From the old photo album -- what kinda set-up is this?

its a type of "low boy" for heavy hauls. i used to see them a lot when i ran 48 states. the more wheels/axles, the more weight it can carry. sometimes when the loads are real heavy, a "pusher truck" is behind the set-up.

 

well actually, there are 2 units. you have the tractor which has 2 drive axles., then a first unit which has 3 axles and wheels, this can also be called a 'dolly" or a "boggy" in this set-up. then you have the secondary unit, which is the trailer itself. the first unit is helping in the overall weight distribution of the load plus the trailer from the second. i don't know if i can explain that any better, but there is 1 unit/coupler, and then the trailer.

 

Are there any special endorsements needed to pull that?

 

It's just a jeep with a lowboy attached. Could be classified at two trailers, but I'm not sure of that. So best be safe to say a double triple endorsement would all you'd need to operate it. Now to move it, would need overweight, width, and possibly height permits. Might even need flaggers in front and rear depending on state and are moving it.

 

I'm used to the term jeep also. I tried years ago to buy a trailer for the US Navy to haul one of our specialized heavy equipment that weighed over 100,000lbs. We wanted one trailer to go anywhere if called. There is no such trailer out there. All the states are different when it comes to over loads. CA wants the trailers to have wheels all the way across so you won't rut the road. Then other states want you to have a jeep then a lowboy trailer then a stinger. Usually out west is easier to haul over loads except of course California. In the over sized load trucking community you'll find all kinds of different configurations. You can go to http://www.hankstruckpictures.com/trucks.htm and do a search for over sized trucks on his site and see alot of different trucks. BTW, I believe Hank has the best site for truck pictures.

 

There is a company over in Ohio that specializes in doding heavy haulage that makes many of it's own trialers. Some trailers are equipped with a 600 hp rear mounted engine used in place of a second push truck, and some trailers are capable of hydraulically spreading out to cover multiple lanes of the highway to ease the loads weight.

A look through their site is worth doing just to see some of the equipment they use for their work, most of which they build themselves.

http://www.diamondheavyhaul.com

 

Great site Burky. I love those HUGE trailers (like at the bottom of the webpage), at the back they have a station with levers to move the 'jeeps' (not exactly jeeps, not sure what they're called) hydraulically, to get those long loads around corners.