Three brand spanking new, ‘stand alone’ end dump semi-trailers, close together in the same lot. Not the agricultural type of trailer, but the ones that are mainly used by earthmoving and asphalt hauling companies. Compact and with stout underpinnings.
The shortest and lightest of the trio was this German Carnehl trailer. Only 8.72 m (28’7”) long and rated at a gross weight of 38.5 tonnes (84,900 lbs). The sticker on its side says ‘Hardox in my body’, in this case with a grade of 450 HBW; that’s Brinell Hardness, new information to me just as well.
Some other trivia: given its registered, legal maximum payload capacity of 31,720 kg (69,900 lbs), it can haul around 21 m³ (27.5 yd³) of dry sand perfectly fine. And that will fit in its dump body easily.
Exactly one meter longer than the first, anonymous Carnehl trailer and rated at 44 tonnes (97,000 lbs) gross weight, that’s more like it. Clearly about to be delivered to the Mike Spaansen company.
As a matter of fact, it was picked up right after the exhibition. The tractor is a 2025 Scania R500 6×2/4. And what a clean combination it is, even if it were dirty.
The Carnhehl trailer comes with solid covers and an insulated dump body, which means it’s suited for hauling hot asphalt. ‘Werkverkeer’ indicates that the vehicle is at work in the infrastructure sector. (both pictures courtesy of Mike Spaansen)
Never mind the name of the manufacturer on the frame rails, the whole axle configuration of the third trailer chassis says ‘domestic’ loud and clear. Heavy yet agile, a 47 tonnes (103,600 lbs) Bulthuis alu-chassis with an insulated Vossebelt dump body.
The trailer comes with Bulthuis’ own cable-controlled steering system, making it a smooth and clever corner operator.
Cable-controlled trailer steering systems have been around for decades, they’re durable and technically utterly uncomplicated. The driver is in control of the steering wheel and the fifth wheel coupling is in control of the trailer’s steering system. Utterly uncomplicated.
Interesting they’re running “super singles”.
Super singles on semi-trailers started to appear in the seventies, they’ve become the norm across the continent. Most common is the tri-axle setup, rated at 27 tonnes (59,525 lbs) total axle weight, like those two Carnehl semi-trailers.
A quad-axle chassis for brick haulers with eight super singles is commonplace in NL, example below.
I can see where the short trailer with a long axle spread requires steerable axles. Very clever design.
Another advantage of the Bulthuis setup -or something comparable- is that the tridem is rated at 30 tonnes total axle weight instead of 27 tonnes, thanks to the longer axle spread (at least 180 cm axle spacing is required for a 10 tonnes rating per axle).
The self steering is interesting, self steering trailers vanished here, too many crashes, semi trailers with quad axle configurations have a self steering rear axle that locks straight when reverse is selected for backing, or it doesnt and the easy becomes impossible
Here I was thinking those axles were steered by electronics and hydraulics and were incredibly complicated. I guess that’s why I didn’t get past freshman year engineering.
Yes, straightforward -taking turns aside- mechanical semi-trailer steering systems are still going strong.
Here’s another one, with steel rods:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-global-volvo-and-welgro-how-animal-feed-is-hauled-from-the-mill-to-the-farm/