![Road_train_(25)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Road_train_%2825%29.jpg)
A road train, land train or long combination vehicle (LCV) is a
truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
ing vehicle used to move road
freight
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...
more efficiently than
semi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer ...
s. It consists of two or more trailers or semi-trailers hauled by a
prime mover
Prime mover may refer to:
Philosophy
*Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings
Engineering
* Prime mover (engine), motor, a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc) into energy o ...
.
History
Early road trains consisted of
traction engine
A traction engine is a steam engine, steam-powered tractor used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin ''tractus'', meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any t ...
s pulling multiple wagons. The first identified road trains operated into
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
's
Flinders Ranges
The Flinders Ranges are the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts about north of Adelaide. The ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna.
The Adnyamathanha people are the Aboriginal group who have inhabi ...
from the
Port Augusta
Port Augusta is a small city in South Australia. Formerly a port, seaport, it is now a road traffic and Junction (rail), railway junction city mainly located on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf immediately south of the gulf's head and about ...
area in the mid-19th century. They displaced bullock teams for the carriage of minerals to port and were, in turn, superseded by railways.
During the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
, a traction engine was used to pull multiple open trucks.
By 1898 steam traction engine trains with up to four wagons were employed in military manoeuvres in England.
In 1900,
John Fowler & Co. provided armoured road trains for use by the
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...
in the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...
.
[ Lord Kitchener stated that he had around 45 steam road trains at his disposal.]
A road train devised by Captain Charles Renard
Charles Renard (1847–1905) born in Damblain, Vosges, was a French military engineer.
Airships
After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 he started work on the design of airships at the French army aeronautical department. Together with A ...
of the French Engineering Corps was displayed at the 1903 Paris Salon. After his death, Daimler
Daimler is a German surname. It may refer to:
People
* Gottlieb Daimler (1834–1900), German inventor, industrialist and namesake of a series of automobile companies
* Adolf Daimler (1871–1913), engineer and son of Gottlieb Daimler
* Paul Da ...
, which had acquired the rights, attempted to market it in the United Kingdom. Four of these vehicles were successfully delivered to Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia, before the company ceased production upon the start of World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
In the 1930s/40s, the government of Australia operated an AEC Roadtrain
The AEC Roadtrain was a prototype road train designed by the British Overseas Mechanical Transport Committee and built by Leyland Motors and Associated Equipment Company (AEC) in the early 1930s to meet a British Army requirement for an offroad c ...
to transport freight and supplies into the Northern Territory, replacing the Afghan
Afghan may refer to:
*Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia
*Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity
** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...
camel
A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...
trains that had been trekking through the deserts since the late 19th century. This truck pulled two or three Dyson four-axle self-tracking trailers. At , the AEC was grossly underpowered by today's standards, and drivers and offsiders (a partner or assistant) routinely froze in winter and sweltered in summer due to the truck's open cab design and the position of the engine radiator, with its cooling fan, behind the seats.
Australian Kurt Johannsen, a bush mechanic, is recognised as the inventor of the modern road train. After transporting stud bulls to an outback
The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...
property, Johannsen was challenged to build a truck to carry 100 head of cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
instead of the original load of 20. Provided with financing of about 2000 pound
Pound or Pounds may refer to:
Units
* Pound (currency), a unit of currency
* Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom
* Pound (mass), a unit of mass
* Pound (force), a unit of force
* Rail pound, in rail profile
Symbols
* Po ...
s and inspired by the tracking abilities of the Government roadtrain, Johannsen began construction. Two years later his first road train was running.
Johannsen's first road train consisted of a United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
surplus Diamond-T tank carrier, nicknamed "Bertha", and two home-built self-tracking trailers. Both wheel sets on each trailer could steer, and therefore could negotiate the tight and narrow tracks and creek crossings that existed throughout Central Australia
Central Australia, also sometimes referred to as the Red Centre, is an inexactly defined region associated with the geographic centre of Australia. In its narrowest sense it describes a region that is limited to the town of Alice Springs and i ...
in the earlier part of the 20th century. Freighter Trailers in Australia viewed this improved invention and went on to build self-tracking trailers for Kurt and other customers, and went on to become innovators in transport machinery for Australia.
