Some Aussie roadtrains

These are some roadtrains I've taken pics of over the years. They are called a roadtrain if they have two or more full size trailers.

 

Love that Aussies haven't given into the Aero truck craze that's going on here in the states...beautiful trucks...a lot of pride and its shows.

 

The main thing is they need a lot of cooling with the biggest radiators you can fit, that is more important than aerodynamics. Also all the plastic fairings etc would soon be destroyed on some of our rougher roads and when you hit 'roos, bulls etc.

 

I have been considering putting a "Herd" bumper on my Pete 379. Missed a moose last year up in the Northeast by inches.

 

Besides with that much weight, how much of a fuel economy would be gained by going from a KW or Mack to a aero truck like a Cascadia or Volvo? Probably would be a waste of time for the small gain you might see.

 

We've only got cabover Volvos over here and the radiators are way too small and the wheelbase too short to carry enough fuel. The Freightliners seem to fall apart and they don't make them with a heavy enough spec to be accepted for triples.
The more weight you put on, the less difference you get in fuel economy. Even my CAT 3408 gets similar economy to a new truck when you hang 3 trailers off the back of it.

 

They can save you money, but make sure it is strong enough. I hit a bull with what I thought was a strong bar, but it pushed the bar back onto the cab. I've got a strong Aluweld bar on now.

 

Do you guys see a lot of tri-drive trucks out there or do the run mainly tandems?

 

All the quads like in the vid that I put up that are hauling ore are tri drives. The KW carting acid in the pic is hub reduction as well. Most trucks with quad trailers are tri drives. Everything else is tandem, but if they are hauling triples they would have heavy diffs like Rockwell ST 170s.

 

What's a new Mack or KW prime mover go for over there..?