Test your knowledge or pass on what you know

Let's start a thread where anyone can do some teaching. Use the terms that you might be familiar with and pass it on. Does not matter if it's current or from pass days. Let's pass on information to people that might not know because they haven't been exposed to it yet. I'll go first.

How many know what a truck and trailer is? Please be very descriptive.

 

Nobody wants to take a shot, ok.

A truck and trailer is much different than a semi. The truck has the capability to haul cargo on the power unit. The trailer is connected to the truck by a drawbar and there is no fifth wheel. A truck and trailer can maneuver much better than a semi and that's why you'll see alot of gasoline tankers out west run truck and trailers. Alot of people get these confused with doubles because they see two tanks. But they are much different.

They pivot in two places, at the pintle hook and at the trailer turn table. The drawbar is permanently mounted and has a turn table where the trailer sits on. So when you disconnect the trailer you just unhook the pintle which is much different than a set of doubles where you have a converter gear. Since they pivot in two places you back them up like you would your own car as far as what direction to turn the wheel.

They ride much smoother with all the weight on the tractor with a cargo tank, flat or van. You will not see these trucks going OTR since the east will not allow them. Why I don't know since these trucks can get into alot of places a semi can not. Plus the weight is spread out better over the truck.

Out west in NV,WA,OR,UT, and a few others you'll see a variety mix of these trucks. I've seen a truck and trailer with a pup. That would be a truck pulling a set of doubles. And that truck would pivot in 4 places. Most gasoline companies have had or are using what we call super tankers and some of those are a truck and trailer set but the trailer is 4 axle and the whole unit is 85' long. They can hold up to 15,000 gallons of product when the standard is only 8500 to 9000 gallons.

I hope that's been a little informative and I would like see others join in and tells us what they know and want we haven't seen. Anybody with any sense will tell you can't know everything in trucking so I believe it's important to pass out knowledge on to those that want to learn. If not I'll just let the thread die.

 

I can not go into maxicube but I have heard of them. However, I'll explain why the truck and trailer has not been used by alot of companies and it's simple. With a semi you can drop your trailer and hook up another. With truck and trailers it's a unit. You do not use a truck and trailer to bump docks so you're limited there. But when it comes to gasoline hauling or other types where a dock is not needed then you'll see their use and you'll see nothing but truck and trailers out west because with that application it's much easier. You can maneuver much better in old stations built many years ago for just a pup truck.

 

A good link but very general. It really doen't describe a truck and trailer. It list a truck trailer where the power unit is laden with freight and pulling a semi trailer. Truck and trailers do not pull semi trailers because like I explained the trailer has a permanent mounted drawbar and has no fifth wheel. Great responses please keep it going.

 

I'd like to know what a stinger fifth wheel is. Does that mean you can unhook your trailer from the drawdar?