Gripe about containers


B

Boilerbuster

Member
I keep searching Ebay for containers to fit my Intermodal and I finaly find some 53 ft JB Hunt containenrs. What gets me and my gripe is that they
dont seem to do there homework before they bring out some of these containers. 48 Ft JB Hunt Containers? Its been along time since JB hunt or any of the other large trucking companys have pulled anything shorter then a 53ft trailer. I have even personaly pulled a 57 ft trailer with Swift.
Now I do understand that alot of intermodal companys still pull smaller and have seen my share of 40 and 45ft containers going around but if they would get the companys right such as JB Hunt is exclusive on 53 ft trailers and has been for a long time now. Its almost become the standard in US trucking companys to pull the longer trailers due to the amount of freight that has to be moved. Even UPS, Fed Ex, Yellow, Roadway and several others have started to go to 53 ft trailers.
I do understand that not everyone models in the newer era but those of us that do would like to see them atleast get it right.

I guess I am a rivit counter when it comes to the trucking side of the modeling.
 
Don, you're right, of course, but I guess that the model companies just can't cater all of us rivet counters. I would never know that JB Hunt hadn't hauled 48' containers in a long time if not for your post. OTOH, it it irritates me when companies bring out Crown Vic police cars without the right dual exhaust configuration and the wider tires and wheels that were on all Police Interceptor models. Heck, they don't even put the little PI name plate on the trunk. :) Only guys like us, who looked at these type of things close up on a daily basis, would ever notice.
 
At one time JB Hunt DID haul 48' so they're gonna model it... There are PLENTY of 53' containers on the market, about 5 different styles, maybe more. Finding them on eBay, or anywhere, is tough as we modern modelers have cleared them out.

As for 57', you really NEED to get a photo of that, I've never laid eyes upon a 57' box of any sort!
 
57' containers??? Were you in Texas?
Yikes, the trailers just keep getting bigger but the truck routes do not.
I used to pull 53's into the Winnipeg Post Office, up a ramp inside the building and around columns and corners that were designed for 3 ton trucks.
Most truck routes are still being built to 1950 standards when it comes to curves and approaches. When I got out of driving they were talking about bringing in 57'ers.
 
Somebody on the intermodal list talked about a three-axle 57' trailer; somebody else thought it was going to Canada or some other country.

Pop on in to the intermodal list and you can find out that while you might get the right length trailer, it's from the wrong prototype manufacturer! Talk about rivets!

:D

Kennedy
 
jbaakko said:
At one time JB Hunt DID haul 48' so they're gonna model it... There are PLENTY of 53' containers on the market, about 5 different styles, maybe more. Finding them on eBay, or anywhere, is tough as we modern modelers have cleared them out.

As for 57', you really NEED to get a photo of that, I've never laid eyes upon a 57' box of any sort!
Click to expand...

I have a photo somewhere but not on the computer will have to digg it out
and scan it in.
 
I will assume that the 57' units are trailers and not containers. The few I've seen are definitely fixed-wheel trailers, but I don't recall seeing any as TOFC.
 
Rico said:
57' containers??? Were you in Texas?
Yikes, the trailers just keep getting bigger but the truck routes do not.
I used to pull 53's into the Winnipeg Post Office, up a ramp inside the building and around columns and corners that were designed for 3 ton trucks.
Most truck routes are still being built to 1950 standards when it comes to curves and approaches. When I got out of driving they were talking about bringing in 57'ers.
Click to expand...

Nope this was in Colorado and it was just a regular van trailer not a container. you are right it is hard to get a 53 ftr in alot of places.
 
jbaakko said:
At one time JB Hunt DID haul 48' so they're gonna model it... There are PLENTY of 53' containers on the market, about 5 different styles, maybe more. Finding them on eBay, or anywhere, is tough as we modern modelers have cleared them out.

As for 57', you really NEED to get a photo of that, I've never laid eyes upon a 57' box of any sort!
Click to expand...

They will never be seen in California. The reason is the California bridge law.
the Bridge law is the distance from the King pin to the middle of the rear
axle on the trailer which in CA is 40 ft. We have to slid the trailer tandams up when we go to California. Most traielrs have slidable tandams.
 
Well to add more to this I just won 8 JB Hunt 53ft Containers and have added another set of Gunderson 53 ft well cars to my collection. I have all three TTX sets from KATO and gave in and got one of the BNSF sets to roundout my 53 ft set. I may give in and buy the other two BNSF sets at a later date. I suggested to KATO that they should bring out a set like Intermountians Thrall 5 car set. I am truly dissapointed in the intermountain sets that I have and have given into them always derailing and leaning and rocking and threw them in the can. Sorry but Intermountian just went way wrong with them.... not to say that Intermountain makes bad products as I really like there Hoppers, Box cars and Reefers that I have.
The KATO Well cars run great with out a load as the cars themselves weigh enough to run empty and they ride perfect and just cant find anything wrong with them. Its rare to find a product that has been built with such quality as
there Gunderson sets. They run perfect right out of the box not one set needed any adjustement of any kind to make them work.
 