This first example of the modern road train, along with the AEC Government Roadtrain, forms part of the huge collection at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame
The National Road Transport Hall of Fame is an Australian transport museum in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, owned by the Road Transport Historical Society in Alice Springs
Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...
, Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
.
Usage
Australia
The term ''road train'' is used in Australia. In contrast with a more common semi-trailer towing one trailer or semi-trailer
A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. In the United States, the term is also used to refer to the combination of a truck and a semi-trailer; a tractor-trailer.
A large proportion of a semi-trailer's weight is supported by a tracto ...
, the prime mover
Prime mover may refer to:
Philosophy
*Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings
Engineering
* Prime mover (engine), motor, a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc) into energy o ...
of a road train hauls two or more trailers or semi-trailers. Australia has the longest and heaviest road-legal road trains in the world, weighing up to . They transport freight across some of the harshest environments on Earth.[
Double (two-trailer) road train combinations are allowed on some roads in most states of Australia, including specified approaches to the ports and industrial areas of ]Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
and Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
. A double road train should not be confused with a B-double
A road train, land train or long combination vehicle (LCV) is a trucking vehicle used to move road freight more efficiently than semi-trailer trucks. It consists of two or more trailers or semi-trailers hauled by a prime mover.
History
Early ...
, which is allowed access to most of the country and in all major cities.[Hema Maps (Firm) & Martin, Ray. & Martin, Will. (2007), Australia truckies atlas artographic material: the complete atlas for the professional driver / Hema Maps ; artography, Ray Martin and Will Martin- - has state by state routes and route restrictions I]
In South Australia, B-triples up to and two-trailer road trains to were only permitted to travel on a small number of approved routes in the north and west of the state, including access to Adelaide's north-western suburban industrial and export areas such as Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...
, Gillman and Outer Harbour via Salisbury Highway
Salisbury Highway (and its northern section as John Rice Avenue) is a 15 kilometre major connecting road in the northern suburbs of the Adelaide metropolitan area. It is designated part of route A9.
Route
Salisbury Highway starts at the interch ...
, Port Wakefield Road
Port Wakefield Highway (and its southern section as Port Wakefield Road) is an important South Australian highway, connecting Adelaide to the Yorke Peninsula, Port Augusta, northern and western South Australia, the Northern Territory and Wester ...
and Augusta Highway
Augusta Highway is the part of Australia's ring route ( Highway 1) located in South Australia between Port Wakefield and Port Augusta.
Route
Augusta Highway starts at the intersection with Eyre and Stuart Highways in Port Augusta West, then ...
before 2017. A project named ''Improving Road Transport for the Agriculture Industry'' added of key routes permitted to operate vehicles over in 2015–2018.
Triple (three-trailer) road trains operate in western New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, western Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
, with the last three states also allowing AB-quads (B double with two additional trailers coupled behind). Darwin is the only capital city in the world where triples and quads are allowed to within of the central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
(CBD).
Strict regulations regarding licensing, registration, weights, and experience apply to all operators of road trains throughout Australia.
Road trains are used for transporting all manner of materials: common examples are livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals ...
, fuel
A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...
, mineral ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 April 2 ...
s, and general freight. Their cost-effective transport has played a significant part in the economic development of remote areas; some communities are totally reliant on regular service.
The multiple dog-trailers are unhooked, the dollies removed and then connected individually to multiple trucks at "assembly" yards when the road train gets close to populated areas.
When the flat-top trailers of a road train need to be transported empty, it is common practice to stack them. This is commonly referred to as "doubled-up" or "doubling-up". Sometimes, if many trailers are required to be moved at one time, they will be triple-stacked, or "tripled-up".
Higher Mass Limits (HML) Schemes are now in all jurisdictions in Australia, allowing trucks to carry additional weight beyond general mass limits. Some roads in some states regularly allowing up to 4 trailers at long and .
