Big rig trailers

[Nate]

I noticied this a while back and meant to post.



I was wondering, why it is on just about all "van" type trailers, there's a fuel tank under the trailer. Some flatbeds as well.



I thought perhaps for a refer... but not all these had refers.

 

[CAROLINA CUMMINS]

Hmmmmmm, can't say about the fuel tank on a flatbed trailer, but we have a few trailers in a our fleet that are heated only. These have a propane tank slung underneath. We have very few of these, though.



Steven

 

[Nate]

I didn't think of that... the box being heated.



The ones I've seen appeared to be holding diesel, but it could be a diesel heater.



I was thinking perhaps some sort of reserve tank for the truck :-laf

 

[CLamb]

Usually for a refridgerator unit on the can type trailers. No idea what iw ould be for on a flatbed.

 

[MoparBob]

I've been in the Transportation industry for about 10 years now and can't recall having ever seen a flatbed trailer with a fuel tank underneath. As far as a van trailer with a fuel tank underneath with no reefer unit up front, there are some heated trailers out there like mentioned above and there are some reefer trailers out there that people have pulled the reefer unit up front off and are runing them as vans (like in cases where it wasn't cost effective to replace or repair the reefer unit so they put a new nose on the trailer and now run it as a van).

 

[BBland]

It might have been a hazardous material spill containment kit that you saw .

T

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

On a box trailer it could possibly be a hydraulic tank for a live bottom floor trailer. Basically it's a box trailer that unloads itself, usually with loads of things like mulch or bark. As far as a flat bed I have no idea.

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

It might have been a hazardous material spill containment kit that you saw .

T

I second this... . I've never seen a fuel tank on flatbeds (for obvious reasons! :-laf :-laf) but I have seen the hazmat containment kits slung underneath. Usually these are painted a contrasting color though... (yellow, orange or hot pink). j/k on the hot pink.

 

[bmoeller]

Usually for a refridgerator unit on the can type trailers. No idea what iw ould be for on a flatbed.

My only thought on that, would be reefer type shipping containers for shipping meat, and what not.

On a box trailer it could possibly be a hydraulic tank for a live bottom floor trailer. Basically it's a box trailer that unloads itself, usually with loads of things like mulch or bark.

Possible, but I kind of doubt it. The walking floor trailers normally run off of a wet that is on the truck. Unless, they have a jack shaft to run a pump that might be on the trailer, to save weight on the truck for when they aren't needing that trailer.

 

[JFaulkner]

There is one company around here that has heaters on flatbeds. The trailers have conestoga kits installed. They are used to haul large rolls of rubber. similar to conveyor belt and must be kept above 50deg but can not be hauled in a van because they are unloaded by crane.

 

[steved]

My only thought on that, would be reefer type shipping containers for shipping meat, and what not.

This was what I thought of too... fuel tanks for refridgerated shipping containers...



As for them on a box truck... heater or possibly the reffer unit is inside the trailer? I have only seen a few of these...



steved

 

[MCummings]

Air Tank maybe?



Merrick