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Silly question but there are plenty of networks that go from RDC to RDC and only use major routes, with big yards, with the correct restrictions it could be a winner, but would you fancy having a go on a UK road with it?
This has 28 pages of ramblings by Mr Geoffrey carryfast written all over it. 
Silly question but there are plenty of networks that go from RDC to RDC and only use major routes, with big yards, with the correct restrictions it could be a winner, but would you fancy having a go on a UK road with it?
Are you Dave or Nick in disguise? I feel another ‘efficiency’ drive coming and lots more job loses to allow business to be competitive so NO it’s not practical for that alone! But on safety issues alone and other ‘Richard Cranium’ drivers it would be a disaster in the making. 
fredthered:
Silly question but there are plenty of networks that go from RDC to RDC and only use major routes, with big yards, with the correct restrictions it could be a winner, but would you fancy having a go on a UK road with it?
Are you Dave or Nick in disguise? I feel another ‘efficiency’ drive coming and lots more job loses to allow business to be competitive so NO it’s not practical for that alone! But on safety issues alone and other ‘Richard Cranium’ drivers it would be a disaster in the making.
I am no one in disguise, purely a question for the drivers amongst us 
i don’t think it is practical in the UK unless it was organised in such a way that only motorways were used.
for example: you lift 3 trailers at a specially designed motorway siding in carlisle, then deliver them to another motorway siding outside the m25.
they could be used in europe. from say carlise to warsaw, the romanian border, or bourg-en-bresse if they were going to italy. i can’t see there being a problem with going all the way down to southern spain.
but the UK? narrrrr. 
limeyphil:
i don’t think it is practical in the UK unless it was organised in such a way that only motorways were used.
for example: you lift 3 trailers at a specially designed motorway siding in carlisle, then deliver them to another motorway siding outside the m25.
they could be used in europe. from say carlise to warsaw, the romanian border, or bourg-en-bresse if they were going to italy. i can’t see there being a problem with going all the way down to southern spain.
but the UK? narrrrr.
Rynart Trading did this in the 70’s and 80’s with doubles in Russia, but they still towed each trailer separately from Klundert to Brest.
Artic unit and three trailers? I thought that was what trains were for?
Two trailers could work. Used on night trunks only on approved routes.
Like what denby wanted?
I can’t see why B Doubles wouldn’t work here, depending on the skill of the driver.
cieranc:
I can’t see why B Doubles wouldn’t work here, depending on the skill of the driver.
Probably not suited to drivers who work out of yards where there is a sign on the way out saying, “have you checked your mirrors”.
Saratoga:
Like what denby wanted?
i do remember watching the video on youtube a while ago about that.
Great Idea…
looks amazing …would get some great combo’s on the road…cool pics to be taken…
Bad idea…
Would suit the haulier even more …would they want to pay the driver more…
then cowboy haulers would cut the rates even more…
Wasn’t the 45’ ers supposed to just do that kind of work, didn’t take long for ‘risk assessments’ to decide they could go anywhere.
1 of the jobs I really hated was collecting chesterfield style sofas from a factory in Holmefirth, for those that don’t know it, it’s the little village where Last of the summer wine was filmed, it was a very old factory / mill on a side street just outside the town centre, an absolute nightmare with a 45’er, but I was in the area blah blah…
I currently drive a wag + drag a-frame style, was absolutely dreading it when I started, now I’m used to it and can get it most places pretty easily, BUT it still goes wrong now and then and if you’ve not got the space to correct it, you’re BUGGERED. That’s ‘only’ 2 pivot points, you’re talking of 3 or more… 
Must admit though, going forwards is amazing
We run here with the 2 only, quite easy and reasonably easy to maneouvre, at least you can drop the height to aprox 14’6" and get rid of those awfull double decks.
Whenever this idea of longer/more trailers comes up it is always accompanied by the theory that only approved motorway routes would be used. Anyone who has used the M50/M5/M42 recently will know that unexpected closures are a regular occurrence. I wouldn’t fancy trying to take one of them on most of the diversions I’ve been on. M5 J7 to M50 J1 springs to mind!
Any financial gains would soon be lost when the whole lot is stuck on the hard shoulder for a day waiting for the motorway to re-open; late deliveries and drivers’ hours being the main issues.
Until we have a reliable motorway network this kind of thing will never work.
gardun:
Whenever this idea of longer/more trailers comes up it is always accompanied by the theory that only approved motorway routes would be used. Anyone who has used the M50/M5/M42 recently will know that unexpected closures are a regular occurrence. I wouldn’t fancy trying to take one of them on most of the diversions I’ve been on. M5 J7 to M50 J1 springs to mind!
Any financial gains would soon be lost when the whole lot is stuck on the hard shoulder for a day waiting for the motorway to re-open; late deliveries and drivers’ hours being the main issues.
Until we have a reliable motorway network this kind of thing will never work.
It will make the elephant racing more interesting though 
3 hour overtakes
Wheel Nut:
limeyphil:
i don’t think it is practical in the UK unless it was organised in such a way that only motorways were used.
for example: you lift 3 trailers at a specially designed motorway siding in carlisle, then deliver them to another motorway siding outside the m25.
they could be used in europe. from say carlise to warsaw, the romanian border, or bourg-en-bresse if they were going to italy. i can’t see there being a problem with going all the way down to southern spain.
but the UK? narrrrr.Rynart Trading did this in the 70’s and 80’s with doubles in Russia, but they still towed each trailer separately from Klundert to Brest.
in doubles…
and triples
waynedl:
That’s ‘only’ 2 pivot points, you’re talking of 3 or more…
Must admit though, going forwards is amazing
Same for me driving a wrecker, 2 points of articulation.
Trouble there is, you’ve got to screw the wrecker right round to move the unit enough to put the trailer where you want it, such a short gap between the 2 articulation points ( distance from front axle on unit to 5th wheel) makes it hard work reversing. Given that the train is 85-90 feet long anyway, you need a lot of room to manouvre.
Shoving a 70’ load of steel around is no bother at all, just makes it hard work when it bends twice in the middle.
So generally avoid driving into a situation that’ll need reversing out of, that way there’s not much reversing to be done.
When we take loaded artics to their destinations, we often get told " Stick the trailer on bay ■■■, and then drop the unit round the workshops".
Usual answer to that is “I’ll drop the trailer in the middle of the yard and you can put it on the bay”, or “you reverse it onto the bay smartarse”
