Not sure if this has been asked before and I’m a bit lazy when it comes to searching for the answer so I though I’d ask here.
Does anyone know why it’s mainly British haulers that go for the 6 wheel tractor units, I never seem to see jolly foreigner using them? Do their 4 wheelers have up rated drive axles or something? and Is there any particular reason for this, whilst on the subject what’s that maximum permitted gross weight when running on a five axle outfit.
Cheers Manny
The Europeans run at lower weights than us 38 ton i think.
I think you are wrong mate, BEN-LUX --5 AXELES=44 TN
GERMANY–5AXELES==40TN ;AND UP TO 44TN WHEN USEING
RAILTRANSPORT;also on 5 axeles,
depending where one is going to there are places which
DO axel weighing still,Hungary,poland,are two examples
so this is one reason where 3 axle units are better off
as they are rarely overloaded on the axeles, ask the
guys who do the long distance journeys outside the EU
also the majority of countrys have a differant system for doing
road tax and UK it is cheaper with a 3-axle air suspension
unit than a two axled lorry,
UK it is cheaper with a 3-axle air suspension
unit than a two axled lorry,
I think they’ve done away with that now. Which is why you see tippers back on steel springs rather than air now.
It’s all a bit weird, you can run an 4 axles at 38t on an artic but only 32t on a rigid. My Volvo’s design weight is 37t, it’d be no different but we are stuck at 32t.
Yeah that is a strange one that. What are the axle limits on those 8 wheeler tippers btw?
Not sure about tippers if they are on steel springs, but my beavertail 8 wheeler on air runs as follows.
The design weights are for
8wheels:
It’s all a bit weird, you can run an 4 axles at 38t on an artic but only 32t on a rigid. My Volvo’s design weight is 37t, it’d be no different but we are stuck at 32t.
Thats probably something to do with “axle spread” as an aritc is obviously longer so the weight is more spread out over the road.
Possibly, but you could still have a 30’ trailer and end up with something similar.
So more Wheeles you have so less damage to road and so higher Breakpower by breaking
manny:
Not sure if this has been asked before and I’m a bit lazy when it comes to searching for the answer so I though I’d ask here.Does anyone know why it’s mainly British haulers that go for the 6 wheel tractor units, I never seem to see jolly foreigner using them? Do their 4 wheelers have up rated drive axles or something? and Is there any particular reason for this, whilst on the subject what’s that maximum permitted gross weight when running on a five axle outfit.
Cheers Manny
In the UK, a 6 axle artic (on road friendly suspension) can run at 44t and a 5 axle artic can run at 40t.
I’m not sure if the road tax rates have changed but on 5 axles it used to be cheaper to run a 3 axle unit with a 2 axle trailer against a 2 axle unit with a 3 axle trailer.