Semi-trailers are one of the commonly used vehicles in domestic logistics transportation. With their high convenience, mobility, adaptability, and flexibility, they occupy the main position in the freight industry. Many car owners are accustomed to referring to semi-trailers as "trailers" for short. In fact, the two models they refer to are not exactly the same. To put it simply, the category of trailer is broader than that of semi-trailer, and semi-trailer is just one type of trailer.
What is a trailer?
A trailer refers to a vehicle that is driven by a tractor but does not have driving power itself. It is composed of a tractor (truck, car, forklift) and one or more trailers. It can be divided into semi-trailers, Full trailers and center axle trailers.
(1) Semi-trailer
A semi-trailer is a trailer with its axles mounted behind the vehicle's center of gravity and equipped with a hitch that transmits horizontal and vertical forces to the tractor. In layman's terms, the wheels of a semi-trailer are generally installed at the rear end of the carriage. When driving, the front end of the carriage needs to be placed on the saddle of the tractor. The tractor not only provides the forward force of the carriage, but also needs to bear part of the weight of the carriage. When detached from the tractor, the semitrailer cannot achieve balance alone and needs to be supported by outriggers.
(2) Full trailer
A full trailer means that the load of the carriage is completely borne by itself and is connected to the tractor through a hook. The tractor only needs to provide forward driving force to the trailer and does not need to bear the weight of the carriage. Full trailers are generally equipped with axles at the front and rear of the cabin, so they can maintain balance on their own even if they are separated from the tractor.
(3) Center axle trailer
The axle of a center-axle trailer is often installed in the middle of the carriage, so it cannot maintain balance independently when it is separated from the tractor, and it also needs to rely on the strength of the trailer's outriggers. Some car owners think that the center axle looks very similar to the full trailer. In fact, the difference is quite big. In addition to the inability to maintain balance independently just mentioned, there are also differences in the connection method and location of the carriage and the tractor. In terms of driving, Slightly less difficult than a full trailer.
What kind of driving license is required for a semitrailer?
Whether it is a semi-trailer, a full trailer or a center-axle trailer, you need to obtain an A2 driver's license to drive on the road. Although a B2 driver's license can drive a cargo vehicle, it cannot drive a trailer-type vehicle. The permitted driving types of the A2 driver's license mainly include tractors (including semi-trailers and full trailers), medium-sized passenger cars, large trucks, small manual transmission cars, small automatic transmission cars, low-speed trucks, three-wheeled vehicles and wheeled bicycles.
By the way, the registration conditions for the A2 driver’s license:
1. Age: 24 years old to 50 years old;
2. Additional driving requirements: Hold a B1 or B2 driver's license for 3 years or more, or hold an A1 driver's license for 1 year or more, and have no full score record in the last 3 consecutive scoring periods before application.
It is worth noting that the A2 driver's license for trailers can only be obtained by applying for additional driving through B1, B2 or A1, within the scope of initial application (the scope of driver's license for initial application is city buses, large trucks, small cars, small automatic vehicles Block cars, low-speed trucks, three-wheeled cars, small automatic passenger cars for disabled people, ordinary three-wheeled motorcycles, ordinary two-wheeled motorcycles, light motorcycles, wheeled special mechanical vehicles, trolleybuses, trams ; The scope of application for additional driving licenses is large passenger cars, heavy tractor-trailers, city buses, medium-sized buses, large trucks, small cars, small automatic cars, low-speed trucks, three-wheeled cars, light tractor-trailers, and ordinary three-wheeled motorcycles. Vehicles, ordinary two-wheeled motorcycles, mopeds, wheeled special mechanical vehicles, trolleybuses, trams) do not have semi-trailer models. If car owners want to switch to semi-trailer transportation, they need to plan in advance.