Dedicated, full trailers are widely used to transport heavy machines across the country. This Volvo L70H wheel loader is sitting comfortably and safely on a 2010 Draco trailer with so called wheel wells, reducing the transport height substantially.
The Draco trailer is carrying an even bigger Volvo L120G here. According to the factory specs, the operating weight of this wheel loader type ranges from 18,000 to 20,700 kg (39,683 to 45,636 lbs). The registered payload capacity of the trailer is 23,220 kg (51,191 lbs), so no problemo!
In all cases, the trailer tower is a heavy-duty, powerful straight truck with three or four axles. Like this 2013 Scania R730 6×2 (16.4 liter V8).
730 DIN-hp used to be the maximum for the Swedish truck maker for quite some time, but recently, a 770 DIN-hp Scania V8 has been unveiled (surpassing the Volvo FH16-750).
The same Scania, now with a 2002 Vogelzang trailer with four axles and wheel wells. Note that the wells can be bridged by placing filler pieces, resulting in a flat cargo bed. The trailer’s payload capacity is a mighty 26,920 kg (59,348 lbs).
A 2007 tridem axle Scania R560 (15.6 liter V8) is connected to the Vogelzang-Volvo L70H couple. A flatbed with dropsides was hoisted aboard the truck, instead of a more common open top container.
2008 Macer with four axles, such lowbed trailers are used to carry tracked excavators, road rollers and asphalt machines. The boards, hanging down on the sides, can swing to a horizontal position; a simple, yet effective way to widen the bed. The trailer’s payload capacity is 26,500 kg (57,320 lbs).
2010 Scania R560 8×4 heavy-haulage tractor (15.6 liter V8).
There it is again, now coupled to a 2003 Broshuis lowbed semi-trailer. If things are getting too big or weighty for a full trailer, then something like this is the turnkey solution. Payload capacity: 47,140 kg (103,926 lbs).
The heaviest, road legal, standard sized tractors have five axles. For good road manners, three of them are steering axles. Today’s final boss is a 2013 Scania R620 10×4 heavy-haulage tractor (15.6 liter V8). Viking Metal indeed, a subgenre of Heavy Metal.
I’m not sure if those Scanias have enough lights.
I doubt it too.
I know both of those words, “enough” and “lights”, but I don’t understand what you mean when you put them together like that in re a vehicle.
When you’re a real trucker, there is never something as “enough lights”
When a violation is written for a light that’s not lighting, a light that didn’t have to be there to begin with, however, since it is there the light must remain functional; then the concept of “enough lights” can become clearer.
The wheel well trailer is interesting. I’ve never seen one here in the US, where low bed or “low boy” trailers that carry the equipment between the front and rear wheels of a much longer trailer are typical for this application. Of course, when combined with a conventional tractor, such rigs are much longer. Also something I haven’t noticed in the European pictures is the arched, or cambered, trailer bed, which presumably sags down closer to level when loaded, similar to the way that some bridges are designed. Many of the larger flatbed or heavy equipment trailers here are aluminum and arched.
Nice. And the “bull bars” are for stray dairy cows on the road? 🙂
Some cows are just up to no good.
It’s tough to argue with success, but the double wells trailer looks difficult to load. I guess the machine better be in running condition and have good brakes?
A bit purpose built, because what if the next machine has a three inch longer wheelbase?
Here, one of the favorite designs is a detachable neck trailer. An almost flat deck when loading, with only a slight bump to load over. But then again such a trailer is longer and more complex than the pictured Draco.
Thanks for the virtual trailer show!
Those trailers must be capable of handling almost all “normal sized” wheeled machinery (like loaders, excavators and telehandlers).
When going beyond normal sized, there’s the extendable semi-trailer with wheel wells (photo courtesy of Broshuis).
That’s interesting. So while loading, the first axle to board drops into the first well, while the other axle is still on the ramp. Then first axle climbs out, and both axles drop into their wells; reverse to unload.
Obviously it’s been figured out, but it’d sure seem like a belly scraper for the leading axle’s tires to “drop in” while the trailing axle is on the ramps. Then the leading axle must “climb out” to again drop when it reaches its own well. Maybe with a loader, bucket down pressure is used to not drop tires into the first well?
Sunny dry day loading a functional machine, probably no (okay, not much) problem. When the ice forms and the inoperable machine needs a push aboard, things could get complicated?
You can see a clip of the loading of this specific combination at youtube:
Thanks for the link.
Our low boy trailer have winches for pulling the dead units on or off.
Love these Euro cab overs. I would love to take 770hp for a drive.
Most I ever seen was a V8 Mack at 600hp. The owner made runs from Minnesota to California. Discovered early on that he had to soft pedal it a bit, burnt up a set of drivers in 40,000 miles.
The owner made runs from Minnesota to California. Discovered early on that he had to soft pedal it a bit, burnt up a set of drivers in 40,000 miles.
I don’t know what this means. can you enlighten us non-truckers???
In Europe, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Scania go beyond 600 hp; and the Swedes are the only ones with engines way over 700 hp. Logically, these 4 brands dominate the heavy-haulage market with 6×4, 8×4 and 10×4 tractors.
What xr7 said is that the driver discovered that the engine was so powerful that there would be rapid drive tire wear if power wasn’t cautiously eased on.
According to Google this trailer design is referred to as a “Lowboy” here in the states. Whenever I come upon a rig this big it’s usually hauling an excavator with the treads hanging out a couple feet. Most but not all are accompanied by fore and aft pilot vehicles.
When tracks are seen hanging out a couple feet, then it’s likely the carrier is a “beam trailer” which essentially is a trailer without a deck. With a beam trailer the cargo is supported by its chassis, rather than by its tires or tracks.
Or… the “hanging” tracks could actually be supported on foldaway “wings” of a decked trailer.
That one works the same as the Scania 8×4 (and 10×4) tractor with the lowbed semi-trailer as pictured in the article. With a detachable neck, as Jim mentions in his comment further above.