As per title really, I have noticed American (well, I presume they are American) trailers in Liverpool docks near the container port, sometimes stacked 2 high, and wondered what the story is with them? I have also seen them around (on the M62?), mostly pulled by maroon units.
They have tandem axles right at the back, no under-run bars, rear bumper or spray supression, just a pair of mudflaps like Dumbo’s ears out back!
Can anyone shed any light? I can’t imagine they are legal, what with type-approval and all that. I have never noticed trade plates on them.
Just curious, like. 
Probably something to do with the USAF we have em down here coming from Germany via felixstowe to RAF Mildenhall. They used to run Yank units but have switched to uk units over the last couple of years…
US Forces do what they want wherever.
I would have thought they would not be legal on British roads, no anti run under protection and un-covered wheels for instance.
You can actually drive a mini quite easily under some of our trailers.
Often see them in Vittoria Dock, Birkenhead as well, as you say, not legal on our roads, so don`t know really.
this has been asked on here before and if i remember correctly they are delivering aluminium for aeroplane wings, think some of the heavy haul lads move them. heres a link too same type of thread viewtopic.php?f=2&t=64245&hilit=american+trailers+american+trailers+in+the+uk
These trl’s. are run by the Cunard/ACL shipping line out of Seaforth and are not illegal in this country as I think they are allowed in under special licence. When I worked for Ossie Ingham on the ACL contract in 86/88 there was always loads of them on the dock, loaded & empty, but I think the deal was if they come off the ship loaded they can be delivered and then must be run back to place of disembarkation empty. I can’t ever remember tipping and loading one in the same trip always took a loaded one out and returned it empty or took a empty one out and brought it back loaded. They where usually known as a Z trailer because of their fleet numbering ACLZ 123456, General 40ft boxes were ACLU 123456. I thought they looked good with all the extra marker light’s, red lens indicators and the wheels right at the back, could mean some tricky cornering and reversing at some deliveries though. Oh and you always had to have your palm coupling adapters with you or you were in the shish pot. 
Regards
Dave Penn;
I think the trailers are covered by a UN Convention on road traffic which allows the temporary importation of vehicles between Countries that have signed the convention, provided they comply with the regulations of the Country of registration.
I’ve seen plenty of US race trucks in Europe, especially for the Le Mans 24hr race and The Prodrive racing team took their trucks to the US this year, although it wasn’t a simple matter of just turning up at the docks and driving them off the boat, as far as I know they weren’t any major modifications, although they did have a DOT test of some kind and run by a US haulage company, but driven by the Prodrive truckies.
US Forces in the UK run their kit under the visiting forces act, which means they are able to use kit that is legal in the US, and the US personal driving them do not have had to pass a UK test, although when I work at Mildenhall, most of the HGV and bus driving was done by UK civilians staff and much the HGV and bus driver training of US personal was done by British civilian staff.
Their personnel have to get their private vehicles registered and complying with the regs of the UK. which is why you see them with orange indicator lights as add ons and UK reg plates.
We used to pull them out of Liverpool to bae at Middleton back in the early 90’s for amari aerospace. Loaded with Aluminium sections for aerospace industry. Used to have thick black sheets on about 60’ long and weighed a tonne. I presume it must have been legal or we wouldn’t have been pulling them
pip2209:
Often see them in Vittoria Dock, Birkenhead as well, as you say, not legal on our roads, so don`t know really.
I used to do them out of broughton bae ten years ago! Ship out of tilbury, Southampton and portbury! Perfectly legal, nice and long and best of all when merchant bankers parked in long load bays in their sprinter vans and tiny little juggernauts because they couldn’t park up in a proper space I’d have to get plod out to send them packing! 
I remember many years ago, talking 10+, seeing a Volvo FH12 pulling a US flatbed trailer, I still remember as it was a red circular indicator on the back of the trailer, and had a US plate above the UK one.
I assume they are allowed on unique jobs, not full time though.
we pull those aclz trailers with aluminium to bombardier suppliers,some have a lighting board wired up with uk lights and are marked uk use only, although it seems most are just standard american lights. palm couplings are needed and the load is covered in black plastic and secured with chains and tighteners which are attached to the trailer and travel back with the trailer.
These US flatbeds used to be run into Grove Coles Sunderland Crane depot, I would often shunt them into different shops to be unloaded and we always had to make sure we took the Palm coupling adapters. The bogie could be adjusted if you wanted to move the wheels further forward but it wasn’t worth the bother for us. The beds were often strewn with chain fasteners (Warricks in our parlance) slightly smaller than our makes but in new condition so a nice addition to your kit! I never saw anyone taking away or bringing in these trailers and presume they arrived by Sea to the docks a couple of miles away, so were allowed to run the short distance. They were basically how our flat trailers were 30 years hence, before all the rear, side protection and wings cluttered them up and the adjusting bogie position was a good idea I always thought. Franky.
@Frankydobo, Groves Cranes that was one of the regular loading and unloading points for us on the ACL contract, although I can never remember unloading and re-loading the same trailer it always seemed to be a loaded in and a pre-loaded out. Many times ran up with an empty from Seaforth to load or took a loaded up and unloaded it or dropped it and came back bobtail if there was nothing ready to export.
Regards
Dave Penn;
Probably are stupid question but are the king pins the same as are trailers or would they need a 5th wheel mod to pull them with our units?
Why do all the US AAFES trailers running in Germany have the same fleet number? 
37
FarnboroughBoy11:
Probably are stupid question but are the king pins the same as are trailers or would they need a 5th wheel mod to pull them with our units?
2’’ pins all over the world, unless they are Heavy Haulage
Wheel Nut:
FarnboroughBoy11:
Probably are stupid question but are the king pins the same as are trailers or would they need a 5th wheel mod to pull them with our units?2’’ pins all over the world, unless they are Heavy Haulage
Spot on, they also have some VERRRRRRRRY long box vans, & I’m not talking 53 feet, they’re more like 65-70ft long.
Ross.
I used to pull US purpose built exhibition trailers in the 90s .
mostly 48 or 53 ft curtainsiders or boxes shipped into either Liverpool or LeHavre.
They had mockup fuselages from business jets in them, companies we hauled for were Cessna, Learjet, Gulfstream, and IIRC Beechcraft.
Often did 3 or 4 month tours around Europe usually starting or finishing at Paris Air Show.
Part of the deal was that you had to help set up/break down the trailer for the show and also be on standby at all times the show was on to keep the 110v generators fuelled up.
Excellent job , got to see most of Europe,Scandinavia etc and was in Hotels most nights 