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Semi-trailer
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Main page A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. In the United States, the term is also used to refer
Contents to the combination of a truck and a semi-trailer, a tractor-trailer.[1]
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A large proportion of a semi-trailer's weight is supported by a tractor unit, or a detachable front-
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axle assembly known as a dolly, or the tail of another trailer. A semi-trailer is normally equipped
Donate to Wikipedia with landing gear (legs which can be lowered) to support it when it is uncoupled. Many semi-
Wikipedia store trailers have wheels that are capable of being totally dismounted and are also relocatable[2]
(repositionable) to better distribute load to bearing wheel weight factors.[3] Semi-trailers are more A tractor unit pulling a semitrailer
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popular for transport than full trailers, which have both front and rear axles. Ease of backing is
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cited as one of the semi's chief advantages. A road tractor coupled to a semi-trailer is often
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called a semi-trailer truck or "semi" in North America & Australia, and an articulated lorry or "artic"
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Recent changes in the UK.
Contact page Semi-trailers with two trailer units are called B-doubles (Australian English) or tandem tractor
trailers,[4] tandem rigs, or doubles (American English). Other terms used are "B-train" or (when
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there are three or more trailers) "road train". A double-trailer combination is possible with the use A truck pulling a semitrailer using a
What links here trailer dolly
Related changes of a dolly, or "converter dolly" (Australian and American English), essentially one to three
Upload file additional axles placed under the front of a second semi-trailer. The first semi-trailer is connected
Special pages to the power unit using the tractor's fifth wheel coupling while the converter dolly, already attached to the second semi-trailer, is connected
Permanent link to the first semi-trailer with a drawbar. In Australian English, the tractor unit is called a "prime-mover", and the combination of a prime-
Page information mover and trailer is known as a "semi-trailer", "semi" or single.
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Cite this page Contents [hide]

Print/export 1 Properties

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 Create a book 2 Couplings
Download as PDF 2.1 Fifth wheel coupling
Printable version 2.2 Automatic couplings

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3 Types
4 See also
Wikimedia Commons
5 References
Languages 6 External links
Deutsch
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Italiano Properties [ edit ]
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Road tractors and semi-trailers carry a large part of the transport. With 1170117 tonne-kilometres
Русский transported this way in the European Union, including UK, road tractors and semi-trailers are
Svenska 77.6 % of the total tonne-kilometres transported in 2015, according to Eurostat.[5]
Türkçe
In road haulage, semi-trailers predominate over full trailers because of their flexibility. The trailers
‫ייִדיש‬
can be coupled and uncoupled quickly, allowing them to be shunted for loading and to be trucked
16 more
between depots. If a power unit fails, another tractor can replace it without disturbing the cargo.
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Compared with a full trailer, a semi-trailer attached to a tractor unit is easier to reverse, since it
has only one turning point (the coupling), whereas a full trailer has two turning points (the
coupling and the drawbar attachment). Special tractors known as shunt trucks or shuttle trucks
can easily maneuver semi-trailers at a depot or loading and unloading ferries. These tractors may
lift the coupling so the trailer legs clear the ground.
A 1920 advertisement for semi-
A rigid truck and full trailer are articulated inside the cargo area length, so a semi-trailer can have trailers
a longer continuous cargo area. Because of this, a semi-trailer can haul longer objects, (logs,
pipe, beams, railway track). This depends on the legislation; in some European countries, a full
trailer can be as long as a semi-trailer. However, since a rigid truck is longer than a semi-tractor, this increases the overall length of the
combination, making it less maneuverable.

Couplings [ edit ]

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 The two types of couplings are fifth wheel coupling and automatic. In some applications, no separable coupling is fitted, and the trailer is
bolted to the tractor unit, using a bearing, and rocker feet as are used under a fifth wheel skid plate.

Fifth wheel coupling [ edit ]

The towing vehicle has a wide coupling plate known as a fifth wheel coupling bolted onto its chassis on which the semi-trailer rests and
pivots. As the tractor reverses under the trailer, a kingpin under the front of the trailer slides into a slot in the skidplate, and the jaws of the
fifth wheel close onto it. The driver has to raise the trailer legs manually, and couple the airbrake lines and electrical cables. Some low-set
trailers such as lowboys/low-loaders and car transporters have electrically-powered landing gear due to the necessarily low clearance
prohibiting conventional landing gear.

