newmercman:
We run with a long overhang in California to satisfy their retarded laws, it’s 40’ from the pin to the centre of the rear axle, which with a 2’ pin gives you 11’ swinging around behind the rear axle, total overhang is 13’ if you use the centre of the rear bogie as the pivot point, it’s a PITA
California,GLA/LEZ and other mad euro loopy green truck design/measurement regs anyone spotted the connection and pattern here.
Oh California are way in front in the loony stakes
You have to have to comply with their ridiculous axle settings, but only if you have a 53’ trailer, you can have the wheels on the arse of a 52’ 11" trailer and be legal, but add an inch and you have to run with a 13’ overhang
Credit where it’s due the Brits are catching up fast.At least they’ve made a proper job of it by putting some of the extra length in front of the pin too which still doesn’t make the trailer any shorter but just creates a few other headaches to add to the one at the back.
But the obvious idea to comply with Californian regs is for all 53 foot trailers to be made at 52 foot 11 and 31/32 inches.
cant see what all the fuss is about the car transporter i drive is 18.75 mt long plus the cars hanging off the back and i go into london most days delivering just have to drive defensively
Fair play to you driver, those car transporters really take some driving
You lot have so much more to deal with as you drive along, the height, trying to keep away from tree branches etc, the length and overhangs, the locations of your deliveries and loads of things that you’d only know if you’ve done the job (I haven’t) and to top it all off, you have the smallest of small sleepers. Just having to drive in a cab that small would have half of the members on here crying like babies, without all the rest of the headaches you blokes get
its one of those jobs you get it quick or never bother as you’ve probably read we are being taken over by the green machine well one of there drivers got chatting to one of our night men and said there’s loads of there blokes want to transfer over and asked how long it takes the loaders to load unload the truck for the driver. once the other driver stopped laughing he then explained what we do in all weathers his response was f*** that and sleep in that and drove off dont think he was impressed lol
merc0447:
Had a good look at one today the rear axle isnt a conventional rear steer, it is some sort of bizarre dolly axle. Looks weird as hell and there is some sort of device about 6 inches behind the pin (v shaped) and it looks like a turntable above the pin?
Well noticed,
The ‘v shaped’ device behind the pin slots into the jaws of the fifth wheel and controls the rear steer on the trailer.
It’s a clever system it means there is always a positive input on the trailers steering axle. ‘Urban’ artics in Denmark have used it for years. Drivers just have to be careful when hitching up though, you can hear the click but the jaws havn’t locked…
merc0447:
Had a good look at one today the rear axle isnt a conventional rear steer, it is some sort of bizarre dolly axle. Looks weird as hell and there is some sort of device about 6 inches behind the pin (v shaped) and it looks like a turntable above the pin?
It’s a clever system it means there is always a positive input on the trailers steering axle. ‘Urban’ artics in Denmark have used it for years. Drivers just have to be careful when hitching up though, you can hear the click but the jaws havn’t locked…
Just make sure you hitch up dead straight. Oh, and the last numpty that pulled it dropped it whilst straight as well…
Getting 18 of these at our depot in Bellshill.They got a live rear axle which is supposed to lock up when you are perfectly straight and reverse is selected.
jf1970:
Getting 18 of these at our depot in Bellshill.They got a live rear axle which is supposed to lock up when you are perfectly straight and reverse is selected.
jf1970:
Getting 18 of these at our depot in Bellshill.They got a live rear axle which is supposed to lock up when you are perfectly straight and reverse is selected.
What are the yards like at your stores?
Some are bigger than others, they are assesing what stores can take them.We pointed to them that its just not the yard thats to be assesed but the roads surrounding the stores.According to our driver/trainers the rear of the trailers swing out 3ft on tight left and right hand turns.They reckon out the 57 stores we deliver to,25 can take the longer trailers.
jf1970:
Getting 18 of these at our depot in Bellshill.They got a live rear axle which is supposed to lock up when you are perfectly straight and reverse is selected.
I would of thought that the rear axle wont lock in reverse, if its a proper tridec rear steer it will work in both forward and reverse, the ones that should lock in a straight line are a crap system that often have the wheels pointing the wrong way if the driver failed to get the thing straight before going backwards (often due to lack of room) this puts hell of a strain on the bogie of the trailer when loaded heavy and on one occasion i have seen the propshaft snap on a unit when the driver was trying to force the thing backwards with the wheels pointing the wrong way !
i have this tridec rear steer system on a 33 ft flat trailer and it works a treat
![IMG_0012[1].JPG](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/trucknetuk/original/3X/a/e/aeadbb0645cf6556230efd786a9dadefb3afef02.jpeg)
cant see what all the fuss is about the car transporter i drive is 18.75 mt long plus the cars hanging off the back and i go into london most days delivering just have to drive defensively