The 57 foot trailers are rare to find near me. IL has the bridge formula *72,380 on side routes and *80,000 on state routes. I had to ask on another message board if they were very common. As I thought it seams some of the south and western states run them but are not seen or allowed in many eastern states. I know that they are not popular with Owner operators as they are a hastel to get in tight spots and they dont get paid any extra to haul the few more feet of freight. besides 80,000 gross is still the max weight on all interstates without permits. unless the freight is light you would max out quickly anyways even with a 53'
 
Odd, I've viewed allot of trucks throughout the states, and NEVER saw a 57'. I've seen export 57's but never domestic.
 
jeffrey-wimberly said:
The longest I've seen here is 53' and they're few and far between. I see lots of the shorter ones.
Click to expand...

You must live near a port. Alot of ports use the shorter trailers. But if you get to most areas of the country you will be amazed how many of the 53 ft trailers are used. Most of the large trucking companys use exclusivly the 53 ft trailers now.

MorehouseTruck.jpg


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I have almost exclusively pulled 53 ft with the exception of a Sears load with
Werner wich they still have a few 48 ft trailers for dedicated acounts.
I can remember telling my Dispatcher when I got the 48fter that I joked with him that I didnt know how to pull the shorter trailer.
 
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I know that at rail yards you will see alot of the shorter trailers as well in and around Dallas you see alot of the 40 and 45 ft containers but as far as
van trailers and the sort you will exclusivly see 53 ft. Swift, JB Hunt, Schnider, and alot of the other companys pull mainly 53 ft contaiers as well as there dry vans. I visited the JB hunt yard in Chicago Which you take Poliski south of I55 then turn east on W 47th street to get to and you will see they have almost exclusively 53 ft trailers in there yard. Granted alot of the containers from alot of the companys like Evergreen, MOL, K Line, And such are 45 fters wich they ship across the sea they have those restrictions in other countrys where 53 ft trailers are too long. But for here if I show up at alot of our customers they require us to have a 53 ft and would turn anything shorter away.
I picked up at Gulf Winds in Houston the other day and they were bringing in our freight on 45 ft trailers and those of us who were shipping it out to points elsewere were taking it out of there in 53 ft trailers. infact you get away from the major port cities and large rail yards you will find it hard to find anything shorter.

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I will share more photos as I get them.
 
Here are a few pictures I forgot about.
First is in the Tifton GA yard the Trailer with the Yellow doors is a JB hunt container one that is about 15 years old. next to it is one of the frames for the containers. They are 53ft trailers. Next you can see the diffulculties I had getting into the place here but I made it anyway.

JBHuntGAyard.jpg


This was in Wichata Kansas in the old downtown area, very tight for such a trailer and I almost took the door off the trailer to get it in there. I had to do a 90 deg back into the dock off the street.

JBHunt.jpg
 
Of course you guys are right the shorter containers are still popular dont get me wrong.
I just was pointing out that my intermodal train in HO will be almost exclusivly companys I have driven for. such as Swift and JB Hunt, About half of the containers that I do have in HO are 45 ft and I have a collection of Evergreen and APL 45 ft and I have a varity of 40 fters as well, Including K Line, China Shipping, Yang Ming, Cosco and others. However those are shipping companys not trucking companys. What I am looking for are of trucking companys such as Werner, Swift, JB Hunt, Schnider, and the like. Companys that own not only the Containers but trucks to pull them with.
Evergreen, APL and others outsourse to trucking companys and own not a single truck.
all they own are the Containers themselves.
 
Boilerbuster said:
Well to add more to this I just won 8 JB Hunt 53ft Containers and have added another set of Gunderson 53 ft well cars to my collection. I have all three TTX sets from KATO and gave in and got one of the BNSF sets to roundout my 53 ft set. I may give in and buy the other two BNSF sets at a later date. I suggested to KATO that they should bring out a set like Intermountians Thrall 5 car set. I am truly dissapointed in the intermountain sets that I have and have given into them always derailing and leaning and rocking and threw them in the can. Sorry but Intermountian just went way wrong with them.... not to say that Intermountain makes bad products as I really like there Hoppers, Box cars and Reefers that I have.
The KATO Well cars run great with out a load as the cars themselves weigh enough to run empty and they ride perfect and just cant find anything wrong with them. Its rare to find a product that has been built with such quality as
there Gunderson sets. They run perfect right out of the box not one set needed any adjustement of any kind to make them work.
Click to expand...
You could've gave em to me!
 
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