What is a Center-Axle Trailer?
3 Answers
Center-axle trailers are a type of full trailer where the axles are positioned in the middle. Due to stability concerns, full trailers are explicitly prohibited from driving on highways by national regulations. Relevant details are as follows: Introduction to Center-Axle Trailers: A trailer with two axles, both placed in the middle of the trailer, is called a center-axle trailer. Because both axles are located in the middle, a center-axle trailer cannot maintain balance on its own and requires support legs to 'stand' when not connected to another vehicle. Driving of Center-Axle Trailers: The towing device cannot move vertically (relative to the trailer), and the axle is located close to the trailer's center of gravity (under uniform load). This type of vehicle exerts only a small vertical static load on the towing vehicle, not exceeding 10% of the trailer's mass or 10,000N (whichever is smaller). One or more axles can be driven by the towing vehicle.
When driving on the road, I always pay attention to large trucks, and there is a type of trailer called a center-axle trailer. The special feature of this vehicle is that its towing device is installed in the middle part of the trailer, unlike ordinary trailers which are connected at the rear. This design ensures a more balanced weight distribution between the front and rear of the entire vehicle, resulting in much better stability when driving. It is typically used to transport oversized cargo, such as wind turbine blades or large steel beams. This type of trailer is more maneuverable when turning compared to semi-trailers and doesn’t take up too much road space. However, because the trailer’s center of gravity is more centralized, drivers need to be particularly cautious of crosswinds when driving at high speeds. Nowadays, many logistics companies use this type of vehicle for specialized transportation.
Having worked in the logistics industry for a long time, I'm naturally very familiar with center-axle trailers. Essentially, they are a type of specialized trailer whose main characteristic is that the connection point is located in the central area of the trailer frame. This structural design allows for longer cargo boxes, enabling the simultaneous transport of two standard containers, making transportation efficiency particularly high. I've seen many oversized loads transported with this type of trailer, such as yachts or engineering equipment. They feel much more stable to drive than regular trailers because the central connection point reduces tail swing. However, you need to be careful when starting empty, as the rear of the trailer can easily lift up, creating a hazard. During maintenance, it's also important to regularly check the wear on the steering mechanism and connection pins.