United States
In the United States, trucks on public roads are limited to two trailers (two and a dolly to connect; the limit is end to end). Some states allow three trailers, although triples are usually restricted to less populous states such as Idaho, Oregon, and Montana, plus the Ohio Turnpike
The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor between Chicago and Pittsburgh. The road runs east–west in the northern section of ...
and Indiana East–West Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a tolled freeway that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line. It has been advertised as the "Main Street of the ...
. Triples are used for long-distance less-than-truckload
Less-than-truckload shipping or less than load (LTL) is the transportation of an amount of freight sized between individual parcels and full truckloads. Parcel carriers handle small packages and freight that can be broken down into units less t ...
freight hauling (in which case the trailers are shorter than a typical single-unit trailer) or resource hauling in the interior west (such as ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit.Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ore". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 April 2 ...
or aggregate
Aggregate or aggregates may refer to:
Computing and mathematics
* collection of objects that are bound together by a root entity, otherwise known as an aggregate root. The aggregate root guarantees the consistency of changes being made within the ...
). Triples are sometimes marked with "LONG LOAD" banners both front and rear. "Turnpike doubles"—tractors towing two full-length trailers—are allowed on the New York Thruway
{{Infobox road
, state = NY
, type = NYST
, alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway
, maint = NYSTA
, map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...
and Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike (colloquially "Mass Pike" or "the Pike") is a toll highway in the US state of Massachusetts that is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The turnpike begins at the New York state li ...
(Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
), Florida's Turnpike
Florida's Turnpike, designated as unsigned State Road 91 (SR 91), is a toll road in the U.S. state of Florida, maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE). Spanning approximately along a northwest–southeast axis, the turnpike is in two s ...
, Kansas Turnpike
The Kansas Turnpike is a , freeway-standard toll road that lies entirely within the US state of Kansas. It runs in a general southwest–northeast direction from the Oklahoma border to Kansas City. It passes through several major Kansas cities ...
(Kansas City - Wichita route) as well as the Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
and Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
toll roads. Colorado allows what are known as "Rocky Mountain Doubles" which is one full length trailer and an additional trailer. The term "road train" is not commonly used in the United States; "turnpike train" has been used, generally in a pejorative sense.
In the western United States LCVs are allowed on many Interstate
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
highways. The only LCVs allowed nationwide are STAA doubles.
Europe
In Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
, Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, and some roads in Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, trucks with trailers are allowed to be long. In Finland, a length of has been allowed since January 2019, although the longest vehicles measure , because of cornering regulations.
Elsewhere in the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, the limit is (Norway ). The trucks are of a cab-over-engine design, with a flat front and a high floor, about above ground. The Scandinavian countries are less densely populated than the other EU countries, and distances, especially in Finland and Sweden, are long. Until the late 1960s, vehicle length was unlimited, giving rise to long vehicles to cost effectively handle goods. As traffic increased, truck lengths became more of a concern and they were limited, albeit at a more generous level than in the rest of Europe.
In the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
in 2009, a two-year desk study of Longer Heavier Vehicle
Longer Heavier Vehicle (LHV) is a large goods vehicle category in the United Kingdom. Longer Heavier Vehicles are not currently allowed to operate on UK roads because they exceed the mandated limit of six axles and of gross weight and length of ...
s (LHVs), including up to 11-axle, long, combinations, ruled out all road-train-type vehicles for the foreseeable future.
In 2010, Sweden was performing tests on log-hauling trucks, weighing up to and measuring and haulers for two 40 ft containers, measuring in total. In 2015, a pilot began in Finland to test a 104-tonne timber lorry which was and had 13 axles. Testing of the special lorry was limited to a predefined route in northern Finland
Since 2015, Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
has permitted B-doubles with a length of up to and weighing up to 60 tonnes to travel on certain routes.
In 2020, a small number of road trains were operating between Belgium and the Netherlands.
Mexico
For Mexico the road trains exist in a very small form due to the highway sizes and streets in the principal cities, and there are only permitted 2 trailers joined with a pup or dolly created for this purpose, recently the regulations tend to be more severe and strict to avoid overloading and frequent accident chance, to adhere to the federal rules of transportation. Truck drivers must obtain a certificate to certify that the driver is capable to manipulate and drive that type of vehicle.
