53 Foot Frenzy

[Centrino2]

Lets expand the confusion even more....

Can ya believe SCS has been telling us about this game since 2 years ago, cause that is when these car hauler pics show:
December 15, 2013
[ external image ]
[ external image ]

Now that seems like something for a pickup truck: http://www.dailyturismo.com/2013/12/15k ... 5-car.html
[ external image ]

Unless it is meant for a truck like this:
[ external image ]LEO AUTO - KENWORTH AUTO TRANSPORT BIG RIG TRUCK by Navymailman, on Flickr

(more shots) https://www.flickr.com/photos/carhaul/g ... 487132765/

But yes even car haulers can be 53 feet (the site I checked said they are 53 feet:
Cotterll Car Haulers (there are other types on this site as well)
Classic Car Hauler unloaded
[ external image ]

NextGen Car Hauler loaded
[ external image ]

I think those ramps can rise and lower to support SUV's and pickup trucks too, maybe vans but I haven't seen a truck hauling vans before.

The car hauler from 18 Wheels of Steel look better than what has been showed in the blog so far, but maybe that car hauler doesn't look like that anymore.
[ external image ]


As for flatbeds, I did mention 53 foot flatbeds, but shortest you will probably find these days are 48 foot flatbed, although the one featured on the blog with tandems does exist:
Manac 48 foot flatbed (look that up on their site and you won't see that trailer)
[ external image ]

I don't think they make them like that anymore unless the axles are spread apart (spread axle, distributes weight better):
http://www.eastmfg.com/flatbeds.html
[ external image ]

But if they are purposely making short trailers because of the seemingly short parking spaces they made at this pit stop:
[ external image ]

Hopefully they are not short but if they are, then I would say that they need to extend those parking spaces, because I don't know what truck stop would make parking spaces that don't fit a 53 foot trailer and its truck... I have said before elsewhere on these forums that they should make those truck stops more realistic: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=189104

Other trailers look alright...... so far..........

To be continued?


Oh, QBall3577, you updated your avatar about 10:01 pm EST eh? I just refreshed a page around that time and saw your avatar change, looks very nice by the way, super cool.

[QBall3577]

Thanks man, its now officially hockey season so gotta support the home team!

Car haulers come in all shapes and sizes here, even today. But, they haul any and everything but truck tractors. I've seen them haul vans and dualie pickup trucks. However, 53' flatbeds are still made even today. I hauled some just 3 years ago when I was hauling uranium cylinders on step decks from Toronto Canada to southern New Mexico. I still see quite a few flatbeds out on the road today. Their usually made out of aluminum to be as light as possible and have either a spread axle or a sliding axle or assembly. The max length i've seen a tandem axle on is a 48' and even that has been rare.. usually it is an old steel 40', which are heavy as hell! Now, thats not to say their not out there.. I just haven't seen one in a long time.

I, like you, hope this is true to reality and the trailers really are a scaled 53', otherwise i'll be looking to convert some of the 53' mods out now (and which I already use in ETS with my peterbilt and t800) to the ATS standard and replace every one of the stock trailers to their proper length. But, thats just me.

[TruckSimChris]

Hey Centrino, a new SCS blog post about ATS and this time they mention "longer trailers". Have a look: http://blog.scssoft.com/2015/10/america ... ilers.html

Nothing specific about length though. However that tanker in the blog post--whether 53 feet or not--looks pretty freakin' long.

[Centrino2]

Quite aware, wasn't sure of what to say about it..... but....

DAT TANKER!!! I have never seen that on the road before, but I have seen something similar in a truck show picture. I thought it was just a concept but I guess it is reality now. But really.... that seems longer than 53 feet.

Curtainsider: No comment cause no sliding tandems... although I wish they didn't take the picture at an angle.

Refrigerated trailer: Yep... too short. Maneuverability problem? That is why 53 foot trailers have slidable tandems... slide the tandems all the way forward to improve maneuverability, exactly what truckers try to do all the time if weight permits it, California is the strictest about the tandem distance to kingpin. Although there is a limit to how forward you can slide them forward because of rear overhang limits in some states, don't think California is part of that.... really... California gives truckers the hardest time with their regulations, which is why some truckers would avoid California.