Automatic couplings [ edit ]

Many years ago, automatic couplings predominated,[citation needed] but are now quite rare. Automatic couplings were generally used for
payloads of 12 short tons (11 t) or less, e.g. on the Scammell Mechanical Horse.

No coupling plate is used on the tractor; a turntable is permanently fixed to the underside of the trailer. This locks to the chassis of the
tractor. When the tractor reverses under the trailer, its legs rise and the brake and electrical connections are made automatically. Almost
the entire coupling and uncoupling procedure is operated by the driver from inside the cab, except that he or she has to descend to
release (or apply) the trailer parking brake.[citation needed]

Types [ edit ]

Different types of semi-trailers are designed to haul different cargoes.

Common widths are 8 ft (2.44 m),[6] and 2.6 metres (102.36 in).[7] Generally speaking, most North American type trailers use two axles
with dual-tire hubs totaling 8 wheels, while most European type trailers use three axles with single-tire hubs totaling 6 wheels, with one of
the axles being able to be lifted for lighter loads and saving on tire, brake, and axle wear. Nearly all sufficiently tall modern trailers are
equipped with a rear underride guard to prevent cars from passing beyond the rear edge of the trailer, and most also have side underride
guards for the same reason. There are also other smaller differences with regards to kingpin depth, lighting, door locks, et cetera, though
most purpose-built tractor trucks can carry most types of trailer regardless of which continent it was built on and the differences therein.

Box or van trailers are the most common type. They are quite simply a metal box on wheels with some doors on the back, though
some offer additional access doors on the sides. Standard lengths in North America are 28 ft 0 in (8.53 m), 32 ft 0 in (9.75 m), 34 ft

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 0 in (10.36 m), 36 ft 0 in (10.97 m), 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m), 45 ft 0 in (13.72 m), 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m), 53 ft 0 in (16.15 m) and 57 ft 0 in
(17.37 m).[7] Due to maximum length regulations and the need to maximize cargo within said regulations, almost all European semi-
trailers are 13.60 m (44 ft 77⁄16 in) in length.
Bus-bodied trailers are hitched to a tractor unit to form a trailer bus, a simple alternative to building a rigid bus.
Car carrier trailers carry multiple cars, usually new cars from the manufacturer. In the US and elsewhere, car carriers often carry used
vehicles as well. Similar variants can carry fork lift trucks, light commercial vehicles and agricultural tractors. Single-deck versions are
used for larger vehicles.
Conestoga trailers are a special form of flatbed trailer with a flexible retractable roof and siding used to carry large pieces of
equipment that can only be lifted by an overhead crane, but which also need protection from the weather during transit.
Curtain siders or Tautliners are similar to box trailers except the sides are movable curtains made of reinforced fabric coated with a
waterproof coating. To put it another way, it is basically a flatbed trailer with additional aerodynamic and weather protection as well as
greater load security. They generally have a restraining system of straps and buckles every foot (30 cm) or so to keep the curtain tight
and adverse to the elements. Also some have removable gates mounted into the trailer, to help reinforce the load and prevent bulges.
The purpose of a curtain sider is to combine the security and weather resistance of a box trailer with the ease of loading of a flatbed.
Curtain siders are one of the most common trailer types in Europe.
Drop-deck trailers (or Step-frame Trailer) have a floor that drops down a level once clear of the tractor unit; the most common types of
drop-deck trailers are flatbeds and curtain siders.
Double deckers or deckers have either a fixed, hinged, or moveable second floor to enable them to carry more palletised goods. In
general, a double decker can carry 40 pallets, as opposed to 26 for a standard trailer. Double deck trailers are generally a step-frame
construction with the majority being either box or curtain siders, with box trailers having either a fixed or movable (floating) deck, and
curtain sides having either a fixed or hinged second deck; this hinged second deck generally swings into a position down the length of
the trailer, and can be divided into two or three sections to allow greater load flexibility. In Australia, they are known as mezzanine
trailers or mezz-decks for short.
Dry bulk ("British" Powder tankers) trailers resemble big tankers, but are used for cement, sand, barite, flour, and other dry powder
materials.
Dump trailers ("British" Tippers) are trailers in which one end can be raised to allow the cargo (often building materials or Agricultural
produce) to slide out the other end. Commonly, they are hinged at the rear and raised at the front, but side-unloading dump trailers
also are used.
Flatbeds consist of just a load floor and removable side rails and a bulkhead in front to protect the tractor in the event of a load shift.
They can haul almost anything that can be stacked on and strapped down.