All the tractor vehicles that make road train type transport in the country (along with the normal security requirements) need to have visual warnings like...
* "Precaucion Doble Semirremolque" alert (Warning Double Semi-Trailer) located in the frontal fenders of the tractor and in the rear part of each trailer.
* Some yellow turning lights of warning to be more visible to another drivers on the road
* a Seal for the entire vehicle approving the use as Double Semi Trailer.
* Federal License plates in every trailer, dolly, and Tractor unit
Some major cargo enterprises in the country use this form to cut costs of carrying all type of goods in some regions where another form of transportation are so expensive to improve it due to the difficult geography of the country.
The Mexican road train equivalent form in Australian Standard is the A-Double form, the difference is that the Mexican road trains can be hauled with a long distance tractor truck.
Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, they are only used in one highway, Ngezi - Makwiro road. They make use of 42m long road trains pulling 3 trailers.
Trailer arrangements
![Aust config2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Aust_config2.png)
A-double
An A-double consists of a prime mover towing a normal lead trailer with a ball hitch (or some other type of coupling) affixed to it at the rear. A fifth wheel dolly is then affixed to the hitch allowing another standard trailer to be attached. Eleven-axle coal tipping sets carrying to Port Kembla
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...
, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
are described as A-doubles. The set depicted has a tare weight of 35.5 tonne and is capable of carrying 50 tonne of coal. Note the shield at the front of the second trailer to direct tipped coal from the first trailer downwards.
Pros include the ability to use standard semi-trailers and the potential for very large loads. Cons mainly include very tricky reversing due to the multiple articulation points across two different types of coupling.
B-double
A B-double consists of a prime mover towing a specialised lead trailer that has a fifth-wheel mounted on the rear towing another semi-trailer, resulting in two articulation points. It may also be known as a B-train, interlink in South Africa, B-double in Australia, tandem tractor-trailer, tandem rig or double in North America. They may typically be up to long. The fifth wheel coupling
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.
Fifth or The Fifth may refer to:
* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth"
* Fifth column, a political term
* Fifth disease, a contagious rash that ...
is located at the rear of the lead (first) trailer and is mounted on a "tail" section commonly located immediately above the lead trailer axles. In North America this area of the lead trailer is often referred to as the "bridge". The twin-trailer assembly is hooked up to a tractor unit via the tractor unit's fifth wheel in the customary manner.
An advantage of the B-train configuration is its inherent stability when compared to most other twin trailer combinations, the turntable mounted on the forward trailer results in the B-train not requiring a converter dolly as with all other road train configurations. It is this feature above all else that has ensured its continued development and global acceptance. Reversing is simpler as all articulation points are on fifth wheel couplings.
B-train trailers are used to transport many types of load and examples include tanks for liquid and dry-bulk, flat-beds and curtain-siders for deck-loads, bulkers for aggregates and wood residuals, refrigerated trailers for chilled and frozen goods, vans for dry goods, logging trailers for forestry work and cattle liners for livestock.
In Australia, standard semi-trailers are permitted on almost any road. B-doubles are more heavily regulated, but routes are made available by state governments for almost anywhere that significant road freight movement is required.
Around container ports in Australia exists what is known as a super B-double; a B-double with an extra axle (total of 4) on the lead trailer and either three or four axle set on the rear trailer. This allows the super B-Double to carry combinations of two 40 foot containers, four 20 foot containers, or a combination of one 40 foot container and two twenty foot containers. However, because of their length and low accessibility into narrow streets, these vehicles are restricted in where they can go and are generally used for terminal-to-terminal work, i.e. wharf to container holding park or wharf-to-wharf. The rear axle on each trailer can also pivot slightly while turning to prevent scrubbing out the edges of the tyres due to the heavy loads placed on them.
B-triple
B-triple
Same as B-double, but with an additional lead trailer behind the prime mover
Prime mover may refer to:
Philosophy
*Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings
Engineering
* Prime mover (engine), motor, a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc) into energy o ...
