How many types of common center-axle car trains are there?

The central axle trailer is a new model after GB1589. The trailer axle is installed in the center of the body's center of gravity. When the car is separated from the tractor, it generally cannot maintain its balance independently. Center-axle car train belongs to car train, which is a model composed of a car and a center-axle trailer. Simply speaking, it is a combination of one or more center-axle trailers towed behind a car.

The common center axle car trains in daily life can be mainly divided into the following categories:

1. Heavy truck + center axle compartment

A car train consisting of a heavy truck and a central axle trailer is a kind of freight car train.

According to the regulations, the length limit of freight trains is 20m, which has obvious advantages compared with 13.75m for semi-trailers, 13.95m for container semi-trailers, and 17.1m for articulated trains.

The application of freight trains in foreign countries is relatively mature, especially in Europe, where it is more widely used. In contrast, in China, due to differences in road conditions, vehicle technology and other fields, the application of freight trains is rare. Although some car companies have also launched a lot of prototypes of center-axle car trains, they have not been stagnant in the industry.

2. Central axle vehicle transporter

The center-axle vehicle transporter belongs to a special freight train, which is specially used to transport cars or passenger cars. The main car part is a vehicle transporter, and the trailer part is a center-axle vehicle transport trailer.

From the appearance point of view, the central axle vehicle transporter is generally equipped with two cargo platforms, and both the main vehicle and the trailer can be loaded.

According to the new GB1589 regulations, the length limit of the mid-mounted vehicle transport train is 22m, which is 2m longer than the freight train.

At present, other major types of car transport vehicles in China, such as flat head tractor + semi-trailer can hold 6 vehicles, long head tractor + semi-trailer can hold 7 vehicles, and center axle vehicle transporter can hold 8-11 vehicles .

3. Light truck + center axle compartment

The light trucks referred to here mainly cover light trucks, micro trucks, passenger and cargo vehicles, pickup trucks, off-road trucks, special-purpose operating vehicles, etc.

Different from the form of heavy truck + central axle trailer, the main car of this kind of freight train usually hangs a blue plate. The length of the central axle compartment is generally about 7m, and the rated load is 2.4t. Counting the front light truck, the loading capacity can reach about 4.5t, and the length is about 12m. Its length and loading capacity have far exceeded 6×8 cargo compartment.

It is worth noting that although the license plate of this model is a blue plate, it still belongs to the category of freight trains. Once the center-axle carriage is towed, an A2 license is required to drive on the road.

4. Passenger car + central axle compartment

This type of vehicle belongs to the passenger car train, and almost all kinds of passenger cars can be combined with the central axle trailer to form a passenger car train, among which the most used are general passenger cars (cars), multi-purpose passenger cars and Off-road passenger vehicles. The central-axle carriages towed by this type of vehicle are generally single-axle or double-axle.

Since the introduction of the C6 driver's license, it is possible to drive a passenger car towing a center-mounted axle car, but the total mass of the main car + trailer must be less than (not including or equal to) 4500kg. If it exceeds this standard, you can only use the A2 driver's license.

As mentioned above, although the application fields of center-axle car trains are relatively wide in foreign countries, they are not mature in China. What are the reasons?

1. The purchase cost is higher.

Compared with ordinary trucks or semi-trailers, the purchase cost and maintenance cost of center axle trailers are higher, especially for center axle car trains. Under the influence of the epidemic, the living environment of the freight market is getting worse and worse. Many car owners cannot receive orders or make money. They prefer more practical, low-cost, and high-return models. Limited, car owners will naturally not consider it.

2. Poor driving stability.

The wheels of the central axle trailer are in the middle of the compartment, and the body is easy to swing up and down or left and right when running. In addition, the connection point between the central axle trailer and the main vehicle is under the frame, which makes the movement of the rear trailer more flexible. When the vehicle speed is too fast or the road is slippery in rainy days, it is easy to appear tail flicking, and even cause the whole vehicle to be severe. The car lost control and rolled over.

3. High requirements on road conditions.

The chassis of the central axle trailer is low. Although it has advantages on roads with limited heights, at the same time, the low chassis can easily cause the vehicle to be unable to adapt to bad road conditions.

4. Driving is difficult.

Although in theory, the center-axle car train has a low chassis and a short wheelbase, and is easier to drive than a full-trailer, but in practical applications, many car owners have reported that the center-axle trailer is "difficult to turn" and "difficult to drive." Shake", "It takes a little skill to drive".

5. Suppression of other models.

At present, the domestic medium and long-distance transportation market is still dominated by semi-trailers. No matter in terms of loading capacity, carrying capacity, and applicable working conditions, semi-trailers can meet the transportation needs of most goods. The most important thing is that the semi-trailer market is very mature and there are relatively rich types, and its status in the world may not be shaken in a short time.

Of course, since GB1589 has added a center-axle car train announcement, it shows that it still has certain advantages:

1. In terms of loading capacity, it can reach a maximum of about 120 square meters, which is equivalent to the compliance loading capacity of two traditional 9×6 trucks;

2. The chassis is low and the center of gravity is low. Under the same turning radius, the center axle car train can be made longer;

3. The trailer is flexible, suitable for express, less-than-truckload, and drop-off transportation, especially in special line logistics, where the advantages are more obvious;

4. One car is dual-purpose, the main car can be used alone, or the trailer can be used, and the use form can be flexibly selected according to transportation needs.

From the perspective of the current development of the domestic transportation market, modularization and standardization are major trends. Although there are still many problems in the center axle trailer, with the implementation of policies, technological progress and continuous improvement of related supporting facilities, its market coverage will increase. Maybe it can also get a certain improvement.