This outstanding combination was the 2017 show contest winner at our largest yearly trucking festival. Its daily job is transporting bricks – Bon Jovi style. The special and very powerful Volvo is towing a Vogelzang semi-trailer. In this branch of road haulage, similar configurations are widely used in my country.
The 6×2 tractor has a liftable tag lazy axle with dual wheels. It’s powered by Volvo’s 16.1 liter inline-6 engine with an earthquaking and brick house shaking 750 hp.
A rugged flatbed semi-trailer with tall (dropside type) sideboards and a self-propelled roller crane on the cargo bed. Yep, that’s a typical brick hauler alright.
The big storage box on the left side of the semi-trailer.
Here’s the diesel powered crane, the two longitudinal grooves in the cargo bed are its tracks.
The semi-trailer’s first axle, on the left, is liftable. The other two are steering axles. Each axle has a maximum axle load of 10,000 kg.
The Vogelzang’s registered maximum GVM is a healthy 48,000 kg. Add up the Volvo’s curb weight of 9,646 kg and the grand total is an even more healthy rounded 58,000 kg. For the time being, let’s forget the legal maximum GVM of 50,000 kg (110,231 lbs), shall we?
As mentioned above, the second and third axle of the semi-trailer are steering axles. If the tractor makes a turn, the semi-trailer swings to the outside of the bend, instead of literally taking a shortcut.
This video shows the combination -and its owner- at work, including unloading palletized non-Swedish bricks.
One very spiffy truck!
If that guy was in the vicinity, you’d be able to guess it was his truck, wouldn’t you?
Rig and owner-operator, what a perfect match it is!
Anything like this in the US? Solves long boom weight.
GVM includes tare or empty weight of the entire vehicle, when calculating the payload tare weight is deducted from GVM, Nice truck the lift out sides are a common thing here for converting flat decks for bulk cartage. Four axle semi trailers here have a single steering axle lockable for reversing but multi steering axles were banned, too dangerous and a high failure rate.
The registered semi-trailer’s payload capacity is 37,640 kg. Its curb (empty) weight is 10,360 kg. Add up those numbers and you get a GVM of 48,000 kg.
Multi steering axles have been around here for decades. Brick haulers, dry bulk tankers, milk tankers, dump semi-trailers, etc. In this case the second and third axle steer, you also see that the first and third axle of the semi-trailer can steer.
Multi steering axles were tried here a long time ago perhaps your roads dont have constantly changing cambers and other obnoxious features ours have, multiple crashes due to failures saw them banned, GVM or GTW is the weight of the entire vehicle tractor unit included so its more like the 58,000 you mentioned,that requires more axles to be legal here.
Another formula is to add up the registered (legal maximum) axle loads.
For this rig, from front to back: 8 + 11.5 + 7.5 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 57 metric tons.
The “problem” here is our legal maximum weight limit of 50 metric tons. Simply said, fully loaded it may not exceed the maximum axle loads, but it does exceed the 50,000 kg weight limit.
Being a working truck, staying on top of stone chips must be a nightmare, although I suppose he may have put a clear wrap over the top of everything – even the wheels with song titles on them. That is a nice extra touch!
I know the 6X2 tractor configuration is common in Europe and even makes sense here in many applications, but that’s an awful lot of power going into a single driver.
I’m sure Volvo and Scania know what they’re doing, both offer factory 4×2 and 6×2 chassis with a 700+ hp engine.
Very impressive truck.
+1
750 hp are understandable for those kinds of weights.
What baffles me is that 50 tonnes on six axles aren’t completely tearing apart Dutch roads. Your roads are flawless at all times, whereas the roads here in Germany deteriorate steadily even with “only” 40 tonnes on five axles.
What also baffles me is that someone hauling something as basic as bricks can cough up enough money for such a rig. Or maybe it’s a thing of passion and he’s sunk every last penny into it.
The airbrush jobs on custom trucks are a matter of taste I guess. Some are really cool, others have a questionable choice of motives on them, like certain celebrities, musicians or even something as menial as Johnny Depp’s mug in Pirates of the Carribean. My favorite paint job off the top of my head might very well be the dolphin Volvos on Ekdahl’s Road Cruiser. He seems to have switched to a newer Volvo in the meantime, not sure if this truck still exists.
Actually, 5 axles will do for 50 tons GVM. This applies to both straight trucks and combinations. For example, a 4×2 tractor with a 9 tons steering axle: 9 + 11.5 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 50.5 metric tons.
Of course there are roads, bridges and many ferries with lower weight- and axle load limits. But all main roads, highways and freeways can easily handle this kind of big rigs, including the bridges and overpasses.
Regarding the tractor’s power. Let’s say this Volvo + Vogelzang can keep up with the rest of the traffic quite easily. All flat land here, 400 to 500 hp would be enough. Then again, where would the satisfaction and prestige be, with such a “moderately” powered tractor or truck…?
Stay CC-tuned for more heavy stuff!
“Actually, 5 axles will do for 50 tons GVM.”
Is that so? Because over here in Germany to give an example four well placed axles might be enough for 40 tonnes total axle weight, but four axle straight trucks will be limited to 32 tonnes and trailer combinations or semi combinations will be limited to 32 to 38 tonnes depending on axle spacing and suspension. The total weight limit overrules all axle weight sums, unless you have an overweight permit for a special load, in which case only axle weights apply anymore.
Since you’re from Germany, here’s a MAN straight truck with 5 axles (a 10×8 on-/off-road dump truck) and a legal maximum GVM of 50 metric tons.
Not built by MAN this way, the Dutch company Wierda did the conversion.
https://www.wierdavoertuigtechniek.nl/nieuws/man-primeur-voor-stoter-eerste-man-10×8-wide-spread-euro-6/