One thing I think is funny is the fact there are already larger trailers being used on UK roads without anyone paying any notice. Yesterday I saw a trailer from Netherlands…had an underun bar between each trailer axle. They always say “Convoi Exceptional” on them and the plod don’t touch them. Another one I’m always seeing is trailers carrying steel beams…again, much longer than your average artic, just trundling about as they wish…I reckon if Denby and Stobarts just introduced LHV’s people wouldn’t notice and within a year it’d just be accepted. 
Out of curiosity…what are these convoi exceptional rules?
Adam_Mc:
One thing I think is funny is the fact there are already larger trailers being used on UK roads without anyone paying any notice. Yesterday I saw a trailer from Netherlands…had an underun bar between each trailer axle. They always say “Convoi Exceptional” on them and the plod don’t touch them. Another one I’m always seeing is trailers carrying steel beams…again, much longer than your average artic, just trundling about as they wish…I reckon if Denby and Stobarts just introduced LHV’s people wouldn’t notice and within a year it’d just be accepted.
On my first job we used to drive up to 38 tonne six wheeler fire trucks on the road almost 40 ft long and over 10 ft wide by just putting on some overwidth marker boards and a set of trade plates.
So he is keeping it legal by weight and ‘‘British turning circle’’ (whats that) but what about length ■■?
Anyway good luck to them, the fact no trial was given is disgraceful just because the government have a hard on for rail 
My only objection is that it should be used for trunking only - sack having to deal with something that long on inner city roads/towns trying to get to a drop.
merc0447:
So he is keeping it legal by weight and ‘‘British turning circle’’ (whats that) but what about length ■■?Anyway good luck to them, the fact no trial was given is disgraceful just because the government have a hard on for rail
My only objection is that it should be used for trunking only - sack having to deal with something that long on inner city roads/towns trying to get to a drop.
But the reason that we go to all the trouble of getting a class 1 is to drive outfits like that one on long distance work operating between out of town warehousing and industrial estates.Even an ordinary artic or drawbar is’nt something which anyone would want to use on inner city multi drop work.That should be left to the four wheelers and 7.5 tonners.
Carryfast:
Krankee exactly what is the spec of that because it looks wierd to me from looking at the photo.
The front end is a bog standard unit.
The rear end is a bog standard trailer.
In between goes a modified trailer with the load area foreshortened to accommodate the fitting of a standard fifth-wheel coupling, to which the second trailer is attached.
This modified trailer, then has counter-steering axles, and I’m trying to remember the figures here 
but, above 40 k.p.h., the counter-steering is deactivated. Below 15 k.p.h., it is fully functional to the extent that whatever path the unit drive axle followed, the trailer axle will follow (within reason 
). Between those speeds, the axle steering has a ‘variable’ (or proportionate) value. Hence, at low speeds, the second trailer will follow (a path) as if being joined directly to the drawing unit.
Does that make sense?
To accommodate those, OMG moments, there is a manual control that will ‘centre’ the counter-steering axles of the lead trailer.
Cameras mounted on the lead corners of the modified trailer enable the driver a view of the headboard of the second trailer. Although I did find the displays, mounted in the sun visor, and being someone who has to wear glasses for reading, rather disconcerting. We parted on an agreement that he would consult an Ophthalmologist as to the future placement of the screens.
Just out of interest would anyone notice if anyone started to sneak those BigMaxx trailers over here. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they start ‘accidently’ arriving from Europe.
BigMaxx maybe McDonalds should get some. 
Always makes me laugh this bigger vehicle malarkey. I can remember , as i’m sure many others can when six axle 44 tonners where only allowed on journeys to railheads and now here we are going down narrow cobbled streets in them !! I reckon if these things where allowed then eventually we’d be doing multi drop with them. But whilst Denbys and Robinsons are extolling the virtues of these road trains, and recently Stobarts was looking to extend trailer length by a few feet i found this article courtesy of truckstop news amusing.
A way to get less in a long trailer !! 
Krankee:
Carryfast:
Krankee exactly what is the spec of that because it looks wierd to me from looking at the photo.The front end is a bog standard unit.
The rear end is a bog standard trailer.
In between goes a modified trailer with the load area foreshortened to accommodate the fitting of a standard fifth-wheel coupling, to which the second trailer is attached.
This modified trailer, then has counter-steering axles, and I’m trying to remember the figures here
Does that make sense?
To accommodate those, OMG moments, there is a manual control that will ‘centre’ the counter-steering axles of the lead trailer.
Cameras mounted on the lead corners of the modified trailer enable the driver a view of the headboard of the second trailer. Although I did find the displays, mounted in the sun visor, and being someone who has to wear glasses for reading, rather disconcerting. We parted on an agreement that he would consult an Ophthalmologist as to the future placement of the screens.
It looked something like that from the photo but it seems an alien idea to me to couple up a semi directly to another trailer with a fifth wheel on the back of the trailer instead of using a proper A frame drawbar and front bogie on the second trailer just like a conventional drawbar.It seems a waste of load space on the first trailer to shorten it by using a fifth wheel at the back and you’re also imposing a load from the rear trailer onto the rear axles of the first one just like those caravan type wagon and drags which I’m not keen on?.Ordinary A frame drawbars have great road manners anyway for following the prime mover.So my choice would be a rigid pulling a 45 foot A frame drawbar trailer and even another one coupled to that one too.It’s going to be a difficult job getting larger drawbar outfits or artic doubles outfits accepted in Europe so we might as well go for something as big and as practical as possible.But I was surprised to find out that even the showman would’nt be allowed to run a six or eight wheeler rigid coupled to two A frame 40/45 foot drawbar trailers.But they could use one probably which would still allow us to haul a 20ft and a 45 ft container together if we could get the weight and lenghth limits for haulage trucks increased to something like the Scandinavians have and I’m sure that they don’t need all the hassle of counter steering axles and cameras on theirs?.
