Do semi trailers usually have spare wheels underneath?
Posted by Limp-Contract-4731@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 31 comments
At the back of the trailer. Seen in UK. Excuse my hands reflection in the window
Frosttidey@reddit
In Europe trucks are required to carry spares based on total number of wheels. 1 to 6 wheels - 1 spare required 7 to 10 - 2 spares required 11 to 16 - spares required and 16+ requires 4 spares.
Laffenor@reddit
That's not true.
Frosttidey@reddit
It's literally a question on our drivers license exam. https://imgur.com/a/mxhZiVZ.
Laffenor@reddit
That must be some National regulations in Bulgaria. This is absolutely not EU regulations.
Frosttidey@reddit
Yea, I guess it could be a local law. Usually Eu is the one with overzealous laws so I just assumed it's them.
Lucius_Furius@reddit
It’s similar to the old Yugoslavian laws of you had to carry 2 body bags in case hitting an animal
Kasu-2@reddit
Depends on the country, you can but you don't have to have spares
tommior@reddit
bruh, not in whole of europe. in finland ive seen only very few trailers that carry spares. besides, we have road side assistance, let the professionals do it
Nyx_Blackheart@reddit
Usually? No. Often? Yes
Laffenor@reddit
Your answer is valid for Europe (and by extension for UK) too.
JimBowie1020@reddit
Tbh, except for specialized transport that could make having a spare under the tractor/trailer, I see it more often than not in europe/France (I might be parroting you tho)
EUTrucker@reddit
It's valid for the soft hands part of Europe only
robexib@reddit
Not the trailers I haul, but I do see this often enough.
Beautiful-Slice166@reddit
Thats where my company makes me put my blown tires, why i have no idea
disturbedrailroader@reddit
So they don't have to pay the tire disposal fee. They'll use it as a hula hoop instead or whatever it is cheapskates do with unusable tires like this.
Foreign_Hyena_6622@reddit
Yep had to change a tyre this morning with one .20,000litres of dust stop in a iso to jack . Arms got a workout Australia
Ozdriver@reddit
Around 95% of trucks in Australia carry spares like that.
Any_Key_5547@reddit
Aqui no Brasil é obrigatório por lei
DoctorZebra@reddit
In the US, it's common for that to not be a spare but a bad tire being brought back to the carrier's yard. A lot of companies want the casings back instead of letting the tire vendor take it.
tommior@reddit
some do, some dont. any of the companies I have worked for dont have spares, we have road assistance.
EUTrucker@reddit
Yes, I carry two spares, one for the trailer and one for the steer. In case of blowout I can get going to the rubber shop in 30 mins. That gets me covered for all of the tires.
tvieno@reddit
My company goes through phases of carrying a spare tire on the back of the cab. Currently we are not carrying spares and in a couple of years, where there is a new bean counter in the office, they will reinstall the frames to carry spares again.
ManicMannequin@reddit
Sometimes, its extra weight and reduces fuel economy so unless the driver is changing the tire themselves or its an uncommon tire size its kind of a toss up on if it saves any money
Wanderingwonderer101@reddit
we always carry at least one usually secured with winch hoist and a pair of nuts
nortyflatz@reddit
A great place to retire.
Delicious_Peace_2526@reddit
Sometimes. Especially if you have an oddball sized tire that your average service truck wouldn’t have at 2 in the morning in the middle of nowhere.
Jacktheforkie@reddit
Many British lorries carry spares as it’s cheaper to fit it than buy a wheel on the road
MikeV2@reddit
My company does this. But tire only not a rim. Don’t worry tho, it’s not just sitting there, it’s chained in to the tire holder so it can’t get loose.
Yadilie@reddit
It's cheaper for O/Os and some megas to do this as they save on tire cost if they call a roadside or they can change it themselves when something happens to it. Hell the pilot care for prefab homes will carry a ton of their little trailer wheels.
Loose-Breakfast-7034@reddit
Yeah makes sense, especially for long hauls where you're in middle of nowhere and roadside assistance takes forever to reach you. I work with logistics software so I see how much downtime costs add up - having spare ready can save hours of waiting and lost revenue. Plus some drivers are experienced enough to handle tire change themselves instead waiting for help
Wolf24h@reddit
Why not?