PREJUDICE THREATENS DRAWBARS

This article presents the key dimensions proposed by the European Commission for drawbar-trailer towing by trucks, and discusses their lack of logic. The latest proposals would permit an increase in the overall length of drawbar configurations from 18 m to 18.35 m, but two additional restrictions have removed the benefits that should have been expected, for most applications. The maximum distance from the front of the "loading area" to the rear-most point of the trailer, minus the distance between the two units is limited to 15.3 m, and the maximum distance from the front of the truck body's loading area to the back of the trailer, irrespective of the gap, cannot exceed 16 m. The combined effect of these proposals will be to reduce body lengths beyond even what is present regular practice, penalise the use of ordinary day cabs, increase the need for close-coupling towing frames, and encourage the use of centre-bogie trailers even in applications where they are unsuitable or even unsafe. They will also stifle design initiative aimed at enhancing the productivity of drawbar outfits.