. The B-train principle has been exploited in Australia, where configurations such as B triples, double-B doubles and 2AB quads are permitted on some routes. These are run in most states of Australia where double road trains are allowed. Australia's National Transport Commission
The National Transport Commission (NTC), previously known as the National Road Transport Commission, is an Australian statutory body created to develop regulatory and operational reform for road, rail and intermodal transport.
Under Australia's ...
proposed a national framework for B-triple operations that includes basic vehicle specifications and operating conditions that the commission anticipates will replace the current state-by-state approach, which largely discourages the use of B-triples for interstate operation. In South Australia, B-triples up to and two-trailer road trains to are generally only permitted on specified routes, including access to industrial and export areas near Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...
from the north.
AB triple
An AB triple consists of a standard trailer with a B-Double behind it using a converter dolly, with a trailer order of Standard, Dolly, B-Train, Standard. The final trailer may be either a B-Train with no trailer attached to it or a standard trailer. Alternatively, a BA triple sees this configuration reversed, consisting of a B-double with a converter dolly and standard trailer behind it.
A-triple
In South Australia, larger road trains up to (three full trailers) are only permitted on certain routes in the Far North.
BAB quad
A BAB quad consists of two B-double units linked with a converter dolly, with trailer order of Prime Mover, B-Train, Dolly, B-Train.
C-train
A C-train is a semi-trailer attached to a fifth-wheel on a C-dolly. Unlike in an A-Train, the C-dolly is connected to the tractor or another trailer in front of it with two drawbars
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
, thus eliminating the drawbar connection as an articulation point. One of the axle
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearing ...
s on a C-dolly is self-steerable to prevent tire scrubbing. C-dollies are not permitted in Australia, due to the lack of articulation.
Dog-trailer (dog trailer)
A dog-trailer (also called a pup) is any trailer that is hooked to a converter dolly, with a single A-frame drawbar that fits into the Ringfeder
Ringfeder name (pronounced in English ) is a German brand based in Krefeld founded in 1922. The brand manufactures bolt couplings, hook couplings, drawbar eyes, underrun protections and accessories. Ringfeder is part of VBG Truck Equipment, one ...
or pintle hook
A pintle is a pin or bolt, usually inserted into a gudgeon, which is used as part of a pivot or hinge. Other applications include pintle and lunette ring for towing, and pintle pins securing casters in furniture.
Use
Pintle/gudgeon sets have ma ...
on the rear of the trailer in front, giving the whole unit three to five articulation points and very little roll stiffness.
Interstate road transport registration in Australia
In 1991, at a special Premiers' Conference, Australian heads of government signed an inter-governmental agreement to establish a national heavy vehicle registration, regulation and charging scheme, otherwise known as FIRS.
This registration scheme is known as the Federal Interstate Registration Scheme. The requirements of the scheme were as follows:
If the vehicle was purchased to be used for interstate trade, no stamp duty was payable on the purchase price of the vehicle.
The vehicle had to be subjected to an annual inspection for roadworthy standards, which had to be passed before registration could be renewed.
With the registration identification; the first letter of the 6 digit identified the home state: W, Western Australia; S, South Australia; V, Victoria; N, New South Wales; Q, Queensland; T, Tasmania; A, Australian Capital Territory and C, Northern Territory.
Due to the 'eastern' and 'western' mass limits in Australia, two different categories of registration were enacted. The second digit of the registration plate showed what mass limit was allowed for that vehicle. If a vehicle had a 'V' as the second letter, its mass limits were in line with the eastern states mass limits, which were:
* Steer axle, 1 axle, 2 tyres:
* Steer axle, 2 axles, 2 tyres per axle: Non load sharing suspension
** Load sharing suspension
* Single axle, dual tyres:
* Tandem axle, dual tyres:
* Tri-axle, dual tyres or 'super single' tyres:
* Gross combination mass on a 6-axle vehicle not to exceed
If a vehicle had an ''X'' as the second letter, its mass limits were in line with the western states mass limits, which were:
* Steer axle, 1 axle, 2 tyres:
* Steer axle, 2 axles, 2 tyres per axle
** Non load sharing suspension : Load sharing suspension
* Single axle, dual tyres:
* Tandem axle, dual tyres:
* Tri-axle, dual tyres or "super single" tyres:
* Gross combination mass on a 6-axle vehicle not to exceed
The second digit of the registration being a ''T'' designates a trailer.
