Articulated hauler

Manufacturers include Volvo CE, Caterpillar, Terex, John Deere/Bell Equipment,[1] Moxy/Doosan, Astra and Komatsu Limited.

Although first envisioned as a soil and aggregate transporter (dumper), the chassis have since been used for many other applications including agriculture, mining, construction and highway maintenance.

Ranging from concrete mixer, water tanker and container truck, over to upsize off-road semi-trailer hauler (on-road applications), hook loader or crane, as well as used to transport timber and as a woodchipper platform.

The lack of suspension, other than that inherent in the large tires, also put stress on the drive-train and chassis, making them unsuitable for high-speed operation and in need of frequent service.

In 1970 a Norwegian company now known as Moxy developed its first 6x6 articulated dump truck, which was put into serial production two years later as D15.

Following the war, LeTourneau set about designing tougher articulated rear dumpers which he christened “Tournarockers”.

The operator has a conventional steering wheel that actuates hydraulic cylinders that push and pull the tractor relative to the trailer.

The trailer axle(s) are driven by a drive shaft exiting the rear of the transmission with splines and universal joints to accommodate the movement between them.

The articulated haulers relatively small size also make them able to drive on public roads between different worksites at a large construction project—something that is impossible for the largest haul trucks, which might even have to be disassembled to be moved between different locations.

For transportation between different construction projects, articulated haulers usually have to be hauled on flatbed trailers as oversize cargo due to their width and weight, as well as their limited speed.

However, in reality, it is normal for most articulated trucks to be trailered between worksites, as there are few construction sites giving an opportunity to drive on public roads between work zones, depending on the size of the machine (chassis, wheels, etc.)

For any distance greater than a few miles, it would also be considered uneconomical wear-and-tear on the hauler trucks, to be putting hours on them that aren't contributing towards the paying job.