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Why are trailers 53 feet long?

Updated: 9/18/2023
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12y ago

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The Surface Transportation Assistance Act authorized trailers 53 feet long to be operated on the national network of highways, and encouraged states to allow them on all roads. The intent was to improve the cargo carrying capacity of a truck: a 53-foot trailer will carry more freight than a 40-foot trailer, which was the pre-STAA maximum.

Here's where it gets fun: states can set a measurement called KPRA, which means "kingpin to rear axle." For instance, California requires a trailer with two or more axles to be 40 feet or less KPRA on a 53-foot trailer. The kingpin--the metal piece that locks into the fifth wheel on the tractor--is four feet back from the nose of the trailer and you can't move it. Therefore, the center of the rear axle has to be at least nine feet from the DOT bumper in the back of the trailer. If the freight you carry is both heavy and bulky, this is going to prove extremely entertaining because if you load past, say, 36,000 pounds you are probably going to be overweight on your trailer tandems. Guys who pull only in California should consider running 48-foot trailers rather than 53s, because there's no KPRA measurement on a 48. My brother pulls into California and they run 48-foot reefers for exactly this reason.

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Q: Why are trailers 53 feet long?
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Related questions

How long is a semi trailer?

It depends on the age of the trailer and what it's use is, but most trailers now, that are used for general freight are either 48 feet or 53 feet long.


How long is a tractor trailer?

The average length of a standard tractor trailer is 70 feet in all, the trailer itself being 53 feet in length. Most flatbed trailers are 48 feet long.


How many semi trailers 53 ft long can you park in an acre?

assuming 8 feet wide and 54 feet long for a little spacing means 54 x 8 = 432 5280 x 5280 / 640 = 43560 sq feet per acre 43560 / 432 = 100.8 or 100 semi trailers


What states are 57 foot trailers legal?

57-foot trailers are legal in certain states, including Arkansas, Florida, Texas, and Mississippi. However, regulations can vary, so it's essential to check with each state's transportation department for specific rules and restrictions.


What is the dimension limit for semi trailers?

53' long 102" wide13'6" high


What sizes do livestock trailers come in?

Livestock trailers come anywhere from 13 feet long to 28 feet long. Some companies will even custom design trailers for you for specific needs. The size you would need really depends on what you will be hauling and how long.


How long is 53 meters?

What do you mean? Do you mean "how long is 53 meters in yards?", or "how long is 53 meters in feet", or what?


How long is the semi truck?

That depends... In the US, a 'normal' long-haul truck pulls a trailer of 48 or 53 feet long, and the tractor is between, say, 15 and 22 feet long, with 3 to 5 feet of overlap, depending on the fifth wheel settings... So, it might get to 75 feet long. In some states, a truck might pull one 53 foot trailer, and another trailer of 26-32 feet, in a configuration called a "Rocky Mountain Double"... They might get to 100-110 feet. Also, in some states, a shorter "day cab" tractor can pull three mini trailers, which also gets up to around a hundred feet long. Then, you can go to Australia where some trucks are allowed to tow four trailers at a time.


Why are truck trailers 53 feet long?

The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 allows trucks pulling trailers 53 feet long to travel on roads designated as part of the National Highway Network, or any road within one mile of the National Network, or en route to a terminal which includes a shipper, a consignee, a firm engaged in the transfer of goods, or a trucking company's facility. (The easiest way to find out if a road is on this network is to get a trucker's road atlas, where the National Network roads are marked.) I think they came up with this number because a conventional tractor with sleeper cab connected to a 53-foot trailer produces a vehicle 70 feet long.


What are some things that are about 200 feet long?

The width of a CFL field, three American semis with 53 ft trailers parked end to end, 10 average American cars parked bumper to bumper.


What is the longest eighteen wheel trailer length?

Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming will allow you to pull 57 foot trailers. Texas and Louisiana will allow you to pull 59-foot trailers that were licensed prior to December 1, 1982. All states will allow you to pull 53-foot trailers. Although the technically correct answer is 59 feet, the fact that the only run you can actually make in a 59 is from Texas to Louisiana and the very limited range of states a 57 can be used in means the longest practical trailer is 53 feet long.


Why are semi trailers fifty three feet long?

It's the length the USDOT permitted.