One of the main criteria of the registration was that intrastate operation was not permitted. The load had to come from one state and be delivered to another state or territory. Many grain carriers were reported and prosecuted for cartage from the paddock to the silos. If, though, they went to a port silo, they were given the benefit of the doubt, as that grain was more than likely going overseas.
Signage
Australian road trains have horizontal signs front and back with high black uppercase letters on a reflective yellow background reading "ROAD TRAIN". The sign(s) must have a black border and be at least long and high and be placed between and above the ground on the fore or rearmost surface of the unit.
In the case of B-triples in Western Australia, they are signed front and rear with "ROAD TRAIN" until they cross the WA/SA border where they are then signed with "LONG VEHICLE" in the front and rear.
Converter dollies must have a sign affixed horizontally to the rearmost point, complying to the same conditions, reading "LONG VEHICLE". This is required for when a dolly is towed behind a trailer.
Combination lengths
;B-double: max. Western Australia, max.
;B-triple: up to max.
;NTC modular B-triple: max. (uses 2× conventional B-double lead trailers)
;Pocket road train: max. (Western Australia only) This configuration is classed as a "Long Vehicle".
;Double road train or AB road train: max.
;Triple and ABB or BAB-quad road trains: max.
Operating weights
Operational weights are based on axle group masses, as follows:
;Single axle (steer tyre):
;Single axle (steer axle with 'super single' tyres):
;Single axle (dual tyres):
;Tandem axle grouping:
;Tri-axle grouping:
Therefore,
*A B-double (single axle steering, tandem drive, and two tri-axle groups) would have an operational weight of .
*A double road train (single axle steering, tandem drive, tri-axle, tandem, tri-axle) would have an operational weight of .
*A triple is .
*Quads weigh in at .
*Concessional weight limits, which increase allowable weight to accredited operators can see (for example) a quad weighing up to .
*If a tri-drive prime mover is utilised, along with tri-axle dollies, weights can reach nearly .
Speed limits
The Australian national heavy vehicle speed limit is , excepting:
* NSW & Queensland where the speed limit for any road train is .
In western Canada, LCVs are restricted to , or the posted speed limit. Trucks of legal length () may travel at , or the posted speed limit.
World's longest road trains
Below is a list of longest road trains driven in the world. Most of these had no practical use, as they were put together and driven across relatively short distances for the express purpose of record-breaking.
*In 1989, a trucker named "Buddo" tugged 12 trailers down the main street of Winton.[Doug's Tug]
, the pick & shovel (13), December 2000.
*In 1993, "Plugger" Bowden took the record with a Mack CLR pulling 16 trailers.
*A few months later this effort was surpassed by Darwin driver Malcolm Chisholm with a , 21 trailer rig extending .
*In April 1994 Bob Hayward and Andrew Aichison organised another attempt using a 1988 Mack Super-Liner The Mack Super-Liner is a model line of Class 8 trucks produced by Mack Trucks. Produced in North America from 1977 to 1993, the model line was a conventional-cab tractor configured primarily for highway and vocational applications, serving as the ...
500 hp V8 belonging to Plugger Bowden who drove 29 stock trailers measuring 439.169 metres a distance of 4.5 km into Bourke. The record was published in the next ''Guinness Book of Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
''.
*Then the record went back to Winton with 34 trailers.
*In 1999, the town of Merredin, officially made it into the ''Guinness Book of Records'', when Marleys Transport made a successful attempt on the record for the world's longest road train. The record was created when 45 trailers, driven by Greg Marley, weighing and measuring were pulled by a Kenworth
Kenworth Truck Company is an American truck manufacturer. Founded in 1923 as the successor to Gersix Motor Company, Kenworth specializes in production of heavy-duty ( Class 8) and medium-duty (Class 5–7) commercial vehicles. Headquartered in ...
