knowlege of :
what proportion of journeys carrying a box ?
how many miles in a typical busy week ?
is 8mpg loaded and 12mpg empty a reasonable snap-shot ?
Come on guys, you know the answers !
Fridgeraider
