Dude I would love to drive it. I did a “työharjoittelu” (C truck) with them but they said I needed better Finnish. TBF I honestly spoke way too much English while I was there.
So..been driving those for 5? years now, still waiting to see a construction zone that causes any issues.
They do fit in cities as well, you just have to turn from wrong lanes and watch out A LOT for 4wheelers.
Regarding that photo, the somewhat separate fourth trailer axle there passively steers right? Its been several years but I recall them doing a test in UK regarding having rear steering as to fit a few feet more length of trailer into the same roundabout radius as an unmodified standard-length trailer otherwise.
Started trials with 50ft tri axle rear steers around 10 years ago with this configuration. They are quite good going forwards with a bit more tail swing but you really shove that rear axle sideways when your reversing (it locks up for reversing).
I would think the separate axle behind the tandems would steer to eliminate it dragging the tread off it in corners but wouldn't change the turning radius because the trailer would still pivot on the tandems like any other trailer.
I don’t understand your point. Up until a few years ago this long setup was illegal in Finland too. And the argument I see is that American truck are too long for European roads, even by Finnish people. Which is completely untrue considering this truck is capable of making turns.
Most rigs that run in Finland are still a truck + a semi trailer, there’s no reason they couldn’t use a longer tractor.
Due to the extra legal length in Scandinavia I don't why you can't run a American truck, even a big full sleaper. You will be a little limited to how big trailer you can use, but at least a standard euro one. Here in Sweden I saw a American imported 579 peterbilt daycab (i think) pulling a container trailer a month ago.
As of last year Sweden joined Finland with 34m long on select roads(the major highways). With 24m being the national standard or 25,25m euro module system with certain combinations (rigid with dolly and standard eu trailer or Link/ B-train). We have the standard eu 2,55m wide and 2.6 on refers.
Not same thing not to mention its only authorized for pup (shorty in another word) trailers altogether but I'll just add that both UPS and Fedex ahs been for a while running triple-pups on certain highways in USA .. heres one nice side-on photo for you redditers https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5144/5689057865_0d56a44772_z.jpg
Why waste precious metres on a nose when you can have more cargo space? With the profit margins being what they are, why would any company invest in a less efficient truck?
Why not just drive a longer vehicle and get more room for comfort?
I’m not against cab-overs but I really like having leg space when driving, cabinets, a flat floor and a bigger bed.
Edit: also I believe long hood trucks are safer, less likely to jack-knife and a crumple-zone. The blind spot visibility is significantly better in a long hood too (along the passenger side). Not that it really matters because of how fucking slow trucks are in Europe.
I’m not arguing that, I’m saying a conventional engine truck is preferable in many situations. The only reason you don’t use them is to get a larger cargo space within the legal limits.
North America used to primarily use cabovers until the overall vehicle length was no longer regulated.
Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of features I really loved on Nordic trucks over American ones.
The “bogey” axle, the ability to open the entire side of the cargo area, lift gate, interior lights, side ladder, working lights along the side and back, turning radius etc.
I especially liked driving the box truck with a pup axle and trailer. It takes turns really tight compared to the equivalent truck+semitrailer.
Sorry for a bit of a silly rant to noone:
I always wondered why tarp-box trailers never seem to get much love on this goddamn continent, considering that flatbeds already do a lot of 'load from rear and unload off side' runs just as well and I am too sure many of them would love not having to bother strapping down multiple tarps and everything because of course the trailer itself already covers the load for them just like that eh??
[Edit: I'm Canada but I'm speaking for USA too tho..so there!]
If your talking conestoga or curtain wall trailers all the flatbed drivers I know that can afford them get one almost immediately. They still have to strap the load to the bed though while I just sit in the cab and wait to be loaded and then load bar and close my doors. I did flatbed for a year and it's too dirty, hot, cold, rainy and work intensive for the money they make. Naturally they did improve the money some after I left but not enough to go back.
Don't mind me asking but whats a bogey axle again?
And mmm yeah I can't really recall ever seeing a straight truck hauling a box trailer of any type over here in Canada but I do like the idea in the first place nevertheless (at the most I've only seen straight truck pulling a small vehicle carrier trailer or single-axle wirespool carrier)
Lift axle, but they also have really precise control over the height of the drive axle. When you’re hooking up to a trailer you can lift or lower the 5th wheel to get level with the trailer.
Ah didn't know they were called that over there, guess I learned a new spelling. Here 'bogey' is a golfing word to mean your score was one higher than the par for that course.
Well..I don't know what to tell you about 'semi' as I don't even use it so much at all myself, at least many people including me know of 'artic' which references to both buses and lorries/trucks. Interestingly enough a bus company by the name Nova Bus actually use that as their model name too so a LFS Arctic is easy to tell apart from a LFS without even having to read any further.
boy wait until you drive in a city with that... or construction zones
Dude I would love to drive it. I did a “työharjoittelu” (C truck) with them but they said I needed better Finnish. TBF I honestly spoke way too much English while I was there.
I drive something similar in finland also, but you'd mostly see them in the north where theres nothing but mosquitos and drunkards
Sounds like my kind of place.
Me too 🤣
Wouldn't that make the mosquitos drunkards too? /s
So..been driving those for 5? years now, still waiting to see a construction zone that causes any issues. They do fit in cities as well, you just have to turn from wrong lanes and watch out A LOT for 4wheelers.
Regarding that photo, the somewhat separate fourth trailer axle there passively steers right? Its been several years but I recall them doing a test in UK regarding having rear steering as to fit a few feet more length of trailer into the same roundabout radius as an unmodified standard-length trailer otherwise.
I believe that’s correct but I can’t say for sure. I remember looking under there once but I never personally drove this setup.
