DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Page 27
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CM traversed the multi-acre Eddie Stobart yard in Widnes, adjacent to its new training facility, with both the 14.55m and 15.65m long trailers. The latter looks the more cumbersome, but anxieties disappear once the first corner is taken. It’s a remarkably smooth action.
When a driver does a U-turn with a traditional tri-axle trailer, the tractor unit meets resistance from the trailer as the tyres try to turn sideways and the driver hears the noise of the tyres losing rubber.
With two Tridec rear-steer axles there is no resistance and no noise, which means tread isn’t forced off the tyres by sideways movement, prolonging the service life of a tyre.
Neale Burdon, Eddie Stobart’s resource and training manager, explains how all trailers must meet current legislation for turning circles. “From a central point, the inside set of cones are 5.30m in radius and the outer cones are placed in a semi-circle 12.5m from the centre.” By following the outer cones with the tractor’s offside bumper, the trailer should be able to turn through the semi-circle without touching the cones on the inside, he adds. The first combination through the cones is the 14.55m long trailer, fitted with a fixed bogey axle and separate rear-steer axle set further back on the chassis.
Following the outer cones with the offside bumper of the truck, we monitor the nearside wheels of the trailer. At the exit point the tyre is 632mm from the inner cones. It’s not as close as the traditional tri-axle trailer, which comes within 400mm of the cones.
The acid test is now the 15.65m long trailer. We repeat the process and take the measurement; the gap between the tyre and cones is 940mm, some 308mm more than the first longer trailer, which provides greater manoeuvrability.
We also backed the trailer into a line of 13.6m trailers. We fell woefully short of the prescribed distance and Burdon agrees that this will require additional driver awareness training.