They might sound like New York City subway lines, but in truck transportation, the A, B or lesser known C-Train are used to transport large items such as our manufactured pressure vessels. Continue reading this week’s blog as MaXfield breaks down the ABC’s of truck transportation.
A-Train
When it comes to the less than truckload (LTL) industry, the preferred method for truck transportation is the A-Train. This method uses a dolly that is licensed as a separate trailer and is attached via a pintle hook on the front trailer. If the dolly used in an A-Train has two axles, they can combine two 48 feet or 53 feet enclosed trailers.
B-Train
The B-Train combines a truck and trailer via a fifth wheel, which is attached on the lead trailer. The B-Train is often utilized for transportation of liquid fuels such as gasoline and also hauling flatbeds, which can accommodate large heavy loads. In a recent blog we’ve outlined how MaXfield designs and manufactures B-Trains that are used for transporting our state-of-the-art engineered pressure vessels.
C-Train
The C-Train is not a nickname for John Coltrane and nor is it a reference to Calgary’s public transit. The lesser-known C-Train essentially is an A-Train with 2 pintle hooks and not one. Two pintle hooks allows for greater stability; however, it makes it more difficult to hook the dolly to the front trailer and the dolly’s tires have greater strain, which results in faster wear and tear.
Here in Alberta, truck transportation methods such as the B-Train play a key role for the oil and gas industry. MaXfield is an experienced engineering company that not only produces equipment used in all streams of oil and gas, but also fabricates the skids and B-Trains used to transport them. To find out more about what MaXfield can build for you and safely transport, contact our office today at (403) 258-3680.
