Australia has the largest and heaviest road-legal vehicles in the world with some configurations topping out at close to 200tonnes! Additionally there are configurations in the Tanami that use as many as 7 trailers, although these configurations are on private roads!
Thanks to "Trucking Australia", here is an explanation of what may be overtaking you (or vice versa) on Australian roads.
A is a B-double.
B is a B-triple.
C is a double road train. A "Pocket road train" is similar, but with shorter trailers and dolly drawbar.
D is an AB-triple.
E is a BAB Quad.
F is an ABB Quad.
G is triple road train.
H is a 2AB Quad.
K represents the largest road trains operating in Australia and the world.
Called a "Powertrain" or a "Body and six", these machines operate at the Granites gold mine in the western Northern Territory, and are used in place of 200t dump trucks, because of the distances involved on the haul run.
A 600 hp (450 kW) 19 L (1,200 cu in) Cummins engine powers the prime mover, whilst a 400 hp (300 kW) Cummins engine is installed in the rear trailer of the B-double, driving through an automatic transmission, giving a total of 1,000 hp (750 kW).
Weights of 460 t (453 long tons; 507 short tons) are achieved with ore loading in side-tipper bodies on a 100 km (62 mi) round trip.
As these trucks operate on private property, they are not subject to governed weight and length rulings, but instead are used in the most efficient way possible.
Click here to see a video of this looooong roadtrain!
