Road Train

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Road Train shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Road Train offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Road Train at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Road Train? Wrong! If the Road Train is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Road Train then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Road Train? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Road Train and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Road Train wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Road Train then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Road Train site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Road Train, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Road Train, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

A road train is a trucking concept used in remote areas of Australia, the United States, and Western Canada to move bulky loads efficiently. The term "road train" is most often used in Australia. In the U.S. and Canada the terms "triples", "Turnpike doubles" and "Rocky Mountains doubles" are commonly used for longer combination vehicles (LCVs). States that Allow Longer Combination Vehicles The space in the name is usually omitted.

Overview A road train consists of a relatively conventional Tractor unit, but instead of pulling one trailer (vehicle) or semi-trailer, the road train pulls two or more of them.

Australia has the largest and heaviest road-legal vehicles in the world, with some configurations topping out at close to 200 tonnes. The majority are between 80 and 120 tonnes. Two-trailer road trains, or "doubles" are allowed in rural areas of all Australian states except Victoria (Australia) and Tasmania, and in two capital cities - Adelaide in South Australia, and Perth, Western Australia in Western Australia. Three trailer road trains (triples) operate in western New South Wales, western Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, with the last three states also allowing AB-Quads (3.5 trailers). Darwin, Northern Territory, is the only capital city in the world that will allow triples and quads to within 1km of the central business district.

Road trains can be unwieldy, and driving and maneuvering them safely without unduly obstructing traffic is only possible because of the sparse traffic and extremely flat and straight terrain through the Australian outback. Strict regulations also apply regarding licensing and driving experience. The multiple dog-trailers are unhooked, the dolly (trailer)s removed and then connected individually to multiple trucks at "assembly" yards when the road train gets close to populated areas.

Road trains are used for transporting all manner of materials, with livestock, fuel, mineral ores and general freight the most common. Their cost-effective transport has played a significant part in the economic development of remote areas, with some communities totally reliant on a regular service.

.Overtaking a road train can be quite difficult. Patience, assistance from the driver, and large amounts of clear road are required. Many road train drivers help by blinking their right-turn indicators a couple of times to indicate that the road ahead is clear.

When the flat-top trailers of a road train need to be transported empty, it is common practice to stack them. This is commonly referred to as "doubled-up" or "doubling-up". Sometimes, if many trailers are required to be moved at the one time, they will be tripled stacked, or "tripled-up", as shown in the photo.

In the United States, trucks on public roads are limited to three trailers (in some states only two), and the term "road train" is not commonly used. Triples are used for long-distance Less than truckload freight hauling (in which case the trailers are shorter than a typical single-unit trailer) or resource (such as ore or Construction aggregate) hauling in the interior west. Triples are typically marked with "LONG LOAD" banners both front and rear.

In the far north of Canada, road trains are used to transport materials on winter roads, when the lakes are frozen over.

World's longest road trains 1999 the town of Merredin, Western Australia made it into the Guinness Book of Records, when Marleys Transport made a successful attempt on the record for the world's longest road train. The record was created when 45 trailers, driven by Greg Marley, weighing 603 metric tons and measuring 610 metres were pulled by a Kenworth truck for 8 km.

In 2003, the record was surpassed near Mungindi, New South Wales, by a road train consisting of 87 trailers and a single prime mover (measuring 1235 metres in length).

The next record was 1,442 metres, set by a driver in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia in a Kenworth owned by Doug Gould.

In 2006, a truck with 112 semi-trailers (at a length of 1,474.3 metres) claimed a new record at Clifton, Queensland.

Trailer arrangements B-double A B-double (B-Train) consists of a prime mover towing a specialised trailer that has a Fifth wheel coupling mounted on the rear towing another semi-trailer, resulting in two Articulated vehicle.

C-train A C-train is a semi-trailer attached to a Semi-trailer#Construction on a Dolly (trailer). The C-dolly is connected to the tractor or another trailer in front of it with two Drawbar (haulage), thus eliminating the drawbar connection as an articulation point. One of the axles on a C-dolly is self-steerable to prevent tire scrubbing.

Dog-trailer (Pup trailer) A dog-trailer (also called a pup) is a trailer that has a convertor dolly (trailer) hooked in front of it, with a single A-frame drawbar that fits in the ringfeder on the rear of the trailer in front, giving the whole unit 3-5 articulation points and very little roll stiffness.

Rules and Regulations

Signage Australian road trains have signs front and back in large black letters on a yellow background reading "ROAD TRAIN".

Combination Lengths

B-Double- 26m max. ( 27.5m in Western Australia )
B-Triple- 33.5m max.
Double road train- 36.5m max.
Triple and AB-Quad road trains- 53.5m max.

Operating Weights Operational weights are based on axle group masses, as follows:

Single axle- 6.0t (metric)
Tandem axle grouping- 16.5t
Tri axle grouping- 20.0t

Therefore, a B-Double would weigh 62.5t (6 + 16.5 + 20 + 20). A double road train would have an operational weight (without concessions) of 79t (6 + 16.5 + 20 + 16.5 + 20). A triple is 79t + 36.5 (16.5 + 20), giving an all up weight of 115.5t. Quads weigh in at 135.5t(extra 20t). Concessional weight additions (1 - 2.5t per group) can see a quad end up weighing 149t. If a tri-drive prime mover is utilised, along with tri-axle dollys, weights can reach nearly 170t.

Speed Limits The Australian national heavy vehicle speed limit is 100 km/h, excepting:

NSW, Queensland and South Australia, where the speed limit for any road train is 90 km/h.