Beginning this round with a classic looking, yet modern combination. Spotless and very classy too, with the old school roof rack as its only add-on. The 2017 Volvo FH tows a typical semi-trailer for transporting bricks or any type of concrete end product.
Semi-trailers with four axles are quite common in that line of business, usually these are towed by a powerful (500+ hp) 4×2 tractor. The semi-trailer is a 2020 KWB, the tractor is a Volvo FH.
The same combination, from another angle, with the roll loader crane driven all the way to the back. The third and fourth axle of such semi-trailers are always steering axles. If they weren’t, any corner or traffic circle would put serious stress on both equipment and pavement. Not to mention on the driver, when finding him-/herself in a tight spot.
A downright brute of a rig. Completely empty though, as the Volvo’s pusher axle and the semi-trailer’s first and second axle are lifted. It’s all set and ready for another mighty heavy load.
Meanwhile, a Massey-Ferguson 5450 farm tractor is pulling a Lely Lotus tedder. Regular machinery for any dairy farmer.
The blue and white plants & flower hauler is on the outer lane of the traffic circle, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter panel van is on the inner lane. More traffic oval than circle though.
2019 Mercedes-Benz Antos refrigerated truck. Now it may be a shorty, but its GVWR is still a hefty 19.5 metric tons (42,990 lbs).
These are probably both on their way to a construction site. The 4×2 flatbed truck is a 2009 Iveco Stralis Hi-Street (which means it has a day cab), ahead of it is a Scania R-series tractor, towing a semi low loader with four axles.
Mercedes-Benz Actros 2540 6×2 tanker truck. For oil recycling, as it says on its side.
DAF XF 440 FT tractor with a 2015 Schmitz Cargobull semi-trailer for temperature controlled transport.
2018 Scania R410 low-deck 6×2 curtain sider. At the back a Moffett truck-mounted forklift.
2015 DAF XF 460 FT tractor and a Kraker moving floor semi-trailer.
2016 Mercedes-Benz Actros 6×2 truck with a close-coupled tandem axle trailer.
A similar combination, the truck is a 2013 DAF XF 410 FAN.
And the last of the trio, coming from Germany, a Mercedes-Benz Actros with a Krone trailer.
2012 Volvo FM 4×2 box truck.
Scania R500 V8 tractor, coupled to a tanker semi-trailer for transporting hazardous materials.
Mercedes-Benz Actros with a tanker semi-trailer, also hauling something hazardous.
Splendid, this 2020 Volvo FH tractor and Schmitz Cargobull end dump semi-trailer.
Another Volvo FH with an end dump semi-trailer, a 2018 Carnehl.
2013 DAF CF 410 FAS 6×2, towing a full trailer. The truck’s hook-lift system is also used to put a container on and off the drawbar trailer.
Another one with a roll-off system. The truck also happens to be a DAF CF 6×2, albeit with a day cab instead of a tall sleeper cab.
1996 Spitzer Eurovrac dry bulk tanker semi-trailer, towed by a DAF CF 4×2 tractor of a much more recent date.
Thanks to the semi-trailer’s extra axle spacing and the Scania’s heavy-duty steering axle, this dry cement hauler gets a 50 metric tons GVWR: 20 tons total axle load for the tractor (8.5 + 11.5), 30 tons for the semi-trailer (3 x 10).
Two 20ft shipping containers for transporting bulk goods, loaded on a 2019 D-Tec semi-trailer. The tractor is a Volvo FH-series.
This combination, a 2015 Volvo FH with a D-Tec tanker semi-trailer, is used to haul all kinds of dirty & smelly liquids. That is, liquid enough to be pumped in and out of the big tank.
2019 Mercedes-Benz Atego truck with a swap body. The light Benz is powered by a 5.1 liter, inline-four turbodiesel.
I’m sure the 2010 Scania R500 V8 tractor doesn’t even notice it’s towing this single axle semi-trailer. Put the pedal to the metal, Bram!
Definitely a milk tanker, the tractor is a 2011 Volvo FH with a steering and liftable pusher axle.
That’s a nice load of straw bales, carried by a Volvo FM 6×2 flatbed truck and a full trailer.
2015 MAN TGM truck.
The last one, being back downtown -all relative- again. The Remmits company is currently reconstructing a road junction. The Liebherr excavator fills the 2018 MAN TGS 35.460 dump truck with paving bricks.
This MAN is a heavy dude for sure, given the GVWR of 36 metric tons (79,366 lbs). Its own crane is neatly folded up between the cab and the dump bed. One of the MAN’s co-workers can be found here.
In the last picture, is the silver colored panel on the side of the dump truck actually a lid to control loose material when driving?
Yes, something like this:
That’s really slick, and more effective than any tarp system,.
Love these picture and the accompanying data. Thanks
Just some more fun data to put things into perspective: the payload capacity of the brick-hauling semi-trailers with four axles, as shown in the article, is around 40 metric tons (88,185 lbs). That’s the same as the GVWR of a trans-European rolling semi. The overall length is also the same, by the way.
Over the years, your truck posts have made me look at the rigs coming through my town in a different light. Once I would have been “Meh, it’s a truck”, but now I’m more inclined to notice what the prime mover is: “Wow, an Iveco Stralis, haven’t seen one of those doing the timber run to the docks before! They’ve always used Western Stars before.”
Much more of this and you’ll have me looking up the website for likely specs when I come home. And even getting into trailers…..! 🙂
Once again, bedankt Johannes!
He, that’s interesting, you’re mentioning Iveco and Western Star doing timber runs in one sentence. Where are you located, if I may ask? NZ, Australia?
The predominant brands in the logging business in northwestern Europe are Volvo and Scania. High-quality products and the most powerful trucks and tractors on the market. No one else of the big truck makers goes beyond 16 liter engine displacement and 700 hp.
Both coming from Sweden, a country with a history of driving long and especially heavy rigs (logging!), often under harsh (winter) conditions and on unpaved, hilly roads and paths. What you need in that case: high-quality and power.
So there you go, roughly the same background as Kenworth and Peterbilt in the US, although both Volvo and Scania only use in-house powertrain components (engines-transmissions-axles).
I’m in southern mainland Australia, Johannes. In the state of Victoria, to the west of Melbourne. Trucks use my little town as a bypass to avoid travelling through suburban Geelong, when they’re going from the forests in the Otways to the docks on the other side of Geelong. The distance is further but they can keep up their speed for longer and come in on the industrial side of the city.
I didn’t mention Kenworths? They’re so common I hardly notice them.
Thanks for the reply! Ivecos are rarely used in the logging business in northwestern Europe. They’re more common as (big) fleet 4×2 tractors in the 40-44 tons segment.
Great photos. Those Volvo FH’s are some tough trucks, especially that twin-stack model.
Thanks Jim. The stacks on the black FH certainly look good, they’re making a bit of a comeback on heavy tractors with a standard (low) sleeper cab without cab side-spoilers. See FH in the second and third picture, if that one had stacks, you would only seen them from the back…
That’s interesting Johannes – thanks.