Triple Axles, in the western U.S. how common are they?

[Helldiver]

Was answering on the "What you love and hate about ATS" post when this got me thinking.

I drive all over California as part of my job. I've been driving all over California for 27 years now. Triple axles seen on the highways is almost rare to non-existent. In my time driving, aside from special load lowboys, wide load trailers, and other special service trailers triple axles are very rare.

The same goes for lift axles on tractors with regular trailers. In fact, I don't believe I've ever seen one. Yes, I see lift axles on dump trucks, garbage trucks, wreckers, and other utility trucks, but rarely have I seen one on a traditional "18 wheeler" barreling down the road.

Why are they all over my game now? Before triple axles were introduced, I believe only one or two of the special trailers had them. But now every single box trailer I see by the AI is running triples.

At first it was just trailers, but ever since the more recent updates I'm seeing tractors with lift axles as well.

Am I missing something? Is this new legislation? Any truckers that drive out here can chime in and set me straight?

I know in the east coast they've been experimenting with legislation that would allow for triples so as to alleviate road damage issues and better weight distribution, but I didn't know it was a wide spread thing now.

Again, I appreciate the feedback.

[Jelinobas]

I have no practical experience, nor have I ever been to the US. I've only seen documentaries about Canada and timber transporters there. They often had 4-axle trucks, mostly Kenworth.

[ThunderDownUnder]

You running mods? That doesn't sound normal to me.

Edit: just checked on a clean profile and there were heaps of triple box trailers.

[Trucker_71]

California has weird rules, I'm a retired trucker that's run all lower 48.

[toto3002]

in canada we run 4 axle drybox

[Jelinobas]

Oh, you mean trailer. Ok, I thought trucks. ;)

As far as I know, in California at eg. 53' container trailers can only be installed with 2 axles and no more. In all other states of the game it can also be 3 or more.

[Bovine Caucus]

I think triple axle trailer tandems are more common in the UK, where this game originates. I don't see them very often in the lower 48 unless it is a dump trailer.

[Schweppess]

where I live in Ontario, Canada, the company I'm a crane operator for uses 4 axle 53' flat beds to haul the 100 ton crane counterweights around and 5 axle B-trains for the 200-350 ton crane counterweights, no matter where you go, US or Canada, the amount of axles accounts for the amount of weight you can carry on the road, if you have soft roads and Cali might, then your going to haul 2 axle trailers with something like 20,000kg axles, but in Canada most roads are extremely hard especially in the winter so you can use quad axle trailers or even 5 axles trailers with 20,000kg axles and haul 100,000lbs on a flat bed, we have some counterweight trailers that weight 105.000lbs, with the right amount of axles, we always get the green light to move on at weight stations

[The Field Marshal]

Originally posted by BovineCaucus:

I think triple axle trailer tandems are more common in the UK, where this game originates. I don't see them very often in the lower 48 unless it is a dump trailer.

This game didn't originate from the Euro trucking simulator line that line was just more popular it was harder more tighter roads and what not, there is an entire line of trucking games of the US they made too they just had a hiatus back in the day. So if anything this is a continuation of where that left off their just running both at the same time.

[Soviet]

I work at a sawmill in northwestern Montana, and triple axle are basically the norm, at least for the finished lumber. A few of the weights I've heard over the CB were in excess of 100k lbs, so that makes sense to me. Log trucks and chip trucks still run dual axle (some with a drop axle) from what I've seen.

[RebelCobra]

I live in Oklahoma and see them on occasion. It's rare, but I've seen a handful here and there.

[Loski]

Originally posted by Helldiver:

Was answering on the "What you love and hate about ATS" post when this got me thinking.

I drive all over California as part of my job. I've been driving all over California for 27 years now. Triple axles seen on the highways is almost rare to non-existent. In my time driving, aside from special load lowboys, wide load trailers, and other special service trailers triple axles are very rare.

The same goes for lift axles on tractors with regular trailers. In fact, I don't believe I've ever seen one. Yes, I see lift axles on dump trucks, garbage trucks, wreckers, and other utility trucks, but rarely have I seen one on a traditional "18 wheeler" barreling down the road.

Why are they all over my game now? Before triple axles were introduced, I believe only one or two of the special trailers had them. But now every single box trailer I see by the AI is running triples.

At first it was just trailers, but ever since the more recent updates I'm seeing tractors with lift axles as well.

Am I missing something? Is this new legislation? Any truckers that drive out here can chime in and set me straight?

I know in the east coast they've been experimenting with legislation that would allow for triples so as to alleviate road damage issues and better weight distribution, but I didn't know it was a wide spread thing now.

Again, I appreciate the feedback.

Idk

[Uncle Fester]

As far as being a "norm", no, they are not. However, aside from all the other examples listed here, in Michigan, there are a lot of multiple axle trailers, some with as many as 6 axles on a trailer or maybe more, mostly covered wagons or flat-bed trailers for the hauling of steel.

[Helldiver]

Can't be a mod as none of the mods I have installed mess with trailers. I don't have any truck mods either.

I have the one that removes the end of road barriers, the one that replaces the icons with mundane items (like the Gas Pump icon and such) with sewer covers).

I'm not sure if the game takes into account State regulations in terms of what the AI in a particularly Highway/state spawns with.

Thanks to everyone for the replies btw.

[Montana Ted]

I'm in Montana for years, but from the east coast. I've seen all these ATS trucks/trailers here in Montana. Not so much back East, however. Trucker 71 said it right, California has some weird rules, even back in the 90s when I drove commercially. I understand it's only gotten worse. Happy Trucking!

[trooperrob]

Might be wrong, but some countries may have tighter axle weight limits than total lorry load limits. So they might be more common in Europe. I wonder if they are more common in ATS due to people wanting to see them.
In the same way European lorries are often cab over engine due to a total length limit, where I believe in the US Engine in front designs are prevalent.