But if they want to give us tighter spaces to maneuver through... give us a 53 foot trailer, and then even the widest areas will get real tight. XD

But I wonder what they meant by "creative solutions", I sure hope shorter trailers is not one of those solutions.


Random thought:
But as for other states that even have longer trailer lengths, if a player tries to come out of the state with the longer trailer to a state that doesn't permit it, then when in the other state, when they pull into a weigh station (which hopefully has been fixed), they could get fined there for being overlength.

[TruckSimChris]

Here in Washington state, we've got lots of quad axle trailers of all types, some in a similar axle configuration (single wheel on the rear axle, dual on the other three axles). I've never seen one with a spread that large on the rear axle though.

Yep, I agree that the refrigerator trailer is definitely NOT 53' as we've been guessing.

I'm curious about what their "creative solution" is as well. Reading the comments of that post, some were speculating that perhaps there will be multiple routes to reach your destintion. Trailer too long? Take a longer, straighter route. Shorter trailer? Go right through the city. You know what I mean?

OT warning: On your point about slidable axles to change the maneuverability of the trailer, it brings me back to my curiousity on the second page as to why we don't have **more** trailers with steerable axles like in Europe. Then again, considering how crazy our truckers are, driving at 80-90mph, perhaps steerable trailers would just do more harm than good. But I digress.

**I've only ever seen one in real life that I can remember, and it was a logging trailer.**

[QBall3577]

You wont find steerables on any short trailer... and that usually requires a steerman in the rear to control those. you find them on our blade trailers and anything with multi axles as such:

[ external image ]

53' trailers are not as hard as you think to maneuver and work with on city streets. Honestly I can't tell you how often on tight corners i've had to take up 2 lanes to make a right turn. People don't wanna move? just sit there until they do. I'm bigger than they are and have a job to do. Back up or you won't be going anywhere! kind of a d**k move, yes, but if they want their doughnuts, underwear, iPads, and dinner provisions... they'll accomodate.

Tankers are typically 40' in length in interstate operations. Intrastate operations the carriers have to comply with the states laws. But, the places i've seen the long tankers include WA, OR, UT, ID, and MI. Your permitted more axles, typically, and allow for longer trailers or multi-trailer setups.

[TruckSimChris]

QBall, you mean this?

Watch on YouTube

Fairly common here in Seattle to see Boeing transporting wings with these things.

Lots of potential for a rat rod truck as well.

[QBall3577]

yeah, something like that is like what I was referencing in addition to what I posted. They use those types of assemblies for a multitude of loads but i've mostly seen them with bridge trusses and wind tower blades in Texas... and pretty much across the US, really. Would be cool to see some of that nifty boeing stuff on the road though. Never spent much time in the PNW to get that opportunity. Then you have the Schnabel trailers.. these things are AWESOME! I aspired to eventually haul these but the sense of responsibility to be home more for my family got the best of me and I never got there ...

[ external image ]

[tony11139]

US law and Canadian law are not the same but here in Québec canada our tanker are about 47 feet long 4 axles the first one is directionnal and go down and up when it's charged or not . the B-TRAIN are 55 feet or 57 i don't remember.. Just a hint for SCS , we can put a maximum of 57 000 liters in a 4 axles single tank in canada , to be in law i can have a maximum of 57 500 Kilo... so 57 tons.. i don't know if in US you can have this charge but it will be nice to see how hard it can be to haul it in ATS when we start in the game with a truck with a 430 hp

http://www.tankmart.com/en/home/

[TruckSimChris]

Thanks for sharing that link, Tony. Fascinating tankers you guys have up north. QBall is correct, where I live in Washington state we do have longer tankers with multiple axles, but I've never seen anything like a Quebec tanker in my state.

I'm beginning to wonder if the tanker SCS showed on their blog was perhaps modeled after a Canadian tanker.

Once again, the confusion continues.