"California" Truck: Straight Truck with Trailer

Looks like european combo, but with hood. So as I can see with US lenth limit Cali truck got no sleeper in conventional design

 

we could have sleepers with this setup. Just no reason too, its a local truck and sleepers just add weight.

 

In Europe combo cabovers may have full size cab.... but really European sleeper is a half of US one))))

There are small companies in Ukraine, they convert US trucktors to combos removing sleeper. The most popular way - to fit BDF counterframe on long wheel base trucktor and add rear x-member with european hitch. This combo easily tows two 20' containers on narrow streets and to tight yards.

 

Truck & pup is what we used to call them..Pup was short for "pup trailer".

Pull trailer was another fairly common name for the pup trailer...Besides maneuverability, the axle configuration of the pup trailer allowed for 20,000 gw per axle which meant the truck & pup could carry more product then a traditional semi of equal weight...Usually around 200 gallons per load....8500 gallons of gas for a semi & 8700 for a truck & pup....on 80,000 gw

 

Prior to spread axle trailers, a truck & trailer (Or doubles) were a lot easier to scale your load. You don't have to hit every axle or group perfectly, just get the gross right. A tractor with a spread axle loads like a truck and trailer. ie 20K on each trailer axle.

 

They're very common in the Construction industry....

Truck and Transfer:

Truck and Pup:

 

Why is the trailer tongue so long on the pup dump trailers?

 

3 reasons

1. To comply with bridge laws it is always better to have shorter tipper bodies because of dead weight tipping stability...

2. Easier to reverse

3. When you need to unload truck there is no need to unhook trailer which would be problem since us dont use ringfeder hooks

 

You guys don't use "Pintle and Lunette" hitching?....



What type of hitching mechanisms do you use then?

 

In SA we use similar to what is popular in Europe http://www.jost.co.za/roccouplings.asp

The "Pintle and Lunette" is less common except in the military where it is the standard.