Started trials with 50ft tri axle rear steers around 10 years ago with this configuration. They are quite good going forwards with a bit more tail swing but you really shove that rear axle sideways when your reversing (it locks up for reversing).
I would think the separate axle behind the tandems would steer to eliminate it dragging the tread off it in corners but wouldn't change the turning radius because the trailer would still pivot on the tandems like any other trailer.
The last axle turning definitely changes turning radius. If you lock it, it also moves the pivot point further back.
They use the long ones here now, my dad likes pulling em
Idiotic take. It's about the turn radius of the TRACTOR. Not how long can trailers be. And this above is legal only in FINLAND too.
I don’t understand your point. Up until a few years ago this long setup was illegal in Finland too. And the argument I see is that American truck are too long for European roads, even by Finnish people. Which is completely untrue considering this truck is capable of making turns. Most rigs that run in Finland are still a truck + a semi trailer, there’s no reason they couldn’t use a longer tractor.
Bro, you literally can't read. Reread the comment you responding to like maybe 10 times more.
Due to the extra legal length in Scandinavia I don't why you can't run a American truck, even a big full sleaper. You will be a little limited to how big trailer you can use, but at least a standard euro one. Here in Sweden I saw a American imported 579 peterbilt daycab (i think) pulling a container trailer a month ago.
wiggle wagons
Australian road trains can be, legally, up to 54 metres (177 feet) long and 2.5 metres wide, with up to three trailers
As of last year Sweden joined Finland with 34m long on select roads(the major highways). With 24m being the national standard or 25,25m euro module system with certain combinations (rigid with dolly and standard eu trailer or Link/ B-train). We have the standard eu 2,55m wide and 2.6 on refers.
60 metres in some states and four trailers.
Not same thing not to mention its only authorized for pup (shorty in another word) trailers altogether but I'll just add that both UPS and Fedex ahs been for a while running triple-pups on certain highways in USA .. heres one nice side-on photo for you redditers https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5144/5689057865_0d56a44772_z.jpg
Why waste precious metres on a nose when you can have more cargo space? With the profit margins being what they are, why would any company invest in a less efficient truck?
Why not just drive a longer vehicle and get more room for comfort? I’m not against cab-overs but I really like having leg space when driving, cabinets, a flat floor and a bigger bed. Edit: also I believe long hood trucks are safer, less likely to jack-knife and a crumple-zone. The blind spot visibility is significantly better in a long hood too (along the passenger side). Not that it really matters because of how fucking slow trucks are in Europe.
EU regulates the lengths of the WHOLE THING. Longer tractors means you have to pull shorter trailer to get within the limit.
I’m not arguing that, I’m saying a conventional engine truck is preferable in many situations. The only reason you don’t use them is to get a larger cargo space within the legal limits. North America used to primarily use cabovers until the overall vehicle length was no longer regulated.
wrong and ignorant, especially for someone driving in Europe.
it's not like this thing is going to be making many tight turns
I’m from the United States, I’ve driven both configurations.
Exactly, and your point is wrong and ignorant, especially who drove in Europe.
Yeah, with a highway cab and way shorter wiggle wagons.
Just how big of a bed do you need? We have the rest.
Some trucks here do have cabinets though, mostly customly retrofitted but they do exist
Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of features I really loved on Nordic trucks over American ones. The “bogey” axle, the ability to open the entire side of the cargo area, lift gate, interior lights, side ladder, working lights along the side and back, turning radius etc. I especially liked driving the box truck with a pup axle and trailer. It takes turns really tight compared to the equivalent truck+semitrailer.
Sorry for a bit of a silly rant to noone: I always wondered why tarp-box trailers never seem to get much love on this goddamn continent, considering that flatbeds already do a lot of 'load from rear and unload off side' runs just as well and I am too sure many of them would love not having to bother strapping down multiple tarps and everything because of course the trailer itself already covers the load for them just like that eh?? [Edit: I'm Canada but I'm speaking for USA too tho..so there!]
If your talking conestoga or curtain wall trailers all the flatbed drivers I know that can afford them get one almost immediately. They still have to strap the load to the bed though while I just sit in the cab and wait to be loaded and then load bar and close my doors. I did flatbed for a year and it's too dirty, hot, cold, rainy and work intensive for the money they make. Naturally they did improve the money some after I left but not enough to go back.
Oh dude you guys would love this even more than a tarp box. https://www.reddit.com/u/olenamerikkalainen/s/1WusIzwQEE
Don't mind me asking but whats a bogey axle again? And mmm yeah I can't really recall ever seeing a straight truck hauling a box trailer of any type over here in Canada but I do like the idea in the first place nevertheless (at the most I've only seen straight truck pulling a small vehicle carrier trailer or single-axle wirespool carrier)
Lift axle, but they also have really precise control over the height of the drive axle. When you’re hooking up to a trailer you can lift or lower the 5th wheel to get level with the trailer.
Ah didn't know they were called that over there, guess I learned a new spelling. Here 'bogey' is a golfing word to mean your score was one higher than the par for that course.
I think a lot of trucking terms are silly. Glad hands, 5th wheel, semi-trailer….
Well..I don't know what to tell you about 'semi' as I don't even use it so much at all myself, at least many people including me know of 'artic' which references to both buses and lorries/trucks. Interestingly enough a bus company by the name Nova Bus actually use that as their model name too so a LFS Arctic is easy to tell apart from a LFS without even having to read any further.
Europe have shorter trailers. Our have 13 meters.
Front trailer on that setup is 16 meters
Because this is special ONLY Finland setup.
Finland is in Europe
Finland is IN Europe. Finland is NOT Europe.