Citation

Fekpe ESK. Heavy Vehicle Syst. 1997; 4(1): 1-9.

Affiliation

National Research Council of Canada

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Inderscience Publishers)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Analysis of trends in truck fleet mix and the relative productivity and operational characteristics of the five- and six-axle tractor-semitrailers (3-S2 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 3-S2 in the heavy truck fleet dropped from about 70% in 1991 to about 50% in 1994, while the percentage of 3-S3 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 3-S3 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-S2 and therefore suitable for long haul operations.