Reversing a big truck and drawbar trailer in one smooth, flowing movement demands experience and skills. The driver of this logging truck did the job flawlessly, and rather fast too.
The Ginaf truck is fully based on the contemporary DAF CF-series and is equipped with a Jonsered 1020 crane. The Ginaf’s power unit is a 12.6 liter DAF engine, good for 480 DIN-hp. Maximum axle loads from front to back: 9,000 kg – 11,500 kg – 11,500 kg. This means the truck has a wide-spread tandem, as a standard tandem gets a total registered maximum axle load of 19,000 kg (instead of this truck’s 23,000 kg ~ 50,700 lbs).
We’d barely recognize that as a log truck in Oregon. It’s always interesting to see how regional differences affect the type of vehicles used. This is a typical setup we’d see every day out here.
Your logs are obviously much bigger in Oregon!
Not really, as there’s very little old growth timber left to cut that hasn’t been preserved (fortunately). Timber in Oregon is almost all 2nd and 3rd and possibly 4th generation. It’s grown like a crop, and harvested every 20-30 years.
Should have realized that from the diameter of the Oregon logs.
But they are just about full-length; why are the European ones cut down
in length?
It all depends on the type of wood and the final product. Below another Dutch logging rig. The logs are clearly not cut down. You can’t, if you want long boards…
I should’ve added- Single 40′ trailer, 80,000 lb GVW.
Surely that sweet rig you posted (similar combinations for logging can be found here too, but the tractor would be a cabover) must weigh much more than 80,000 lbs?
Note that the GVW of the Ginaf truck, so without the trailer, is already 32,000 kg (70,500 lbs). Just add up the individual axle loads.
That looks like stems unit, Logs here are precut to export length at the skid site and are delivered to the port, on truck and trailer setups like Johannes posted but five axle trailers 58,000kg gross weight, Drawbar or pull trailers can be tricky to reverse in some situations, I probably do it a dozen times per day, I’ll count them today just to see 90degree turns in reverse are the worst especially where theres no room to swing the truck and you cant see the back of the trailer.
Seems like it’s all DAF. What are the Ginaf bits?
On this one the rear tandem set-up. Ginaf took care of the wide-spread tandem with a steering (and live) last axle. Example below. DAF doesn’t build them that way.
Daf do build regular eight wheelers but the drive axles dont steer and are closer together
Yes, all European truck makers offer regular “short tandem” 8×2 and 8×4 chassis. But if you want 4,000 kg extra axle load (23,000 -/- 19,000) in the Netherlands, combined with better maneuverability & less tire wear & less pavement wear, then you need a tandem-conversion done by a specialist like Ginaf.
And those Ginaf’s are often 8×8 or even 10×8.
Pete, last year Ginaf ended the further development and production of AWD trucks, that’s with a mechanically driven front axle (or axles)
More here, in Dutch:
https://bouwmachineweb.com/nieuws/ginaf-stopt-met-zware-terreinvoertuigen
If you want a hardcore AWD truck with DAF technology you’ll have to ask Tatra now…
Having spent a couple of summers working on a farm, I take a certain pride in being able to reverse a trailer. But a drawbar trailer like this was always utterly beyond me. I can do a bit of geometry, but I could never get my head around what was happening behind me. Total respect for the guys (Bryce!) who can do this; it’s hard.
well only four times today in reverse but one was half a kilometer along an orchard track with a large centre crown which made the trailer want to wander off line, but thats part of the job, basically if you can see more than six inches of headboard in either mirror and you arent trying a tight reverse turn youve got it wrong stop, pull forward untill it straight and go again.