Semitrailer tractor

Extra-wide transports with semitrailer tractors mean time delays and handicaps for every other driver. But truckers and fans are enjoying heavy and oversized transport. But these big trucks can only be overtaken on three-lane motorways. In Germany every year about 150.000 heavy transports are performed. One of these oversized transports was the carriage of a methanisation reactor in January 2013.

The company MAN Diesel &Turbo with its site in the Bavarian forest had built the reactor for its sister company Audi. The 16 m long, 5,80 m broad and 3,60 m high reactor had to be transported to Werlte in the north of Germany. The distance was 782 km in total. In Germany oversized transports are only allowed between 10 pm and 6 am. The transport lasted 8 days and nights till the freight had reached the Emsland.

In general, road trains shall not be longer than 23 m, not broader than 3 m and not higher than 4 m and shall not weigh more than 41,8 tons. If a transport vehicle exceeds these limits, special individual approvals are required. In the case of the transport of the methanisation reactor, the heavy haul train was 42,60 m long, 5,80 m broad and 4,50 m high. The weight of the 72 tons heavy reactor was distributed on 14 axles. The tensile load was 150,5 tons with a permissible total weight of 155.000 kg.

For such a special transport a special semitrailer tractor with an extremely powerful motor is required, for example the “MAN TGX 41.680”. The V8 motor performs with 16,2 cubic capacity and 680 HP. The semitrailer tractor with eight tires has a length of 8,25 m and a breadth of 2,55 m, the empty weight is 14.700 kg, the total weight 41.000 kg and the maximum permissible gross pulling weight is 250.000 kg.

Such semitrailer tractors are usually customized manufactured. The company Margaritis Trucks with its site in Cologne sells such utility vehicles. But also the semi-low loader by Goldhofer THP/MT 10 (4+6), which means it is featured with a 4-axle and 6-axle heavy duty module, is enormous: Its length is 36,95 m, its breadth is 3 to 4,70 m, its empty weight is 61.750 kg and the permissible total laden weight is 145.000 kg.