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 Hopper bottoms are usually used to haul grain, but can be used to haul other materials.
Inloaders are used to transport glass panes on stillages. They feature an open bottom to maximize loading height and the entire trailer
can be lifted and lowered during loading, to allow safe loading of fragile glass panels.[8]
Intermodal trailers are similar in frame design to box trailers, but without any sort of integral cargo-carrying ability as they are designed
to carry a variety of standard Intermodal containers
Live bottom trailers have a conveyor belt on the bottom of the trailer tub that pushes the load material out of the back of the trailer.
The tub does not have to be raised to deposit the materials.
Livestock trailers are used to haul livestock such as cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, etc. Commonly, they have two levels (or three for
hogs) to maximize capacity.
Lowboy ("British/Australian" Low-loader) trailers are a type of flatbed in which the load floor is as close to the ground as possible,
most commonly used to haul heavy equipment, cranes, bulldozers, etc.
Refrigerator trailers are box trailers with a heating/cooling unit (reefer) attached and insulated walls, used for hauling produce, frozen
foods, meat, flowers, etc. No quite as common but they are also produced in tautliner models with thicker curtains to sustain
temperature.
Refrigerator tank trailers are well insulated or refrigerated to haul bulk liquid foods, such as liquid sugar, water, wine, milk or juices.
Sidelifter semi-trailers have hydraulic cranes mounted at both ends of the chassis allowing for the loading and unloading of shipping
containers without the need of a forklift or other container-handling equipment. Also known as a Sideloader.
Side Bay trailers have a series of roll-up or panel doors down each side. Each door opens into individual compartments. These trailers
are most commonly used in the beverage distribution industry.
Tank chassis or "tanker" trailers are used for hauling liquids such as gasoline and alcohol, or various types of gases. They are similar
in principle to intermodal trailers but with a very different frame intended to be attached to a liquid or gas tank, hence the name. Some
are designed with a lowered centre of gravity to ensure greater stability. Generally bottom loaded with the ability to recover any waste
vapor for safety reasons.
A "frac" tank trailer has a single and fixed axle, and is typically used during hydraulic fracturing at oil wells or for petrochemical
industries. It is shaped like a wedge, and when it is unhitched, its bottom side lies flat on the ground.
"Wing" trailers are mostly found in Japan and are something of a hybrid between a curtain sider and a box trailer, with rigid, motorized
Gull-wing doors in place of the fabric curtains. Also found as part of a rigid box truck.

Trailer types

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 Box trailer (US) Curtain sider trailer (EU) Semi dump trailer (EU)

Auto transporter (Brazil) Flatbed trailer (Iran) Live bottom trailer (US) Glass inloader trailer
(Germany)

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 Lowboy (US) Refrigerated trailer (UK) Sidelifter (New Zealand) Tank trailer (Japan)

Wing van trailer (Japan) STAA double pup 28.5 foot trailers

See also [ edit ]

Air brake (road vehicle) Trucks portal

Articulated lorries
Articulated vehicle
Brake
Cargo
Fifth-wheel coupling
Fruehauf Corporation
Gladhand connector
Globe Trailers
Jackknifing
Long combination vehicle
Refrigerated container

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 Refrigerator truck
Semi-trailer truck
Shunt truck
Swap body
Tank chassis
Teardrop trailer (truck)
Trailer
Trailer skirt
Trailer tail
Vehicle category

References [ edit ]

1. ^ "Definition of SEMITRAILER" . www.merriam-webster.com. 5. ^ Eurostat (PDF)

2. ^ "Know how to slide your Tandems" . www.bigtruckride.com. 6. ^ "Any transport transportations from the Tandem-Trans ???
3. ^ "Positioning The Trailer Tandems - High Road Online CDL recheck the link" . Tandem-Trans. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
Training" . www.truckingtruth.com. 7. ^ ab "Federal Size Regulations for Commercial Motor Vehicles" .
4. ^ "TRANSPORT & MACHINERY :: ROAD TRANSPORT :: US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.
TRUCKING :: TANDEM TRACTOR TRAILER image - Visual Retrieved 2011-01-01.
Dictionary Online" . visual.merriam-webster.com. 8. ^ FAYMONVILLE FloatMAX - the inloader for glass transport .

External links [ edit ]

Media related to Semi-trailers at Wikimedia Commons

Semi trailers' manufacturers and sellers at Curlie

Categories: Trucks Articulated vehicles

This page was last edited on 12 May 2019, at 07:40 (UTC).

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