Road trains are large semi-trucks and trailers, commonly used in Australia, that can consist of up to six trailers. They were first designed by an Australian cattle hauler and can be powered by a rear engine. The world record for the longest train is 112 trailers.
A road train is a specially equipped semi-truck and semi-trailer used in Mexico, Argentina, the United States, and Canada, but is most common in Australia. Typically consisting of a very powerful tractor pulling four full-size trailers, the road train is considered one of the largest wheeled vehicles in the world. Some of the larger road train vehicles operate solely on private land rather than public roads; therefore, weight and length restrictions do not apply. While fuel tankers account for the majority of road train vehicles, there are almost every type of trailer imaginable in use with the Giants today.
The first configuration for a road train was that of a military truck carrying two or three trailers. These vehicles were not very reliable due to their age. The drivers of these vehicles were often subjected to difficult conditions, as the vehicles had open cabs. The Australian government had commissioned a number of self-tracking trailers to be built to aid in the maneuverability of the road train. The self-tracking trailer had caster wheels at each end to help maneuver on the winding roads found in the Australian Outback.
An Australian cattle hauler is credited with designing the modern road train. Using a surplus of US military trucks and several of the self-tracking trailers as prototypes, he built a road train that could carry more than 100 bulls 200 miles (320 km) from southern Australia to northern Australia. Australia. Local trailer manufacturers soon began to copy the new trailer design and began producing the self-tracking trailers for various customers. Popular semi manufacturers began producing purpose-built units, with the Kenworth and Mack becoming two of the most preferred models.
While common units use three or four trailers, some of the longer trains will carry up to six trailers at a time. These super trucks are known as powertrain units. Larger trains use a motor mounted at the rear of the rearmost trailer to help the train move. Without the help of the rear engine pushing the train from behind, the tractor could break a driveshaft or loosen a hitch on one of the trailers. The rear engine is operated by remote control from the cab of the road train.
The world record for the longest train has changed hands several times since the 1970s. The record is 112 trailers pulled by a single truck. The record-breaking truck was 4,836 feet, 11 inches (1,474.3 meters) long and was dragged a distance of 328 feet (100 meters).
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