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Rational Choice of

Semi Trailer

Rational Choice of "lightweight" Semi-trailer

Lightweight semi-trailer has many benefits and is also a development trend in the future. However, there are advantages and disadvantages, and there are gains and losses. Many truck drivers only blindly pursue lightweight, while ignoring the product itself.


Lightweight in the "light" at the same time, also brings many restrictions, so we must look at the "light" when choosing the trailer, but also find a quality assurance factory to choose our own trailer according to our own working conditions and operating environment, so as to ensure the quality of the trailer. The following is the analysis of the lightweight, where is the "light", so that we can have a rational understanding, and rational choice for our own semi-trailer. The lightweight of semi-trailer is basically as follows:


Ⅰ. Reduce the actual load range of the semi-trailer


Now the lightweight of the trailer is to a large extent by reducing the specifications of the trailer grider, beam and so on to reduce the weight of the trailer. For example, the height of the trailer grider now is even 450mm in order to lightweight compared with originally 550mm. According to semi-trailer manufacturers of professionals, even light body trailer, girder height is best not less than 500mm. How much load and safety will be sacrificed compared to the little weight loss on the girder?


The specification of the trailer material is reduced, and the overall carrying capacity of the trailer will be reduced. For example, the original heavy body trailer can pull 100 tons and ordinary hanging 60-70 tons is not a big problem. Now the light body hanging can only pull 50 tons, which reduces the actual load range of the trailer. For the user, it is to reduce the maximum load.


It is good for users with fixed sources of goods, but for drivers who run bulk goods using light trailers, if they do not realize this or pull goods with the original thinking of ordinary semi-trailers and often overload, the problem comes, serious even causing broken girder accidents. This is one of the reasons why many drivers feel the quality of the original heavy trailer is good.


Ⅱ. Use better materials, but more strictly use in semi-trailer conditions


One of the most important means of lightweight trailer is using higher grade steel and replacing the original lower grade steel to reduce weight. The common one is the use of T700 steel. Take the use of T700 high strength steel for example, to achieve the same strength, manganese steel needs 10mm thick while T700 may only be 6mm thick. The weight comes down naturally.


Higher strength steel can reduce the amount of steel used and the weight of semi trailers, but different steel characteristics can also bring other problems. High strength steel rather bend, unlike manganese steel whose toughness is better and beam bending is not broken. The characteristics of high strength steel girder determines that it can only be suitable for good road conditions of standard transportation. The use of manganese steel girder is the best choice for mountain transportation.


Using lighter aluminum alloy to reduce weight, and lightweight is more obvious. But price and maintenance remain a problem.


Ⅲ. Design the semi-trailer optimally, but improve its reliability further


The weight reduction method of the trailer is to optimize the design of the trailer, such as one-time molding girder. Although the new technology of one-time molding girder can be said to have a very obvious effect on the lightweight of trailers, sometimes it also means risks.


For example, one-time molding girder, compared with the traditional I-beam, is very obvious to lightweight, but its reliability is questionable. It is known that the first batch of one-time molding girder trailer causes the result of a large part of the broken girder. And famous factories basically do not use it.


Ⅳ. Use lighter assessories or minus assessories in semi-trailers


It's believed that we basically know the use of lighter accessories to lightweight such as large single tire, aluminum alloy wheels, air suspension compared to the traditional lighter. However, the semi-trailer is expensive. So it's better to consider the input and output before purchasing it to figure out whether it's worth buying.


In order to reduce weight, some manufacturers or users simplify or even directly remove some accessories on the trailer. For example, the tool box is reduced from two to one; the tool box is changed from fully enclosed to fenced-in; even the legs are saved. The reduction of these accessories results in a reduction in the overall weight of the machine. But is it worth sacrificing convenience or even safety to reduce weight? This is a question worth pondering.


As one of the top semi trailer manufacturers in China, ULTRATON has been working on supplying high quality semi trailers such as truck trailer and container trailer for the customers for years. You can also find different types of trailer parts here in the trailer factory of ULTRATON. Welcome to contact us!