A road tractor semi-trailer combination 1 is equipped with a system for detecting the position of a road tractor relative to a semi-trailer. This system comprises a magnet 13 which is accommodated in the center of the bottom of the kingpin and a sensor unit 11 which is fixed to the bottom of the fifth wheel 9. The sensor unit can be displaced between a resting position at a distance from the magnet where the position of the magnet cannot be detected, and an operating position at a distance from the magnet where the position of the magnet can be detected indeed. The fifth wheel is equipped with a handle for displacing a locking pawl which locks the kingpin in the fifth wheel in coupled state of the road tractor and the semi-trailer. This handle is connected via a pulling cable to the sensor unit for displacing the sensor unit to the operating position simultaneously with the displacement of the locking pawl.

An upper deck frame assembly for a trailer chassis includes a flushed floor section defining a first floor height, and a header section, with a header, forward of the flushed floor section and defining a second floor height above the first floor height. A towing assembly may be secured to the header. A reduced size header section increases usable floor space, and the towing assembly is securable to the header.

The present invention relates in general to a fifth wheel hitch and method of using a fifth wheel hitch that is mounted to a bed of a towing vehicle, and more specifically, to a fifth wheel hitch that is vertically secured to a kingpin of a fifth wheel trailer without requiring the use of adapters or extensions. One aspect of the fifth wheel hitch and method of use includes a hitch head assembly that is adjustable in height such that the fifth wheel hitch is compatible with different sizes of towing vehicles and fifth wheel trailers. The hitch head assembly also incorporates a funnel shaped design for receiving the kingpin of the fifth wheel trailer in a vertical fashion to prevent the kingpin from sliding horizontally out of the hitch head after being pulled forward by the towing vehicle. A four-way pivot joint accommodates instantaneous variations in pitch and/or roll attitudes between the towing vehicle and the fifth wheel trailer connected by the fifth wheel hitch. The hitch head assembly further includes a latching and locking mechanism that indicates whether or not a secure connection has been properly executed between the fifth wheel hitch and fifth wheel trailer to assure an operator that the towing vehicle is ready for travel.

A shock absorbing pin box system includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and an upper wall. The first sidewall defines at least a first plurality of apertures arranged in first column, and the second sidewall defines at least a second plurality of apertures arranged in a second column. A plurality of tubes extend from each of the first plurality of apertures and the second plurality of apertures. A plurality of flexible and resilient tubular bushings are received in a corresponding one of the plurality of tubes. A plurality of bolts are received within corresponding ones of the pluralities of apertures of the pin box and the plurality of tubes.

An upper coupler assembly for use with a trailer includes an apron assembly and a grid assembly coupled with the apron assembly. The apron assembly is arranged to engage a coupling of a vehicle to cause the coupling to be aligned with the grid assembly when the upper coupler is being coupled with the vehicle. The grid assembly couples the upper coupler assembly with the coupling of the vehicle.

A fifth wheel coupling includes a fifth wheel coupling plate having a bearing surface having a normal and an retraction opening for a king pin and configured to prevent the king pin from being moved out of the retraction opening when in a closed position, and allow the king pin to be moved out of the retraction opening when in an open position, an actuating device having an actuating area extending along a longitudinal axis and configured to transfer the locking mechanism from the closed position to the open position, and a transmission area configured to transfer forces to the locking mechanism, and a safety device including a locking arrangement pivotably mounted about a pivot axis such that the locking arrangement can be moved into a locking position and into a release.

A cargo trailer includes a plurality of walls defining a cargo area, the walls including a front wall facing a rear of a tractor when the cargo trailer is coupled to the tractor. A recessed cavity is provided at a forward side of the front wall. A plurality of utility line connectors are positioned at least partially within the recessed cavity for establishing connections between at least one utility source of the tractor and at least one utility component of the cargo trailer. The plurality of utility line connectors are spaced vertically above a bottom wall of the recessed cavity. A raceway has an upper end situated on the bottom wall and a lower end situated at a height below the cargo area. The raceway defines an interior tunnel receiving a plurality of utility lines connected to the plurality of utility line connectors, the interior tunnel sealed from cargo area.

A hitch with a force dampening assembly and a kingpin adapter. The hitch includes upper and lower arms coupled via a dampening assembly that includes a resilient member disposed in a passage in the lower arm and an axle coupled to the upper arm and disposed coaxially through the resilient member. Facets or asymmetries on the passage and axle resist rotational movement of the resilient member relative thereto. The resilient member is flexed between the wall of the passage and the axle to enable pivotal movement of the upper arm relative to the lower arm. The kingpin adapter includes a wedge ring disposed on a kingpin and retained thereon by a clamping ring. A housing is coupled to the clamping ring to affix the housing to a trailer and to retain the wedge ring in position. A hitch can be coupled to the housing.

A trailer configured to lower an overall center of gravity. The trailer comprises a tank, a wheel assembly, an upper body height and a trailer length. The tank comprises a cavity contained within a lower body, an upper body, a transitioning body, a front end and a rear end when the cavity within the trailer is filled with a liquid fluid, the liquid fluid is evenly distributed along the trailer length of the trailer since a diameter of the lower body, the upper body and the transitioning body are equal.

A refrigerated composite semi-trailer is disclosed that may improve thermal efficiency, fuel efficiency, and costs of manufacturing.