Utilisation of five- and six-axle tractor semitrailers in western Canada Online publication date: Tue, 18-Jun-2013
by Edward S.K. Fekpe
International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems (IJHVS), Vol. 4, No. 1, 1997
Abstract: Analysis of trends in truck fleet mix and the relative productivity and operational characteristics of the five- and six-axle tractor-semi-trailers (342 and 3-S3) are presented. Marked increases in the use of 3-S3 at the expense of the 3-S2 are observed. The percentage of 342 in the heavy truck fleet dropped from about 70% in 1991 to about 50% in 1994, while the percentage of 343 increased from 9% and 20% over the same period. These changes could be explained by: better operating efficiency measured by the potential pavement damage per unit payload; flexible payload handling capability; and higher productivity indicated by the potential payload capacity actually utilised. Current trends in fleet mix changes suggest that the rate of increase in the percentage of 343 in the truck fleet is likely to be maintained in the next few years. Possible implications for trucks operations under North American Free Trade Agreement is that the 3-S3 offers a clear productivity advantage over the 3-52 and therefore suitable for long haul operations.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems (IJHVS):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook