Straight trucks with a legal maximum (on-road) GVM of 110,000 lbs; unthinkable in most countries, highly common in the Netherlands. The chassis must have five axles, to retain maneuverability at least three of them are steering axles. This type of heavy trucks is available in any drive axle configuration: 10×2, 10×4, 10×6 and 10×8. Tatra even offers a 10×10 chassis, so far I haven’t seen one yet.
Recently I caught three 10×4 dump trucks, parked at the curb on a sunny Sunday. Let’s start with the oldest brute, a 2005 Terberg FM2850T.
Terberg is a Dutch manufacturing company that built on-/off-road trucks, using Volvo cabs and powertrain components. They don’t make complete heavy trucks anymore, these days Terberg is known for their port & terminal tractors, special vehicles and chassis modifications.
The Terberg is powered by a 12.1 liter Volvo inline-six, good for 420 DIN-hp.
This is the third (steering) axle.
The drive shaft to the fifth axle, which is also a steering axle.
In the foreground a part of the steering mechanism for the fifth axle.
The Terberg has a substantially longer front overhang than the factory Volvo chassis, indicated by the gap between the cab’s fender/step and the wheel. An aannemingsbedrijf is a contractor/construction company.
Now to a German representative, a 2015 MAN TGS asphalt hauler. Jan Bakker owns the truck, Jan Veenhuis built the dump bed.
Because MAN doesn’t offer a factory chassis with five axles the way us Dutch want it, the truck has to be “overhauled” by a specialized chassis modifier. In this case WVT (Wierda Voertuig Techniek) from Joure, the Netherlands.
Just like the Terberg, this MAN has four steering axles (the first, second, third and fifth axle).
Unlike the Terberg and the Ginaf below, the MAN has a sleeper cab. It’s all about offering extra comfort and convenience when the driver wants -or rather has- to take a well deserved break. Asphalt hauling is a 24/7 business.
The last one of today’s trio, a 2017 Ginaf X6 5249 CE, shining bright.
While Terbergs were based on Volvo technology, Ginaf’s starting point is a DAF chassis-cab.
DAF doesn’t offer a factory truck chassis with five axles. In this case, the third steering axle is an add-on by Ginaf. In other words, a conversion from a DAF 8×4 to a Ginaf 10×4.
The truck’s engine is a 12.9 liter DAF-Paccar MX-13 with a maximum power output of 460 DIN-hp.
Three heavy-duty steering axles (10,000 kg maximum axle load each) with super singles. The third steering axle is liftable, this also applies to the Terberg and the MAN.
The DAF tandem at the rear, rated at a total legal maximum axle load of 19,000 kg. Because of the Terberg’s and MAN’s increased axle spacing, their drive axles are rated at 11,500 kg each (so a total of 23,000 kg for the rear tandem).
Generally, the payload capacity of a 10×4 dump truck is around 29,000 to 30,000 kg (64,000 to 66,000 lbs). A 10×4 chassis is also often used for a concrete mixer with a 15 cubic meters (19.6 cubic yards) drum capacity.
No steering fifth axle here, everything straight from the DAF factory without modifications.
DAF’s CF-series day cab. The abbreviation g.w.w. stands for grond-, weg- en waterbouw (civil engineering).
The fuel tank fits perfectly between the third and fourth axle.
Anti-spray mud flaps/splash guards.
Dump beds have to be equipped with a full covering system.
You’ve probably noticed the werkverkeer-sign on the back of the trucks, typically it can be found on large on-/off-road vehicles, working on or alongside the road. Literally it means working traffic…how appropriate when carrying so much weight on your back!
Very impressive heavy haulers. I always learn something new with these posts and really appreciate the little (or large) detail shots. Thanks!
Agree – those are very impressive rigs…thanks Johannes. Jim.
Interesting, they moved the DAF fuel tank to the other side and halved the capacity originally they hold some 400+litres that set up must restrict range between fills.
Thats sure a decent load they carry I’ll have 26,500 litres of milk aboard in the morning but spread over 8 axles including a trailer
Yes, I remember that one, very sweet!
