Role in Industry
Modern day semi-trailer trucks often operate as a part of a domestic or international transport infrastructure to support containerized cargo shipment. Various types of rail flat bed train cars are modified to hold the cargo trailer or container with wheels or without. This is called "Intermodal" or "piggy-back" or "piggyback". The system allows the cargo to switch from the highway to railway or vice versa with relative ease by using gantry cranes.
The large trailers pulled by a tractor unit come in many styles, lengths, and shapes. Some common types are: vans, reefers, flatbeds, sidelifts and tankers. These trailers may be refrigerated, heated, ventilated, or pressurized, depending on climate and cargo. Some trailers have movable wheel axles that can be adjusted by moving them on a track underneath the trailer body and securing them in place with large pins. The purpose of this is to help adjust weight distribution over the various axles, to comply with local laws.
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