10×6 K100G for .
*On 19 October 2000, Doug Gould set the first of his records in Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...
, when a roadtrain made up of 79 trailers, measuring and weighing , was pulled by a Kenworth
Kenworth Truck Company is an American truck manufacturer. Founded in 1923 as the successor to Gersix Motor Company, Kenworth specializes in production of heavy-duty ( Class 8) and medium-duty (Class 5–7) commercial vehicles. Headquartered in ...
C501T driven by Steven Matthews a distance of .
*On 29 March 2003, the record was surpassed near Mungindi
Mungindi is a town and locality on the border of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, Australia. The town is within Moree Plains Shire in New South Wales. Within Queensland, the locality is split between the Shire of Balonne (the western part) ...
, by a road train consisting of 87 trailers and a single prime mover (measuring in length).
*The record returned to Kalgoorlie, on 17 October 2004, when Doug Gould assembled 117 trailers for a total length of . The record nearly didn't fall, as the first prime mover's main driveshaft broke when taking off. A second truck was quickly made available, and pulled the train a distance of .
*In 2004, the record was again broken by a group from Clifton, Queensland
Clifton is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Clifton had a population of 1,456 people.
Geography
Clifton is a town in the Darling Downs. The town is situated just west of the New England Highway ...
which used a standard Mack truck to pull 120 trailers a distance of about .
*On 18 February 2006, an Australian built Mack truck with 113 semi-trailers, and long, pulled the load to recapture the record for the longest road train (multiple loaded trailers) ever pulled with a single prime mover. It was on the main road of Clifton, Queensland
Clifton is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Clifton had a population of 1,456 people.
Geography
Clifton is a town in the Darling Downs. The town is situated just west of the New England Highway ...
, that 70-year-old John Atkinson claimed a new record, pulled by a tri-drive Mack Titan
The Mack Titan is a heavy duty truck produced by Mack Trucks. Two variants are produced: one for the Australian market, introduced in 1995 aimed at heavy road train operators, and a 2008 version introduced in North America. The Titan can haul load ...
.
Outside Australia
*On 12 April 2016 in Gothenburg, Sweden, a Volvo FH16 750 pulled 20 trailers with double-stacked containers with a total length of 300 meters (984 ft) and with a total weight of 750 tonnes.
Gallery
File:Sherwin-Williams Paints truck on US 95 (1).jpg, Sherwin-Williams Paints truck on US 95 Nevada
File:Road train (27).jpg, 53 foot container turnpike double in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
File:UPS Truck in Beatty Nevada (1).jpg, Triple trailer three 28.5-foot pups
File:B double yass truck stop.JPG, A B-double tanker parked at a truck stop
See also
* Air brake (road vehicle)
An air brake or, more formally, a compressed-air-brake system, is a type of friction brake for vehicles in which compressed air pressing on a piston is used to apply the pressure to the brake pad or brake shoe needed to stop the vehicle. Air bra ...
* Articulated bus
An articulated bus, also referred to as a banana bus, bendy bus, tandem bus, vestibule bus, wiggle wagon, stretch bus, or an accordion bus, (either a motor bus or trolleybus) is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usua ...
* Brake
A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction.
Background ...
* B-train
A road train, land train or long combination vehicle (LCV) is a trucking vehicle used to move road freight more efficiently than semi-trailer trucks. It consists of two or more trailers or semi-trailers hauled by a prime mover.
History
Early ...
* Containerization
Containerization is a system of intermodal freight transport using intermodal containers (also called shipping containers and ISO containers). Containerization is also referred as "Container Stuffing" or "Container Loading", which is the pro ...
* Container on barge
Container on barge is a form of intermodal freight transport where containers are stacked on a barge and towed to a destination on an inland waterway.
Mississippi River & tributaries
There is limited use of this mode of transport because a la ...
* Container ship
A container ship (also called boxship or spelled containership) is a cargo ship that carries all of its load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. Container ships are a common means of commercial intermodal ...
* Dolly (trailer)
A dolly is an unpowered vehicle designed for connection to a tractor unit, truck or prime mover vehicle with strong traction power.
