tachograph:
If this system is anything to go by it seems they can be made to handle well enough at 15.65 metres but the length would still be a problem for a lot of jobs.
Whilst I don’t disagree with longer trailers, what’s the point of making it rear-steer? Surely if the axles were left in the same place, the pivot point would be in the same place and therefore would be fine with the turning requirements■■? And for those who say “tailswing blah blah blah…”, as rear-steers kick out in the opposite direction anyway, the tail swing remains same with or without the rear-steer axle…so what’s the point? :s I can’t imagine it would do anything for load distribution as the rear most axle is only about 2ft further back…I just can’t see the point in this new trailer :s
Pivot point would be just behind the middle axle, if it were locked or halfway between the outer two axles, why not just have a wagon and drag, or increase the W/D length,
I don’t know…all I’m saying is if they’re going to make longer trailers…just keep the axles in the same place and have a slightly bigger tail swing and be gone with this rear-steer crap.
Have a look at the longer trailer which you have talked about drive round this roundabout with other comparisons. Doesnt look out of place at all. I drive truck/ trailers fitted with the Sidewinder positive rear steer systems which have not really been used in England. They work in a completely different way than other steer systems out there, believe me, experiencing how they work would make you change your mind.
Have a look at the website about the steer system rather than me trying to explain.Muldoon Transport Systems- Sidewinder Positive Rear Steer System
regarding the height debate, the eu are comtemplating 4.0 mtrs across the whole of europe…thats probably cos most of their tunnels and bridges are 4.0 mtrs…whereas our motorway limits are around the 17ft mark.
With longer trailers, when i started in this industry the longest trailer was 27ft…then came 30, 33, and finally 40ft.
We wasnt offered any extra money, nor received any, no more than the container boys when they stuck 12inches extra at the back and front.
Drivers will not benefit at all as these will only benefit bosses.
When i was on international work, and the trailer length increased from 12m to 13.6 my then boss painted a line where the 12m finished, and told drivers to phone the office if the exporter loaded over the line, whereby he would demand extra cash to carry the extra load that they had in fact charged to their customers, so its all about money…and dont bellieve for one minute what the likes of stobbart are saying about reducing the amount of journeys made, they only want the increased length to boost their business.
What i would like to see is the overall length increased to allow longer tractors which would lead to bigger and better cabs for the drivers.
I don’t understand why they aren’t considering the Scandinavian set up, rigid with an artic trailer. Plenty of wheels for axle weights and having seen you tube vids of them on normal roads and roundabouts, they track perfectly well. Better then an artic almost.
