Thread: A question for truckies

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There's a similar photo floating around the internet, but the trailer is in a light beer livery.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

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There's a similar photo floating around the internet, but the trailer is in a light beer livery.

Speaking of trucks and floating what is the wading depth of the average truck, as I was watching "Outback Truckers" and IIRC one guy said not to go deeper than the wheel hubs, maybe due to diff breathers?

As said, yes quad axle groups are a thing. They are quite specialised so used in quite specific combinations and routes.

As a roads practitioner, I'm not a fan. I call it legalised overloading of pavements, and they tear bitumen to shreds when turning on hot days....

C

No deeper than the hubs is a fair rule of thumb. If a truck, or any vehicle, launches into water with careless abandon, the water will rapidly cool hot components creating a vacuum. The sudden vacuum will overcome the ability of the breathers, add the pressure of the water and you will easily end up with water, where water isn't supposed to be. Hub seals are primarily designed to keep oil and grease in, they don't work as well at keeping stuff, particularly liquid stuff, out. It also gives a reasonable chance of seeing any surface damage or impediment.

Coincidentally, I worked for the same company and regularly had to traverse sections of deeper flooding than what he made a big song and dance about. There's a whole lot of emphasised and added drama, in that show, added purely entertainment purposes.
I was making a dash back to the coast, when the wet started early, one year. The best information I had, was that a particular crossing was expected to go under within twelve hours. When I got there it was like an inland sea, with water as far as the eye could see. I was pretty much committed, with three trailers there was no way to turn around. The further I went in, the deeper it got (who'da thought that? ), until the only way to navigate was to try and stay in the centre of the guide post reflectors, which were at water level. The water was over the top step, lapping the fuel tank filler caps.
The truck went straight to the Western Star dealer for a full service and fluid change.

It wasn't until I entered the water and seen how deep it was getting, that a sudden realisation hit me, I had three empty, aluminum fuel tankers attached, if they floated, that would no doubt be my demise.

If it's flooded, forget it! I was very fortunate that the bitumen hadn't been washed away, or logs been washed onto the road. Crocs aren't good company on a dark night.

Originally Posted by cjc_td5

As said, yes quad axle groups are a thing. They are quite specialised so used in quite specific combinations and routes.

As a roads practitioner, I'm not a fan. I call it legalised overloading of pavements, and they tear bitumen to shreds when turning on hot days....

C

I always thought PBS was a capped and prepaid overloading penalty.

Code:

No deeper than the hubs is a fair rule of thumb. 

This bloke was not too worried about a bit of water!

Many moons ago, I knew a bloke who drove for a company that operated a fleet of Kenworths, up and down the Queensland seaboard. The air intake on a Kenny is at the level of the bottom of the windscreen, unless they're flash bangers, then they're above roof level.
This fellow was coming southbound out of Townsville, but got held up at one of the notorious flooded creek crossings. He slept for a few hours, waiting for the water to recede, early next morning decided it was crossable, being less deep than water he had waded dozens of times before. I wouldn't be regaling this tale, if he was driving his usual Kenworth but, he was actually driving a demonstration loan truck supplied by Scania, who were trying to sell their halo V8 into the fleet. Scania have the air intake low and behind the front wheel. I'm sure I have no need to go into detail about the result here, enough to say there was an almost new Scania with 100k km on the chassis and zero kilometers on the engine.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

Many moons ago, I knew a bloke who drove for a company that operated a fleet of Kenworths, up and down the Queensland seaboard. The air intake on a Kenny is at the level of the bottom of the windscreen, unless they're flash bangers, then they're above roof level.
This fellow was coming southbound out of Townsville, but got held up at one of the notorious flooded creek crossings. He slept for a few hours, waiting for the water to recede, early next morning decided it was crossable, being less deep than water he had waded dozens of times before. I wouldn't be regaling this tale, if he was driving his usual Kenworth but, he was actually driving a demonstration loan truck supplied by Scania, who were trying to sell their halo V8 into the fleet. Scania have the air intake low and behind the front wheel. I'm sure I have no need to go into detail about the result here, enough to say there was an almost new Scania with 100k km on the chassis and zero kilometers on the engine.

Might be why Scania moved it to above the grille........