Long-Haul Trucking...With A Twist
Allow me to introduce you to one of the scariest concepts in trucking: road trains. Road trains, an Australian concept, are enormous semi trucks hauling up to three or four trailers at a given time. They can reach lengths of about 175 feet (53.5 meters) and generally operate at speeds of 100-120 km/h. In general, they can haul about 120 tons of goods, and are used to carry goods across the vast distances in the Australian outback where there aren't other forms of long-haul transit. Most of these travel along deserted roads, hauiling cattle and mining materials. In this case, I encoutered them on the Stuart Highway, a relatively deserted two-lane highway that runs about 1,700 miles from Darwin in Norther Territory, Australia down to Alice Springs and ultimately to Adelaide, South Australia. And when I say deserted, I mean there's literally a gas station road house about every 80-100 miles and, other than the livestock and kangaroos, it's you, the other cars, and the road trains. And let me tell you, there's nothing more frightening than an enormous road train barreling down on you at 65 mph on a deserted highway when you're several hundred miles from real civilization.
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amg | 5:59 PM |
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hello
I am a canadian truck driver, who is thinking of trying to get a work visa to come try out the outback trucking. if anybody could tell me how hard it would be to get my license changed over and to get a job, could you please email me? thank you
Hi Kyle try asking the fellas at http://www.roadtrains.com.au/forum/index.php
they should be able to help.
just red your article and blow me down i no the bloke that drives the truck you have pictured! what are the chances? fairly good i guess. and i have to say i have a some what diminished view on this as i grew up in the NT and have been around road trains all my life that they are no big deal. just don't pull out in front of one and you will be fine. driving one if fairly easy just like with one trailer but hill tend to slow you down a bit more but that is about all. trailers are rated at 25 ton with a bogie wheel dolly and 30 ton with a try axle dolly. you guys need some more research
