The 55SA-LD 55-ton spread-axle, low-deck trailer from Talbert Manufacturing has an 18-inch deck height and E1Nitro attachment for a 3+1 spread axle as well as three- or four-axle close-coupled configurations.
The E1Nitro nitrogen dampened axle extension enables heavy loads, such as excavators, to be distributed across the low-deck trailer to meet the requirement of some states that the fourth axle be at least 14 feet 1 inch from the third axle. Unlike rigid attachments, which only move from side to side, the E1Nitro also allows for up and down movement, similar to a shock absorber. This helps prevent the trailer from leaving the ground and enables weight to be distributed across each axle grouping to meet bridge laws.
“Imagine a truck leaving a truck stop and going over a curb,” says Greg Smith, vice president of sales and marketing. “With a rigid East Coast, mechanical spreader bar system, the trailer can be momentarily suspended as it goes over the curb, creating a bridging effect for the trailer axles. This situation can put all the weight on the axle attachment, so what was designed to spread the weight over all the axles ends up on only one.”
The flexible design allows the front-load lowbed trailer with detachable gooseneck to keep its tires firmly on the ground as it goes over a curb or when on a severe grade. After the operator sets the load nitrogen accumulator on the E1Nitro, the device shifts the load to maintain the desired weight on each axle grouping, eliminating the bridging situation.
The E1Nitro 3+1 is part of a series of dampening axle attachments. Talbert also offers an E2Nitro (3+2) for up to 65-ton loads and an
E3Nitro (3+3) for up to 85-ton loads. As the name implies, the East Coast nitrogen dampening system cannot be used in California, which requires the mechanical equalizing design that the operator cannot adjust.
“With an East Coast E1Nitro design, because everything fastens directly to the back of the trailer, you could operate a three-axle trailer by itself. You could run it as a 3+1, a 3+2, a 3+3; you could also run it as a four-axle trailer or a five-axle close-couple trailer,” Smith says.
Besides the E1Nitro’s load maximizing capability, the 55SA-LD trailer with its low, 18-inch deck enables the trailer to reduce overhead conflicts.
“When moving construction equipment you need to get down as low as possible because excavator booms stick up no matter how much you try to bend them,” he says.
The trailer has four 12-inch, T-1 main beams and 2-inch apitong decking. Other features include 12-inch swinging, removable outriggers and 25-foot 6-inch clear deck length. 888/489-1731; www.talbertmfg.com.
