More variety this time, and I found a much better truck spotting spot than in last week’s edition. So here we go with a 2017 Scania S450 6×2 truck (tag axle up), towing a close-coupled tandem axle trailer. Temperature controlled transport, I’d say it’s a flower hauler, coming back from Germany. Just my € 0.02.
Shell fuel tanker, a 2019 Volvo FH with a Belgian LAG semi-trailer. The tractor is equipped with a steering and liftable pusher axle. The combination has six axles, that will always do for the national legal maximum GVM of 50 metric tons (110,231 lbs) for standard big rigs, regardless the axle spacings.
This is called an EcoCombi: maximum overall length 25.25 m (82’10”), maximum GVM 60 metric tons (132,277 lbs). The truck is a 2013 Scania R580 6×2 with a 16.4 liter V8. Only the Scania’s drive axle has dual wheels, the rest of the big ‘n long rig is rolling on super singles. There are multiple EcoCombi set-ups, but this one is similar to the Scania above.
2017 DAF XF 460 FT, towing an enclosed semi-trailer for temperature controlled transport. The letters FT refer to a 4×2 tractor chassis, DAF uses the letters FA for a 4×2 truck chassis.
Meanwhile, on the other side, how many horsepower do we have here?
1999 Mercedes-Benz Atego 1017 truck with a full trailer, such combinations are typically used by market vendors.
2007 Hymer B574SL, an integrated motorhome. Hymer is a highly regarded name in the world of motorhomes.
2015 DAF CF 410 FT low-deck tractor, coupled to a semi-trailer for temperature controlled transport. As can be seen, the semi-trailer’s first axle is liftable. Its third axle is a steering axle.
Scania S450 4×2 tractor, registered in Poland. Common practice among large hauling companies, a registration in a former Eastern Bloc country.
A so-called JIF-image (Just-In-Frame), featuring a 2015 DAF CF 290 FAG garbage truck. Just like the Shell tractor further above, the DAF has a steering and liftable pusher axle; a highly common configuration for a garbage truck.
You didn’t expect to see this here, did you? A Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew. At least, that’s what I make of it, as I couldn’t read its plate. The Ford is towing a 2019 tridem-axle Ifor Williams (UK) flatbed trailer. I’m sure it’s frequently used to transport mobile equipment, as there are slide-out ramps right above the trailer’s license plate.
DAF XF 460 FTG tractor, working for the Visbeen company. FTG, that’s DAF language for a tractor unit with a steering and liftable pusher axle. So this is clearly another 50 tons big rig. As long as it stays in the Netherlands, that is.
Heading home again, through this two-lane tunnel for slow traffic. Like me, being a pedestrian.
Previous gen Iveco Daily double cab flatbed truck, carrying miscellaneous items. The Iveco Daily is Europe’s heaviest light truck.
The last one, and certainly the oldest. A Fendt Farmer 204V narrow track tractor, as used by fruit growers and horticulturists. It has been sitting there for quite some time now, driving a water spray pump when needed. The 204, powered by an air-cooled KHD (Deutz) diesel engine, dates back to the eighties.
Thanks for posting these pictures. Always interesting!
Hymer is held in good regard in the USA, as well. They claim to be the first RV manufacturer to build on both sides of the pond. Because they’ve had plenty of experience converting European-style vans (Sprinter, Transit, Ducato/ProMaster) they have a sort of head start now that we have those types of vans.
Digging deeper, it turns out that the German firm Hymer was bought out by an American firm, Thor Industries, who seem to be allowing the German arm of Hymer to keep doing their thing, while adding Hymer to their American-made roster of RV brands, which includes 19 brands.
Never heard of Thor Industries before, so I just read a bit more about them. What a giant in the industry!
Since last year, my brother works in the RV business. Camper vans only, mostly based on the Fiat Ducato and its PSA family members, which almost speaks for itself…It already was a booming business, but even more so in the current Covid-19 days. Both saleswise and renting out.
I didn’t hear that Thor bought Hymer — disappointing in my mind, because I don’t associate Thor with having a very good reputation. On the other hand, I really admire Hymer RVs, particularly the Class B RV’s that I see around here occasionally. I hope Thor doesn’t ruin them.
+1 for posting these pictures. Always interesting to see trucking on the other side of the pond. Trucking has been in my blood for over 60 years. My dad was a truck driver and I used to go with him often when I was young. Oh my how the people would cringe today at what we did back then. I spent my entire career in the truck and bus business. Started wrenching at home fixing my bike, then my cars. Moved on to working on a farm and junkyard. Ended up managing a fleet, specing and building plow trucks. All started by riding with my dad in a truck.
Thanks dad.
Good story, thanks!
Dad was a truck driver too (flatbeds, grain tippers and dry bulk tankers). Once heavy-trucks get in your blood as a kid, around 50 years ago in my case, they will never get out.
Till this day, the interest and fascination for commercial vehicles has always stayed, regardless their age. New or recent car models don’t mean anything to me any longer, regardless who builds them or what’s under the hood.
One setup seen very rarely here in the US is box trucks like the Atego here that are towing a trailer. Occasionally, landscaping companies will tow an enclosed trailer with this type of truck, but that’s about it. Not quite sure why it’s so unusual, but I can’t ever remember seeing a box truck towing a trailer as large as the one here.
The trailer is long, yet light. It’s basically a mobile counter for selling food (fish, cheese, nuts, snacks, whatever) or other items on the market.
Thanks — that explains it. I thought the trailer look somewhat unusual, but I didn’t realize it was a food service trailer. Makes perfect sense now.
Interesting rigs the cabs are all familiar the axle spacings are strange to my eyes, that Econocombi is close to what I see regularly a 6 or 8 wheel truck pulling a 10 wheel trailer except for the rear axles being so far forward and super singles are not as popular here twin tyred wheels are the common setup the resulting short wheelbase would make backing that thing trickier that what we use and the rear overhang would not help either but finding an ex European driver who can back a pull trailer is a rare event.
Over the past decades, mid-axle trailers (like in the first picture) and semi-trailers have replaced the traditional full (or pull…) trailers more and more. The “old-school” drawbar trailers are still common in several branches though, like tipping grain haulers, cattle transport, roll-off container work and low-bed machinery trailers; the latter always being towed by a dump truck.
Nice selection. We seen Visbeen trucks and trailers regularly in the UK
Right, except the Visbeen company name, everything is in English on the semi-trailer’s side…