Today I was back on the big motors, and got my first taste of the modular artic road train (or whatever it really is in English)
I didn’t get much of an opportunity to take any actual work pictures today but here’s my motor at the end of my shift:
Here’s the view in the mirror:
The tractor is a 400hp (don’t laugh!) F12. Conditions were extremely slippery today, and going up hills empty was like fighting a slippery fish. The under-powered unit reduces my GVW to 58 tonnes, with a 420 I’d be able to pull the whole 60. Nevertheless I could get 40 tonnes freight on legally which is the same as I was carrying on my old job driving a 60 tonne w&d that was the same length (25.25m).
Anyway what is this type of combination really called in English? My suggestion would be “insane train” but maybe that’s not fair as I’ve only driven it one day, and that was in appalling road conditions
That thing looks like someone has thought up the worst possible combination and came up with a 4x2 unit pulling a long semi coupled up to a short close coupled trailer.So what was wrong with the ordinary 60 tonner rigid with a proper long A frame drawbar trailer?.Insane is the right word for that.This is what I’d prefer. stanrobinson.com/pagesall.asp?us … nnovations
Well, it looks like my rain dancing was successful after all and you got the much anticipated nice weather to test this insane train in
About the payload then, if I understood this combination weighs about 18 tonne empty? If so, the trailers must be very light for a side door trailers. Having only two axle lowroof (“kaivosmalli” ) tractor helps, but it’s still unusually light. Mate of mine used to pull similar type curtainsider setup with three axle high-roof unit and he said his empty weight was around 21 tonnes.
Btw. are you allowed to drive into the trailers with a FLT? I’ve heard much that many Ahola’s lorries have 40+ tonne payload but often you’re not allowed to drive into the trailer with a FLT as floor is so weak and by the looks of their loaded trailers this might be true
Yes, that’s how we added it up yesterday. That’s not allowing for the four tonnes of snow stuck to the chassis of course! I don’t know about not going inside with an FLT, but I’ve not been told anything about that. I wouldn’t be surprised though, but in any case I don’t anticipate having to back this onto a bay to find out. Here’s hoping…
To carryfast: I asked basically the same question. If you look, you’ll see that the bodies are the same size as a w&d, only the head is at the other end, so to speak.
The advantages and disadvantages of the modular road train:
The expensive part, ie the tractor unit, can quickly and easily be moved onto a totally different type of work.
If you go to Europe, you only need to leave the 8m part behind.
Fuel economy advantage over w&d. I don’t personally believe this yet but it’s what I was told.
Bad on snow and ice
Second trailer cuts in a lot
Reversing, well,
The advantages and disadvantages of w&d:
The expensive part, ie the prime mover, is stuck with a dedicated body, or heavy swap system.
Goes round amazingly tight corners
Easy to reverse once you’ve got the hang of it
Not too bad on snow and ice
To go to Europe, you’d need to leave the 14m part behind (or buy another trailer)
This is what comes to mind at the moment. I’m sure it’s not a complete list though.
Lycanthrope: Thanks! Kyrbo is THE diary man though! I will put some more photos up at some point, and maybe something a bit longer when the weather gets a bit better. It’s all a bit new at the moment and I should really concentrate on the job
beattun, it might well be, but then you’d still need to buy an extra 45’ trailer for going to Europe.
Some pictures from today:
Leaving the factory:
Unloading at the docks:
This lot was for Tilbury and Hull - maybe another trucknet member will be delivering it onwards…
Anyway I have a single 40’ skelly trailer tommorow, which is probably better as the roads have been covered with black ice these past two days. The slightest pressure on the gas pedal and the wheels have been spinning in top gear, and that’s just going along the flat. I have seen worse conditions but thankfully not that often!
Kyrbo:
Well, it looks like my rain dancing was successful after all and you got the much anticipated nice weather to test this insane train in
About the payload then, if I understood this combination weighs about 18 tonne empty? If so, the trailers must be very light for a side door trailers. Having only two axle lowroof (“kaivosmalli” ) tractor helps, but it’s still unusually light. Mate of mine used to pull similar type curtainsider setup with three axle high-roof unit and he said his empty weight was around 21 tonnes.
Btw. are you allowed to drive into the trailers with a FLT? I’ve heard much that many Ahola’s lorries have 40+ tonne payload but often you’re not allowed to drive into the trailer with a FLT as floor is so weak and by the looks of their loaded trailers this might be true
I understand that Ahola use this configuration in Finland and Sweden and then if they go into Norway they leave the rear trailer and run as just a normal artic
The_Catman:
I understand that Ahola use this configuration in Finland and Sweden and then if they go into Norway they leave the rear trailer and run as just a normal artic
TC
That would certainly make sense. I haven’t seen that all many of Ahola’s motors out at this end of the country. They have just about every type of combination you can think of, but out this way I’ve seen mostly their Estonian registered units pulling a single trailer.
Zetorpilot:
The advantages and disadvantages of the modular road train:
Fuel economy advantage over w&d. I don’t personally believe this yet but it’s what I was told.
I’ve had similar thoughts myself as now you have two trailers coupled relatively close to each other compared to w&d where you have no space between cab and rigid’s box and quite long gap between rigid and a-frame-trailer. What I’ve thought is that long gap allows airflow moving on top and on the sides of the rigid to have enough time to “change it’s direction” which makes it to hit against a-frame headboard but shorter gaps found in artic+drag don’t cause this behaviour.
What Catman wrote about Ahola using this kind of outfits in Sweden and going to Norway without the drag, yes that kind of operations do happen, but I’m not quite sure how common that is. It does happen, but I’d think it’s more like increased versatility than something you’re going to do every day. To my understanding dedicated traffic between Finland and Norway happens quite much with normal artics (and some short a-frame w&d’s).
Thanks for the pics 
would love another of your diarys, they are fantastic 
