Goodyear showcases tyres for world’s largest semi-truck

Now this is a truck, Crocodile Dundee may have drawled. Australia is no stranger to the superlative, and the country is soon to be home to what Guinness World Records claims is the world’s largest semi-truck. Tractomas, built by French heavy-haulage specialist Nicolas, is capable of pulling a road train weighing 535 tonnes. The 1,000 horsepower tractor is fitted with 385/95R25 Goodyear GP-2B tyres, and before it departs down under the Goodyear-shod giant is on display at the Bauma 2013 show in Germany.

Tractomas has been ordered by mining company LCR and will pull a train of side-tipping trailers at a lignite mine in the state of Queensland. The truck has an unladen weight of 40 tonnes, is 10 metres long, 3.5 metres wide and 4.6 metres high. It is powered by a 27-litre Caterpillar diesel engine that develops 1000 hp and will propel the tractor and trailers with a total train weight of about 535 tonnes at a speed of up to 50 km/h over distances of up to 40 kilometres.

The Goodyear GP-2B is a multi-purpose 100 level tyre, most commonly used on mobile cranes for off road operations. Goodyear describes it as a long-wearing radial tyre offering a high level of lateral traction in demanding conditions and a smooth ride on hard improved surfaces. Its open shoulder grooves provide outstanding self-cleaning characteristics, the tyre maker adds.