United States Classification by axle configuration
There are several types of dolly bogie:
* Full trailer - ...
* Federal Bridge Weight Formula
The Federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula, also known as Bridge Formula B or the Federal Bridge Formula, is a mathematical formula in use in the United States by truck drivers and Department of Transportation (DOT) officials to determine the appr ...
* Fifth wheel coupling
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.
Fifth or The Fifth may refer to:
* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth"
* Fifth column, a political term
* Fifth disease, a contagious rash that ...
* Gladhand connector
A gladhand connector or gladhand coupler is an interlocking hose coupling fitted to hoses supplying pressurized air from a tractor unit to air brakes on a semi-trailer, or from a locomotive to railway air brakes on railroad cars. Gladhand conn ...
* Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation (e.g., rail, ship, aircraft, and truck), without any handling of the freight itself when changing ...
* Jackknifing
Jackknifing is the folding of an articulated vehicle so that it resembles the acute angle of a folding pocket knife. If a vehicle towing a trailer skids, the trailer can push the towing vehicle from behind until it spins the vehicle around and ...
* Longer Heavier Vehicle
Longer Heavier Vehicle (LHV) is a large goods vehicle category in the United Kingdom. Longer Heavier Vehicles are not currently allowed to operate on UK roads because they exceed the mandated limit of six axles and of gross weight and length of ...
* National Network
The National Network (or National Truck Network) is a network of approved state highways and interstates for commercial truck drivers in the United States. The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 authorized the establishment of a nati ...
– highway and interstate system
* Overland train
In the 1950s, LeTourneau Inc. developed several overland trains, essentially oversized semi-trailer trucks that could travel over almost any terrain. Their intention was to be able to handle logistics needs without being dependent on local road ...
* Ringfeder
Ringfeder name (pronounced in English ) is a German brand based in Krefeld founded in 1922. The brand manufactures bolt couplings, hook couplings, drawbar eyes, underrun protections and accessories. Ringfeder is part of VBG Truck Equipment, one ...
coupling devices
* Road transport in Australia
Road transport is an element of the Australian transport network, and contributes to the Australian economy. Australia relies heavily on road transport due to Australia's large area and low population density in considerable parts of the count ...
* Rolling highway
In rail transportation, a rolling highway or rolling road is a form of combined transport involving the conveying of road trucks by rail, referred to as Ro-La trains. The concept is a form of piggyback transportation.
The technical challeng ...
– freight trucks by rail
* Semi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semitruck, (or semi, eighteen-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer or, by synecdoche, a semitrailer) is the combination of a tractor unit and one or more semi-trailers to carry freight. A semi-trailer ...
– large trucks such as road trains and articulated
An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were someti ...
lorries
* Shipping container
A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes. In the context of ...
* Top intermodal container companies list
Several shipping lines are involved in intermodal freight transport as part of international trade.
List of largest container shipping companies
This is a list of the 30 largest container shipping companies as of 11 August 2022, according to '' ...
* Trackless train
A trackless train — or tram (U.S. English), road train, land train, or parking lot train is a road-going articulated vehicle used for the transport of passengers, comprising a driving vehicle pulling one or more carriages connected by draw ...
* Transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...
References
External links
Australian Road Train Association
Australian National Heavy Vehicles Accreditation Scheme.
South Australian Roads road train gazette
NSW Roads and Traffic Authority road train operators gazette
NSW Roads and Traffic Authority Restricted Access Vehicles route map index
NSW Roads and Traffic Authority Reflective sign standards
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060928154413/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/otps/truck/wusr/wusrindex.htm The U.S. Department of Transportation's Western Uniformity Scenario Analysis.
British Columbia Government Licensing Bulletin 6
British Columbia Government Licensing Bulletin 41
Roadmap of technologies able to halve energy use per passenger mile includes the dynamically coupled, heterogeneous type of roadtrain
Road trains and electrification of transport
Combination Vehicles for Commercial Drivers License
{{DEFAULTSORT:Road Train
Trucks
Trains
Train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...
Articulated vehicles
Train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...