You don’t see too many heavy vehicles in baby blue, so this MAN pops! The 2019 TGX tractor is on its way with a tanker semi-trailer. The fact that the steering axle doesn’t have super singles, just look at the rim, indicates that it’s a standard front axle with an axle load rating of 7,500 kg. The semi-trailer follows the usual tridem axle – super singles recipe.
At first glance, things seem to be out of proportion here. As if a giant Airstream is hooked up to a compact hatchback. Now the truck may have a humble, low day cab, yet weight-wise it’s a monster. This 2019 Volvo FMX 8×4 with a hooklift system is towing a full trailer, transporting two open top containers.
I’ve got a feeling that the combination exceeds our 50 metric tons (110,231 lbs) gross vehicle weight limit. Then again, the sum of the rig’s axle load ratings equals 73 metric tons (43 for the Volvo and 30 for the trailer). So no harm done, really. Carry on!
A 2018 Volvo FH with a temperature controlled semi-trailer, specialized in hauling Halal chicken, evidently.
This is it: the quintessential, run-of-the-mill, one-size-fits-all, what you see it what you get, European semi. A 4×2 cabover tractor with a tall sleeper cab, coupled to a tridem axle curtainsider. In this case, a 2006 Volvo FH with a Humbaur semi-trailer. The tractor has an 8,000 kg front axle with super singles (just look at the rim). As always, the drive axle is rated at 11,500 kg axle load.
The whole continent is littered with similar semis, deep into Russia. When driving across Europe, their gross weight is limited to 40 metric tons (88,185 lbs).
A 2011 Scania R730 V8 6×2 tractor and a 2011 Pacton flatbed semi-trailer with a more conventional dropsides set-up. Half of the combination’s axles is lifted, the rig must be empty.
Any combination vehicle with six axles in total, is playing in our national 50-tons league, so this Scania – Pacton team too. Given the total curb weight of 16,170 kg, the payload capacity is 33,830 kg (74,582 lbs).
Here’s a visitor from Belgium. A MAN TGS 6×2 flatbed truck with a day cab, towing a full trailer. The truck is equipped with a PTO driven crane, mounted between the cab and the bed. When carrying only a light load, the tag axle stays lifted, as seen here. The MAN still drives and steers like a 4×2 (granted, with an impressive rear overhang).
That’s a big tank! The tractor is a 2009 Scania R440 6×2. UN-number 1965 (as seen on the orange sign) means that the freight is a liquefied, hydrocarbon gas mixture.
A 2008 DAF XF105 6×2 truck with a close-coupled, mid-axle trailer, carrying two curtainside swap bodies. A fine example of what’s called a “volume combi” here.
A 2018 Scania R450 tractor with a dump semi-trailer, typically used to transport scrap metal. The dump bed’s capacity is 50 m³ (1,766 m³), as stated on its side.
Beats me why this 2018 8×4 dump truck is registered as a Ginaf, as it is a factory DAF CF 400 FAD chassis. No axle set-up conversions whatsoever. Maybe because Ginaf has put a CF-series sleeper cab on the truck, instead of the usual day cab. It’s quite common that an asphalt hauler, which always has an insulated dump bed, comes with a sleeper cab.
This 8×4 dump truck, on the other hand, says DAF on the front but is actually a 2006 Ginaf X 4241 S and is also registered as such. Ginaf extended the spacing between the rear tandem axles and made the rearmost drive axle steerable. The GVWR-bonus: 4,000 kg (8,818 lbs). That’s a lot of extra freight over the past 15 years, and still counting.
The black Volvo FMX 8×4 truck further above also got a postfactory rear tandem makeover, done by the Terberg company.
There’s discount chain Aldi (the German Albrecht family), featuring a Volvo FM tractor with a day cab, coupled to a temperature controlled semi-trailer.
A Scania R-series tractor with a 2017 Pacton curtainsider, carrying a Moffett truck mounted forklift.
A DAF XF 480 FT tractor and 2015 Magyar tanker semi-trailer.
Hauling forage and animal feed, that’s this flatbed truck’s job. The 2009 Volvo FH 6×2, with dual fuel tanks, only carries a few piles of pallets here. The low bed trailer is left at the owner’s homebase. Note the super singles on the Volvo’s steering axle and the standard sized, single tires on the tag axle.
Any factory rear tandem configuration, in this case a drive axle combined with a liftable tag axle, is rated at a total axle load of 19 metric tons (41,888 lbs), no matter single or dual wheels.
And another tridem axle curtainsider, the tractor is a 2011 Scania R440.
A low bed MAN TGX 6×2 truck (with low profile tires) and a close-coupled, GS mid-axle trailer. The enclosed box on the MAN’s bed must be a new body for a light truck.
Ending this tour with a 2013 Volvo FH tractor and a Schmitz Cargobull, temperature controlled semi-trailer. The German manufacturer is a big name in this cool business.
More soon, with something completely different in baby blue.
Thanks, Johannes! Old truck salesperson always enjoys seeing the European trucks. Attaches is a photo of a Dodge that was built in Spain for use in The U.K. Interesting vehicle.
I believe that Dodge did quite well in the UK. And in Spain, of course, as it was basically a rebadged/renamed Spanish Barreiros heavy truck and tractor model. Chrysler fully owned Barreiros throughout the seventies.
A nice selection from the european buffet, thanks Johannes! Always a treat to see another country’s trucks.
I just noticed many of these rigs have auxiliary lights. Some just two and rather small while others have several and rather big. Are auxiliary lights allowed to be used on rural and major roadways? I don’t know that I have ever seen them here is the US. However marker lights are another story. Here it seems if the owner is into marker lights the only limit to how many they can have is their bank account size.