Road Train
The English term road train means as much as " road train " or " train on the road " and refers to a long truck combination ( Long Vehicle ) of a particularly large overall vehicle. This multi-unit, overlong combinations consist of motor vehicles with bodies or truck tractor in combination with multiple trailers and / or semi-trailers. On public roads not subject to any limitation on such road trains the maximum vehicle length. So the bulk transport are used in surface mining vehicle lengths up to a length of 100 meters in the area.
On public roads, such truck combinations are used in Australia, Israel, and as Long Combination Vehicle ( LCV) in Canada and the U.S. for use.
In the European Union the term Euro Combi is used instead; for Euro Combi vehicles apply in particular to the permissible length stricter restrictions than road trains in other countries.
Road Train in different countries
Australia
In the Australian Overland Transport road trains primarily provide coverage of remote areas safely. Since many areas not connected to the railway network and the distances are very large, the delivery by road train is a particularly efficient transport solution. The very low traffic density also allows the global comparison, extraordinary train lengths. In urban areas, the operation of road trains is not allowed. However, they go quite well with larger cities on fixed routes. The road trains are shared within the larger population centers or on of them do not navigable routes (eg passports) to smaller transport units and then drive than shorter trains on this subsections.
In Australian truck combinations is called a length of 36.50 meters of a Road Train. From this length, the attachment of the identically worded warning label is mandatory. Are allowed a maximum of 53.50 meters in length, a maximum vehicle weight of up to 132 tons without carriages and a maximum height of 4.60 meters. They may not exceed a maximum speed of 100 km / h in the states of Victoria and Western Australia and 90 km / h in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. The tractor of a road train must be a minimum power of 370 kW ( 500 hp) have.
A major route for road trains, the track was Darwin - Alice Springs. The opening of the railway line, the amount of transported goods on the street is there declined sharply.
North America (Canada, USA)
In Canada and the USA Road Trains and Long Combination Vehicles ( LCV) are called. These combinations consist of a tractor unit and at least two, maximum three attached units. In this case, these trucks coupled together to achieve a maximum length of 38 meters and a maximum total weight of 62.5 tons.
Records
Several attempts with overly long road trains have been included in the Guinness Book of World Records:
Technical limits
In practice, the first four axes are maximum (including front axle with a four-wheel tractor) a road train driven; this limits the maximum transferable power. If the starting friction of the whole train exceeds this, a start-up is no longer possible, the wheels would spin. However, the practical drivability has ceased to exist long before that. Braking is relatively uncritical because all axes are slowed down and only the power of the compressor needs to meet these increased demands.