Could Australian roadtrains work in the UK?
Will Shiers
![Will Shiers]()
Will Shiers
Editor at Commercial Motor and UK jury member for International Truck of the Year
I’ve just spent a couple of days in an Australian Volvo FH16 roadtrain. Well actually it started in Brisbane as a 25m 60-tonne B-double and grew as we headed into the Outback and length and weight regulations changed. Eventually we ended up with a 52m, 120-tonne B-A-A-B combination.
Could this configuration work in the UK? Of course not! But I reckon B-doubles could. They’re incredibly manoeuvrable and stable and because they’re slower than smaller trucks, have been proved to be safer too. Clearly we’d need to invest in our parking facilities, and spend money on driver training too. Personally, I’d throw that £8.2m we’re about to waste on truck platooning into the pot.
DAF Vehicle handover specialist & Driver Trainer
4yI’m sure that the political aspect will hold it back. No reason why it couldn’t work assuming infrastructure there. Marshalling areas near to major motorways.
Retired from this life - 16/12/2021
5yShock Absorbers Engineering here in Australia is well advanced and can be fitted to suit any country anywhere around the world. POWER DOWN is one of these very advanced companies with the know how and 40 plus years of experience in Research and Development
Sem - Retired // Ex Powerdown Australia Pty Ltd
5yHaving been involved in design & manufacture of multi-articulated suspension for Australian semi-TRAILERS Roadtrains of both the "A Train" & "B Train" configerations, Those that it could work , depending on The Route, The Roads, the infrastructure of the Highways on the proposed journey's, the bridge capabilities to cope with masses over (GCM) of 155 tonnes , lengths that exceed 3 or more combined semi- trailers with a turning radius to match, along with the rapid degradation of road surfaces , both in town & highway. You then get a glimpse of what these behemoths of road system bring as a :"PRICE" for the supposed reduction of $'s per Kg that this form of mass road movement is supposed to reduce.Unlesd you have a country with an almost non existent railway system & can ultimately use the " Frieght-base" system as per the USA. This is where all the minor frieght consolidation is achieved with smaller , usually rigid lorries , where in urban/city environs they pick up the city manageable gross mass & dimensionally possible, components , which can be practicably then consolidated into pallets or containers st the out of town ",Frieght - base" & then slotted into the Road Trains for bulk rapid transit to a suitably distant destiny
Head of Engineering Policy at Logistics UK
5yIt’s taking us years to try and get Longer semi-trailers accepted - if implementation is linked to length, it’ll be decades before these would be permitted! Still, shouldn’t let s challenge stand in our way!
MD at Campbells Consultancy - helping commercial vehicle fleets make the transition from diesel to electric/hydrogen fuel cell.
5yWill, I think you know my views from our chat about them two or three weeks ago 😀 Glad to see you had a good time in Oz