Had some long runs last week and started thinking about stuff and driving and couldn’t answer a couple of things myself.
Why have i suddenly started seeing car transporters with high topped cabs and no peak on the trailers - I’m thinking Falkirk car movers (or similar) and (i think) RPM all had full height units. Have peaks been banned?
What is the 4th wheel on the side of shipping container trailers for - i think they may be the sliding trailers for different size boxes, however the ones i saw all had the wheel raised and had either a 40ft box or 2 smaller boxes on?
Why is there a small wheel in front of the rear wheels on some tractor units pulling concrete trailers (they look like tankers)?
Finally - why do some of the European tractor and trailers seem to be running very low to the ground on small wheels. They all seem to have the top of the rear wheel guards removed at the back of the tractor unit and the rear wheels showing through. Most common seem to be DHL with some company partnering T-Mobile on the trailer. I think they have all be curtain sided.
jybson:
What is the 4th wheel on the side of shipping container trailers for - i think they may be the sliding trailers for different size boxes, however the ones i saw all had the wheel raised and had either a 40ft box or 2 smaller boxes on?
They’re splitter trailers that split into two so that two 20ft boxes can be tipped at the same time.
jybson:
Why is there a small wheel in front of the rear wheels on some tractor units pulling concrete trailers (they look like tankers)?
The extra axle allows you to run at 44t instead of 40t, the reason it’s smaller than normal is to save weight - well over half a ton in many cases - thereby giving you a bigger payload.
jybson:
Finally - why do some of the European tractor and trailers seem to be running very low to the ground on small wheels. They all seem to have the top of the rear wheel guards removed at the back of the tractor unit and the rear wheels showing through. Most common seem to be DHL with some company partnering T-Mobile on the trailer. I think they have all be curtain sided.
The standard running height in most of europe is only 4.0m (just under 13’2") and so in order to get as much height as possible in the trailer without going over that height they put very small wheels on.
obviously, it pays enough to have the high top cabs
the 4th wheel on container trailers are splitter trailers, they split in the middle, the 4th wheel then becomes the trailer wheel on the ground
the small wheel just in front of the drive axle is so that the truck can be plated at 44000kg, but with the lightweight option of the small wheel and axle instead of the full size heavier version
they run lower to get more goods in the trailer, they have a lower overall running height in europe than we do over here.
in answer to1)yes the european union banned peaks on new articulated car transporters being built.not sure why draw bar transporters have peak removed,but it could have something to do with driver retention/happy drivers etc.
it certainly in this economic climate does not make financial sense,as nearly all car transporter companies are on their knees,and capacity at the moment is king.
off i hop back to my rabbit hutch then.
Euro trucks usually run at 4metres
having small wheels enables the trailers to have a loading height of 3 metres
which is good for high volume loads.
bog roll and automotive stuff
you get about 100 cubic metres compared with 85 with ordinary 4 m trailer
and none of the hassle assiociated with UK tall trailers
jybson:
Why have i suddenly started seeing car transporters with high topped cabs and no peak on the trailers - I’m thinking Falkirk car movers (or similar) and (i think) RPM all had full height units. Have peaks been banned?
the law is changing or has changed already, years ago the car above the cab on the peak deck was pretty much the norm, but lots of damage was incurred to both property and the cars on top.
As the law is changing to take away the peak deck lots of companies have cut it off and reduced the carying load by one car.
