Tractor-Trailer Combinations

Have the laws recently changed about turnpike doubles? Because all the TP doubles I have seen are a pair of 47's; when I worked at Central (what a glorious six weeks it was) we would pull a bunch of 47's (mostly out of smaller terminals, like Toledo and Kokomo) and some would say 'NY Lead' on them (they had a pintle hitch and air/elec hookups on the back).

 

Just to clarify things, the Turnpike doubles that travel the Ohio-Indiana Tollroads are not 53' trailers. The trailers are restricted to 48' individual length. As there are limits on the triples, which are the standard 28' trailers typically used in LTL service, there are limitations on doubles. There are other combinations not mentioned here as well, such as Rocky mountain doubles where you pull a full length trailer with a short pup behind it.

Here in Michigan, we pull "Michigan trains" which are doubles combinations, with multiple axles underneath. If you have a combination of 11 axles under the truck and trailers, with the correct capacities and spacing, we are allowed to gross 164,000 pounds. We also have Centipedes, or sleds, which are single trailers, with 8 axles underneath, usually 4 of them liftable to make it easier to corner.

 

That didn't work for most of our old dollies. Even if the truck passed the one minute brake test, the gear could still lose enough air to apply the brakes. Then you'll flat spot those tires after you see all the smoke. Now days I say hook them up right. You need the break away safety feature because if the gear does come undone and it's free wheeling no telling what will happen. But back when I was pulling them it was at night and out in the desert of Nevada and we were lucky to even see another car or vehicle. Still in todays world there's no reason to take chances.

 

Just a little clarification here....FedEx Freight is not Watkins...FedEx National LtL is the new Watkins...but I hear that soon FedEx Freight will devour FedEx National and become one....FedEx Freight....#### #### shame.....however according to a reliable source Watkins is making a come back into the trucking industry...as a truckload carrier....very interesting !!

 

when i first started in this industry as a driver (had been wrenching on em before that) i worked for the now nonexistant molerway frieght lines out of billings, mt

i got some experiance pretty quik doin p&d and eventully got to do line hual, pulling rocky mountian sets everywhere, runs into jerome,id to swap out with a northbound set from salt lake and to a warehouse in butte

but the best run i think was pullin an inverted set, thats pup in the lead of a 48, boy what a treat that was pullin thru butte, mt to the warehouse

ok im not serious, it was a pain

but i do kinda miss pullin them sets