Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Have Load. Will Travel.

If you drive truck in the Western U.S. and Canada, chances are you've pulled some variation of these combination rigs although in the states we don't refer to them as trains.  Truckers call them a wide variety of things---mainly cus words, but also doubles, triples, Montana Doubles, Heavy Haul, and the second and third trailers are known as "pups".  In Washington triples are outlawed, but in all the states that surround us they are not..

In the Northwest we are also partial to "B" Trains-which are combinations of trailer configs where the dolly, or rear connector axle, usually in groupings of two or three, is permanently attached to the front trailer. We also run double 48 and 53 foot trailers. In the State of Washington max weight is 105,000 lbs.  In most of the nation that max allowable weight drops to 80,000 lbs.  The unfortunate reality of these longer combinations is that with so much weight behind the powered axles, it is difficult to maintain traction in winter conditions.  Even fully chained up I've had to be pushed and pulled over Montana's Lookout Pass, with chains breaking and spinning around the inside axles.  Not alot of fun to untangle that mess.

No comments: