Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
What Is Intermodal Freight Transport?
Published in Lowe FCILT David, Intermodal Freight Transport, 2006
These vehicles comprise a combination of a conventional freight-carrying rigid vehicle towing a separate load-carrying trailer, known as a ‘road train’ in European terminology. The combination may also have a four-, five-, or six-axle configuration (i.e. 2 2, 2 3 or 3 3), again depending on weight requirements. In the case of the trailer axles, one axle at the front is steerable, and a singleor double-axle (tandem) bogie is fitted at the rear so that when separated from the towing vehicle the trailer stands alone on its wheels rather than being supported at the front by landing legs as with an articulated semi-trailer. An alternative design has two or three closely spaced (non-steerable) axles located centrally along the length of the trailer.
The road transport industry: a management perspective
Published in Laurence Hartley, Fatigue and Driving, 2019
Owen Jones, Keith Edwards, Greg Weller
Road trains made up of two or three trailers are the most common method of long-distance road transport, pulling combinations of freezer, pantechnicon or flat-top trailers. Freezer trailers can have three or more types of freight in the one unit, that is, freezer goods, chiller goods and dry goods. A two-trailer road train measures up to 36 m in length with a gross mass of 79 tonnes. A three-trailer configuration has an overall length of 53 m and a gross mass of 115.5 tonnes. The prime mover used to haul these combinations is usually a six-wheel 400–500 hp engine long-bonnet truck.
Automated driving technologies
Published in Tom Denton, Automated Driving and Driver Assistance Systems, 2019
The advantage of these road trains is that all the other drivers in the convoy have time to get on with other business while on the road, for instance when driving to or from work. The road trains increase safety and reduce environmental impact thanks to lower fuel consumption compared with cars being driven individually. The reason for this is that the cars in the train are close to each other, exploiting the resultant lower air drag. The energy saving is expected to be in the region of 20%. Road capacity will also be able to be utilised more efficiently.
Dynamics performance of long combination vehicles with active control systems
Published in Vehicle System Dynamics, 2023
Wei Huang, Mehdi Ahmadian, Amir Rahimi, Luke Steiginga
Long combination vehicle (LCV) is a combination of a tractor and 2 or more trailers/semitrailers exceeding a length or weight limit that may vary from one country to another. For example, a minimum total length of 27.5 m is used in Canada [1] while a minimum gross vehicle weight of 80,000 pounds is used in the USA in the definition of LCV [2]. While conventional heavy vehicle combinations with a maximum length of 18.75 m and a maximum weight of 40 t are widely used throughout the world, some countries have legislation on the use of combination vehicles with longer lengths. For instance, in Sweden and Finland, LCVs with a length and weight of up to 25.25 m and 60 t, respectively, are operational [3]. In Canada and the US, there are three common LCVs, shown in Figure 1. Among them is the Turnpike double which has the greatest length – reaching up to 41 m – and a weight which can go up to 67.5 t in the province of Quebec [4]. In Brazil and Australia, the Rocky mountain doubles can weigh up to 74 and 85.7 t, respectively [5]. In Australia, even larger combination vehicles, called road trains, with a length of up to 53.5 m and a maximum weight of 125.5 t are permitted to operate in remote areas [6]. LCVs have been operational in Canada for the past 50 years. Since 2016, nine out of thirteen provinces and territories in Canada have permitted LCVs to operate on a highway networks with a length of at least 17,000 km [4]. It should be noted that, as the definition of LCV may vary in different countries, LCVs mentioned in this paper are multi-trailer articulated heavy vehicles in general unless the references were for specific types of LCVs.
VTT – a virtual test truck for modern simulation tasks
Published in Vehicle System Dynamics, 2021
Georg Rill, Florian Bauer, Mathias Kirchbeck
Compared to passenger cars where the unibody construction design is commonly used today, nearly all trucks and buses are built on a ladder frame that allows torsion of the vehicle in longitudinal direction to a certain degree. Especially in off-road applications this can significantly increase axle articulation. Heavy commercial vehicles typically have a cabin for the driver that is connected to the chassis by a complex suspension system often containing bushings, arms, and spring-damper elements. Due to their simplicity and durability, rigid axles are mainly used. Common systems are the leaf spring and four-link suspension systems in V or X configuration. In heavy commercial vehicles, air springs are used so that the spring stiffness can be adapted to the load conditions, the ride level can be lowered for loading, or the vehicle can kneel to ease boarding for passengers. More than two air springs per axle can be used, which may be connected to each other by pipes in different ways. Especially driven axles usually have twin tyres to allow an increased axle load. Because of the high pay loads of heavy commercial vehicles, not only the number of tyres per axle but also the number of axles is increased to three or more. To improve manoeuvrability, several axles might be steerable. Drag link steering systems are commonly used at front axles. Besides conventionally driven axles where the torque from the drivetrain is distributed by differential gears, hydraulically or electrically driven axles have been becoming popular for some applications [17,18]. The towing vehicle and the trailer can be coupled by a simple hitch, a drawbar or by a fifth wheel as used for semi-trailer trucks. To increase the load capacity, combinations of a towing vehicle and several trailers, called road trains, are used in some parts of the world. In Europe, combinations of a truck, a dolly and a semi-trailer known as Eco-Combi or Giga-Liners are being used or tested.