53 triples!

It's not B train, it's not a Super B train, it's a "KING B" configuration. Surprised they're not using a tri drive tractor.

 

there is talk of this in australia as well, they are calling it a "b triple". I dont think its with 53 footers though.

 

totally agree beer runner....totally AGREE

 

This is a huge safety violation in my opinion.

Take Bison as an example. Most of there trucks used for overlength work are extremely short wheelbase Kenworth T800's and T660's. They have the right trucks, but the frame is way to short. The shorter the frame, the easier it is for the truck to lose control on ice, or in any condition for that matter. Those drives would be out from underneath you in no time, the truck is to small.

The longer the frame, the more control you have, and there is much less chance of losing control on ice.

Think of the weight. You have a short small truck, that weighs probably 16,000 pounds, pulling 180,000 pounds of weight....if ANYTHING goes wrong in even the slightest manner, that truck will be pushed around at the mercy of 3 fully loaded trailers. Turnpike doubles are not even safe when you truly get down to it. There is simply to much weight and equipment there for 1 small truck to control safely and quickly.

Wear and tear. These companies are getting so stupid it's past humor now. Your asking 1 engine, ONE, 6 cylinder diesel engine, that weighs 3,000 pounds, to pull 200,000 pounds. That's something like 66 times it's own weight.

How long do you expect a engine, transmission, and differentials to last, pulling 200,000 pounds, at highway speeds, on rough prairie roads? Knowing these cheap companies, they would use a truck with a 450HP engine, 13 speed, and 12 and 40 axles, and no upgraded cooling system.

Co-Op runs 3 trailers between Saskatoon and Regina, but they are empty when they do this. It's an efficient way to get equipment back to Saskatoon for loads. However, 3 empty sails out there on a windy highway with icy conditions....may luck be on your side.

If you want to do this kind of thing, you should be running at least 14/46 axles, heavy frame rails, super 18, 600HP, 4:11 rear ratio, with full lockers, and a truck like a T800 wide hood so you get that huge radiator to cool the engine when your pulling on hot summer days.

Slapping more trailers behind more trailers is NOT the answer. Pulling 2 trailers is understandable, on the right roads with the right loads. But come on, pay a good man a good wage, give him good equipment, and most of all, treat him with the utmost respect, and the driver shortage would disappear practically overnight.

Picture a industry where your paid $100 for every night you spend in the truck away from home. Where your cell phone is paid, percentage of your meals are paid, and mileage is 80 cents per mile for a company driver. Loading and Unloading of $100 each, pickups at $75 each. Waiting time is $30 an hour. With these rates, you as a company, can now afford, to choose your employees. When you pay this much, you can afford to hire and keep only the best, and let the slackers and bad drivers go.

It would be just as hard to get a driving job as it would be to get a job with a city government. This is exactly what we need.

You pay enough money, and the right people will do the right work.

 

I have been pulling lcv for 8 years, 3 with my own trucks. Turn pikes, triples, rockies, I have never not felt safe due to the short wheel base company trucks i used to run. One of my trucks has a 12.8 liter mecedes engine and pulls the weight just fine, and my oil samples show none of the excessive wear that you claim.
I get the job robbing argument, but the reality is this is how freight is moved now.

 

That is completely unacceptable to me, but that's just my opinion. Running small displacement engines pulling over 100,000 pounds is not good practice. You should have a 15 Liter Cat or Cummins in there. Those Mercedes engines are complete wimps at the best of times.

Triple pups and rockies are no big deal, I have pulled those as well. 3 53 foot trailers is wreckless and to hard on equipment. This is not the austrailian outback here, these are highly populated cities and extremely busy highways.

You can get 15 years out of a truck grossing 80,000 pounds. You can't get 15 years out of truck grossing 200,000 pounds, and if you do, I guarantee you the maintenance bills will be significantly higher for you. If you pull 2 trailers, do you get double the profit? No, of course you don't. Pulling overlength is willingly accepting being screwed. As a company driver you get 42 CPM single, and 50 double. It would take 84 CPM to move those loads regularly, why can't you get 75-80 CPM? Because your the truck driver that's why. You don't deserve to make a fair wage.

Stop supporting other people and making companies rich. I wouldn't yank 2 trailers down the road with my own truck for less than $3.50 per mile.

Overlength pay rates are a complete joke, for company drivers and owner operators.

Hauling heavier weights is harder on the truck overall, there's no 2 ways around that. Everything work's harder and hotter. Heat is your friend for a good efficient burn, but not for wear and tear on parts and electronics.
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I dont blame you for wanting more money, we all do. But your numbers are a little tough to follow.
My mercedes is 450hp 1550 lb ft, not much under the 475 c15's, and it pulls the loads just fine so I need a bigger engine just because
Show me a 15 year old truck (1996)that has pulled 80 thousand lbs that has not been completely rebuilt top to bottom front to back.
And no you dont get double the profit if you pull two trailers, but you do get double the revenue and why would I not want to do that.
Your statement that overlength pay rates are a joke for owner operators is based on what information. My gross revenue minus my expenses says otherwise.
Now for a company driver you have a point that it is not a lot more money, but if you think that you deserve a bigger piece of that pie just because the company is making more thats not going to happen.(even if its not fair)

When the first guy started to deliver freight with a truck instead of a horse and buggy, the guys with the horse and buggy probably #####ed that he was stealing jobs because he could haul more.
Me, I dont want to be that guy sitting on my horse ######## and moaning that I deseve this and that. Because dont kid yourself If I dont do it, somebody else will. I say hang 4 trailers back there if I can make more money. Why not

 

Going down the highway with triple 53s would be easier than pulling triple pups. The short wheelbase of the pups makes them whip alot faster. But pulling triple 53s off the interstate anywhere would be interesting.

 

We are constantly hearing about a driver shortage. If there was more money and more respect for drivers, from both carriers and the motoring public, then there wouldn't be a driver shortage.
Adding more trailers and increasing weights seems to be the industries answer to the so called driver shortage

 

Your getting double the revenue to pull 2 trailers? I doubt it. Don't mistake this for me calling you a liar, I simply doubt your statement. When a company completely cancels out the need for 1 truck, and sticks 2 trailers on you, you can't tell me there isn't a large amount of profit there. Many companies today charge turnpike rates even for single trailers, because a lot of small time shipping customers don't know the difference or care to investigate rates.

The mercedes is a small displacement engine. Smaller pistons in smaller holes. Bigger pistons in bigger holes, make more "ummph" with each stroke. The C15 can produce 1850 torque at 550HP, that's 300 ft pounds more than you produce, plus it's a 15.2 Liter engine (Accert) Even at 475 HP it has 100 ft pds more than a Mercedes. If I am not mistaken, there are 475 cat's out there running 1,850 torque as well.

You don't see Pittsburgh Power or any drivers lining up to get a Mercedes engine, they can't product the power. There are 700 and 800 HP Cat's out there obtaining awesome fuel mileage, with power and reliability to boot.

Anyways, this isn't an engine debate, this is just how I view things. If you want to pull 2 trailers down the road and you feel your profiting from it, that's fine, it's your truck to do what you want with. Are turnpike doubles efficient? Of course they are. Are they just as safe as pulling 1 trailer down the road? No.

3 trailers in the right conditions isn't a major problem. What I am saying is to many times you leave the terminal, and all is fine, 1 hour later, your in a snow storm. There's a much greater possibility for an incident of any kind with 3 trailers versus 1 trailer, in this scenario.

It's tough at times to find a place to stop with Turnpikes, nevermind 3 53's. That is of course why they intend to only allow it between Saskatoon and Regina, it's a short distance.