Milk haulers (as in collecting milk from dairy farms) here usually look like the rig below. Very compact with multiple steering axles for manueverability reasons, yet still with a 50 metric tons GVM.
I thought truck weight limits were a concern more for not tearing up roads. Are roads better built over there?
The roads -bridges and viaducts included- here are heavy-duty too. The Dutch weight limit for trucks and combinations (either straight trucks like in the article or “big rigs”) is 50 metric tons, for the extra long ecocombis it’s 60 metric tons.
Note that multiple steering axles for a better maneuverability are very common, these also prevent “tearing up roads” (when cornering) and excessive tire wear.
If you want to see proper Euro-trucks and big rigs (weightwise), then visit Scandinavia or the Netherlands.
I could hide two Fiat 500s in there 🚗 🚗
Say, that’s clever! Could wish for those on North American trucks, instead of the plain flat rubber kind that slings water and muck everywhere.
The 2005 Terberg FM2850T in the 2nd pic appears to have front identification lamps—the centred group of three above the black windscreen visor, between the left and right front end-outline marker lights. That’s unusual; they’re required by US and Canadian regs, but not elsewhere, and they’re unaddressed in the UN (formerly “European”) regs.
The centred group of three has been a popular aftermarket item from the late seventies onwards, especially among owner/operators and small hauling companies. Still quite common in all truck segments.
Do they usually light up amber, or white?
Amber is the preferred choice.
Even more interesting. That’s in accord with the US/Canada spec, but goes against what is usually a firm European adherence to a specific colour convention: white = front, amber = side, red = rear.
Norway explicitly permits identification lamps, but the front ones must be white. Sweden used to do the same, but no longer permits them on vehicles made after a particular date in 2010 or ’11 (vehicles must be equipped with lighting in accord with UN Regulation 48, which does not allow them—and the UN Regs are on a “whatever’s not explicitly allowed is prohibited” basis. Other countries around the world do as they do.
My ’69 Plymouth (imported in 2010) still has the original all-American amber daytime running lights. Officially not allowed here, as you will undoubtedly know, amber is for turn signal lights only. Yet at the biyearly APK-inspection (what the English call the MOT-test) they don’t make a fuss about it. It’s quite OK, “original to the car”…”a true hobby car that only drives around when the sun is shining” (which is correct, btw), etc.
Regarding trucks: many of them literally have a truckload of big and small white & amber lights at the front, as if a giant Christmas tree is coming right at you. Again, quite OK.
Terminology quibble: there are no daytime running lights on a ’69 Plymouth. I think you probably mean the front position lamps (called “parking lights” in the US, “standing lights” or “city lights” in various European languages, and “side lights” in the UK even though they face front)—the ones that come on at the first click of the headlamp switch, along with the rear position (tail) lights, the licence plate lights, and the dashboard lights. White in Europe, white or amber in North America, amber also allowed at least on certain vehicles in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Israel, and a variety of other countries.
Some countries allow deviation from the local standard for imported cars; of those, there are some countries that are flexible with regard to old cars but more stringent about newer ones. And some other countries are very strict about making even imported cars comply with the local standards, which can have the opposite of the intended effect. Probably the best example is countries that insist on imported US-spec cars being modified to have amber rear turn signals instead of the original red ones. Sometimes if an export-spec lamp assembly is available it’s done that way—fine. Sometimes an owner or importer will care enough to engage a specialist—fine. But often are seen lame “conversions” like putting an amber bulb in the reversing lamp and calling it a turn signal even though it doesn’t come close to meeting the output requirements for a turn signal.
It would be nice if the USA would quit pretending it’s right and the whole rest of the world is wrong about stuff like this, but that’s not likely to happen any time soon. 🙂
Correct! The first click “city lights” for sure.
Thanks for all the info!
Interesting as always Johannes. The only 5-axle rigid trucks I’d see would be concrete mixers. Not sure if they have steering axles past the front two, but I’d guess not. Will have to look more carefully if I get a chance.
What you also see is two front steering axles with super singles, then two drive axles with dual wheels and last but not least a steering, liftable tag (lazy) axle with super singles. As I said, these trucks have at least three steering axles, although four steering axles (like the Terberg and the MAN) are also quite common.