Bigger trucks anyone?

It depends...

 

The only thing I didn’t like about running in Canada was the noticeable difference between 6 axles of brakes at 101k gross and 8 axles of brakes at 105k gross in the States.

 

For me the presenter's display of absolute ignorance is rather frustrating.

I'll just throw out real life observations from west of the Rockies.......

Cali still has regs on the books that have a preferred truck overall length of 65 feet. The feds had to threaten withholding highway funds to force them to allow STAA truck into the state and upgrade the interstate systems to support that configuration.

53 foot trailers are an industry standard. Not sure of any regulation that has a max trailer length. A creative California company still runs 56 foot trailers with newer cab-overs. They recently imported some new cab over Freightliners to meet emission and max length requirements for that specialty fleet.

Amazon would have an absolute psychotic breakdown if they had to accommodate trailers over 53 foot. Their facility infrastructure, along with most every other modern D.C., is all predicated on max trailer length of 53 foot.

The rest of the region allows B-trains and triple trailer setups. Very common in OR and WA to come across a 48 + 28 hauling logs, cut lumber, and even bread. Regional large bakery (Franz) runs those and triples.

Fed Ex and other LTLs run relayed triple 28s between Reno and SLC most every night. Drivers swap trailers around Carlin NV.

Many of the doubles dump truck setup out here are registered at well over 125K. I'm sure most of the log haulers are also Higher GVW.

Most states have a way to allow haul not to STAA standards if there is a legitimate need. If not how would the Oversize Over dimension groups even function?

Would love to see the public outcry when some regulator told a group "sorry no wind turbines for you, cause they are to big to haul" or "No trailer parks because you can't haul an oversize load down the roads".

 

Mostly correct. OR and WA allow 68ft of total trailer for doubles (for example 40ft lead/20ft pup with 8ft of tongue to increase bridge) and max out at 105,500 provided you can bridge it. MT ID UT NV and WY allow longer trailers, more axles, etc and allow more weight. Of those, Idaho is the only one with restrictions on where the big doubles can run grossing 129k. I’m not familiar with North Dakota, but South Dakota lets you run whatever you can bridge if you have the axles for it. The 13 axle doubles are in the 150k range. The 20 axle side dump trains gross 200k.

 

Thank you for the clarification.

Those specs reflect what I see dang near every time I get on a highway.

 

Amazon would be the least of it. Most of the old warehouses are still designed for 40-ft trailers and cabovers, but they still make full length 53-ft combinations back into their docks. Any extra length is going to make it even harder or impossible.

 

Not arguing, just thinking aloud about the semi autonomous convoy. Trucker Bob is out front leading 9 autobots. Trucker Bob
1. Cuts his wheel to avoid a bus load of kids right in the middle
2. Blows a steer tire and steps hard on the brakes
3. Finds out he’s going to lose his job, his wife is cheating with his boss, and his kids aren’t his kids and Trucker Bob decides on self deletion
4. Is driving too fast for road conditions in Wyoming
5. Has his truck struck by lightning
6. Gets jacked by some highwaymen

What happens to the autobots?

The meat in the seat mentality will definitely end, but someone who’s wanting to win the big game is going to realize that you need talent to win and talent costs money.

 

OK, I had extensive driving experience in Canada, mostly in Ontario and Quebec, so I've seen a TON of B-train doubles. But in the U.S.? Aside from the entire state of Michigan, I only ever saw B-trains (and then, only flatbed steel-haulers) outside of that state in small adjoining areas around Gary, IN, Cleveland, OH, and Buffalo, NY, in each case for steel haulers to access the local steel mills, then drive directly back to Michigan or Canada.

I never ONCE saw a B-train west of Gary in the U.S. Has this changed, or has the poster just confused B-train doubles with A-train doubles/triples? AFAIK, every 48/28 (mountain) double combo I've ever seen was just a common A-train setup (pintle hook on the lead trailer, connected to a 1 or 2 axle) dolly, as opposed to a B-train, which is a 5th wheel attached to the frame (or sometimes axle slider) of the lead trailer, instead of a dolly.

See this Wikipedia page: Road train - Wikipedia
It's more about Australian road trains, but it gives a full explanation of A-train and B-train rigs for those who are (absolutely?) ignorant of the definition.....

 

8 or 10 axle super b train?