A transportation safety apparatus for a vehicle combination, the vehicle combination including a leading vehicle that pulls a trailing vehicle, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of force sensors for measuring pressure on opposite sides of the trailing vehicle; a wheel direction sensor for measuring aim angle at which tires on the leading vehicle aim said leading vehicle; at least one of: a) a plurality of position sensors for measuring angle difference between the leading vehicle and the trailing vehicle; and b) an angle sensor for measuring centerline angle between a leading centerline of the leading vehicle and a trailing centerline of the trailing vehicle; and a processing unit for signaling jack knife risk based on force measured by one of the force sensors, the wheel direction sensor, and at least one of the angle difference and the centerline angle.

The disclosure is directed at an apparatus, method and computer readable medium for a self-powered towed vehicle in a road train or tractor-trailer vehicle configuration to detect and respond to forward jack-knifing risk conditions. The apparatus may detect jack-knifing risk conditions based on sensors and information including sensors to detect an angle of misalignment between the towed vehicle and the vehicle directly in front of it in the road train. The apparatus may respond to the presence of a jack-knifing risk condition by reducing or eliminating the motive rotational force applied to the wheels of the towed vehicle.

A tank trailer configured to lower an overall center of gravity. The trailer includes a tank, a wheel assembly, an upper body height and a trailer length. The tank includes 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. Other trailers are presented.

A method of stabilizing a parked semi-trailer, the method comprising: (i) repositioning a tractor, with a lift extending forward of a front of the tractor, the lift operatively coupled to a portable trailer stabilizer while at least a portion of the portable trailer stabilizer is elevated above the ground, forward to position the portable trailer stabilizer proximate a forward end of a semi-trailer that is parked; (ii) repositioning the tractor forward to reposition the portable trailer stabilizer at least partially beneath the forward end of the semi-trailer; (iii) repositioning the lift located at the front of the tractor in order to lower the portion of the portable trailer stabilizer to be in contact with the ground when proximate the forward end of the semi-trailer that is parked; (iv) operatively decoupling the portable trailer stabilizer from the lift after the portable trailer stabilizer is in contact with the ground; and, (v) reversing the tractor, after the lift is operatively decoupled from portable trailer stabilizer, to vacate a position in front of the forward end of the semi-trailer while parked.

A breakaway fifth wheel coupling may couple a semi-tractor to a semi-trailer. In one embodiment, a breakaway fifth wheel coupling may include a top plate, a bottom brace, and a release mechanism that releasably attaches the top plate to the bottom brace. When a rollover event is detected, the release mechanism may allow the top plate to release from the bottom brace, thereby allowing the semi-tractor to separate from the semi-trailer. The fifth wheel coupling may include a pair of pivot rails that promote consistent decoupling of the top plate from the bottom brace. The breakaway fifth wheel coupling may reduce the likelihood of the semi-tractor participating in a rollover accident.

A trailer jack-knife prevention safety device automatically deploys over a threshold speed to physically inhibit jack-knifing of a trailer. The device includes an actuator coupled to a trailer. A trailer speed sensor is operationally coupled to the actuator for detecting a speed of the trailer. The trailer speed sensor activating the actuator to extend a pin when the trailer is traveling faster than a threshold speed and deactivates the actuator wherein the pin is retracted when the trailer is traveling slower than the threshold speed. When extended, the pin limits pivoting of the trailer relative to the vehicle to inhibit jack-knifing of the trailer.

Disclosed herein is an articulating fifth wheel fixation device that includes a tube and a shaft. The tube includes a slot disposed along the length of the tube. The shaft is positioned inside a hollow portion of the tube. The shafts include a handle attached to a first end of the shaft. The shaft extends outward beyond the outer circumferential edge of the tube through the slot. Further discloses a pneumatic fifth wheel fixation system includes a compressor a pneumatic cylinder, a tube, and a shaft with the hand. The shaft is positioned inside a hollow portion of the tube. The shafts include a handle attached to a first end of the shaft. The shaft extends outward beyond the outer circumferential edge of the tube through the slot.

A sensor system, for determining an angular change between a utility vehicle and a coupled vehicle trailer, includes a sensor unit having a wheel mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis, and a rotary encoder connected to the wheel and configured to detect a change in position of the wheel. The sensor system further includes a mount having at least one first fixed part configured to connect the sensor system to the utility vehicle or a part thereof, and at least one movable part connected to the sensor unit and mounted so as to be movable on the fixed part. In addition, the sensor system includes a positioning mechanism configured to provide sprung bearing of the movable part in an operating position such that the wheel of the sensor unit can be moved into contact with a vehicle trailer or a part of the vehicle trailer.

A device and a method for controlling collision avoidance of a trailer vehicle in platooning include a jackknife induction determination module or operation that determines whether to execute jackknife induction control in a leading vehicle when an emergency braking situation occurs during platooning of the trailer vehicle. The device and method also include a jackknife induction control module or operation that provides an additional braking distance of a following vehicle at the rear of a tractor by inducing pivoting of a trailer while controlling the tractor and trailer of the leading vehicle, respectively, to allow a jackknife phenomenon to occur. Stability of the platooning is improved by reducing a possibility of the occurrence of a collision accident by the following vehicle even during emergency braking.

A method of maneuvering a vehicle-trailer assembly in reverse travel with a backing system includes: initiating a backing mode for the backing system; determining a current relative position representing a relative angle between the vehicle and the trailer; retrieving an operator proficiency setting selected by an operator; determining a maximum allowable relevant position for the current trailer based on the selected operator proficiency setting and the current trailer calibration data; receiving a position adjustment request via an input device; determining a new relative position request based upon the position adjustment request and the selected operator proficiency setting; comparing the new relative position request to the maximum allowed relative position setting to determine if the new relative position is below the maximum allowed relative position setting; setting a new relative position to the new relative position request when the new relative position request is within the maximum allowed relative position setting.