Mike-C:
i found this article courtesy of truckstop news amusing.A way to get less in a long trailer !!
Yeah, it was in CM too and the thing I find funny about is is the weights in the yellow line (“with LSP”) still mean the setup is illegal!
Can anyone spot why?
Paul
repton:
Mike-C:
i found this article courtesy of truckstop news amusing.A way to get less in a long trailer !!
Yeah, it was in CM too and the thing I find funny about is is the weights in the yellow line (“with LSP”) still mean the setup is illegal!
Can anyone spot why?
Paul
because you will be running a 2+2 and not the 2+3 that it is taxed at. so its gross weight would be to much for a 2+2.
limeyphil:
because you will be running a 2+2 and not the 2+3 that it is taxed at. so its gross weight would be to much for a 2+2.
Nope, the third trailer axle is still on the ground with a load (1200kg in this example) imposed on it, so it will still count as 2+3 for tax purposes.
Try again 
Paul
repton:
limeyphil:
because you will be running a 2+2 and not the 2+3 that it is taxed at. so its gross weight would be to much for a 2+2.Nope, the third trailer axle is still on the ground with a load (1200kg in this example) imposed on it, so it will still count as 2+3 for tax purposes.
Try again
Paul
It would even if it were lifted, you dont have to tax a tag axle any differently to a twin steer but you can lift the axle. I had a 6 axle outfit with 3 lift axles
Wheel Nut:
repton:
limeyphil:
because you will be running a 2+2 and not the 2+3 that it is taxed at. so its gross weight would be to much for a 2+2.Nope, the third trailer axle is still on the ground with a load (1200kg in this example) imposed on it, so it will still count as 2+3 for tax purposes.
Try again
Paul
It would even if it were lifted, you dont have to tax a tag axle any differently to a twin steer but you can lift the axle. I had a 6 axle outfit with 3 lift axles
Me too whith Blakes at Alcester. Got stopped running empty on 3 axles and had to wait while Mr MOT (as it was then) made a long phone call before he (reluctantly) waved me on.
No one in Government is willing to put their crown jewels on the line and push this through as the first little hiccup and they’d be crucified. Same with speed limits, they should put the limit for hgv’s up to 50 on most single carriageway roads but no one will ever do it as the first crash and they would face the chopping block.
Allow the denby HGV, put the weight imit for normal outfits up to 60 tonnes and raise the speed limit to 50 on singles and 55 on duals. Simples!
I’m happy enough with the 60 limit on motorways and the limiter on 56mph by the by.
repton:
Mike-C:
i found this article courtesy of truckstop news amusing.A way to get less in a long trailer !!
Yeah, it was in CM too and the thing I find funny about is is the weights in the yellow line (“with LSP”) still mean the setup is illegal!
Can anyone spot why?
Paul
18,200kgs on a 2 axled unit 200 kgs over weight■■?
gazwrf:
repton:
Mike-C:
i found this article courtesy of truckstop news amusing.A way to get less in a long trailer !!
Yeah, it was in CM too and the thing I find funny about is is the weights in the yellow line (“with LSP”) still mean the setup is illegal!
Can anyone spot why?
Paul
18,200kgs on a 2 axled unit 200 kgs over weight■■?
And it also shows that it could run as a 34 tonne eight wheeler coupled to a 31.6 tonne drawbar trailer without exceeding any of those axle weights there. 
gazwrf:
18,200kgs on a 2 axled unit 200 kgs over weight■■?
Bingo!
You win the non existent prize.
Paul
Wheel Nut:
It would even if it were lifted, you dont have to tax a tag axle any differently to a twin steer but you can lift the axle. I had a 6 axle outfit with 3 lift axles
That’s not what I meant. limeyphil was suggesting that the rig was overweight as the third axle on the trailer was (partially) lifted thereby making the rig into a 2+2 and reducing its MGW appropriately. So a unit taxed at 38t as a 2+3 (i.e. tax band E) can run at 34t max with one of the the trailer axles lifted. I was suggesting that even though the axle was partially lifted it would still count as on the ground and so the rig could still count as a 2+3 and (in my example) run at 38t.
I have I’ve explained that the same way it is in my head and that it makes sense
Paul
8wheels:
Just out of interest would anyone notice if anyone started to sneak those BigMaxx trailers over here. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they start ‘accidently’ arriving from Europe.BigMaxx maybe McDonalds should get some.
You haven’t read my earlier post, bigger trailers are already on UK roads, just goes to show that not even some truck drivers have noticed I work for Keystone who do all the Mcdonalds deliveries…I’m not sure I’d want a bigger trailer for this job. The pro is it’d be more room in the trailer to move between dry, chilled, frozen and empties…but the company would probably use the space to put an extra drop on, making it an average 5 drops per shift to various stores 
Adam_Mc:
8wheels:
Just out of interest would anyone notice if anyone started to sneak those BigMaxx trailers over here. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they start ‘accidently’ arriving from Europe.BigMaxx maybe McDonalds should get some.
You haven’t read my earlier post, bigger trailers are already on UK roads, just goes to show that not even some truck drivers have noticed
But the idea of having a fight with the government should be about more than just the size of one trailer and I think that’s what Denby is planning.However just going for more cubes and not going for something far more radical seems to me to make not as worthwhile as it could be if the RHA and the FTA joined in to try to get the anti road transport policies overturned so we could be using something along these lines but with an even bigger drawbar trailer based on a standard length and weight triaxle semi coupled to an eight wheeler with an A frame drawbar dolly until we get some purpose built A frame turntabe ones.
