What kind of trailer is it, anyway?

[JStephen]

Okay, a question that is bugging me. I've seen an odd trailer. What do they use it for? No one seems to know...

This is a semi-trailer, aluminum, dump bed, but not a normal "dump truck"- more like a grain truck. Sideways tarp. But, at the front is a big blue tank, turned sideways- maybe 500 gallons or so. It looks like the bed would dump while the frame and tank would stay on the ground. It's much bigger than a hydraulic oil tank.

It's made by Summit Trailers in PA, but their website doesn't show any such trailer, and they never answered my email. The truck was from PPL Transportation, but can't find any info on them. None of the markings indicate what industry this is for. There was a Revco sticker on some widget under the trailer (maybe a vibrator?)and "inedible" was on there somewhere, too.

Any ideas? Is this a jumbo fuel tank for the truck? Cleaning water for the bed? I can't google search it because I don't know what it's for, or what it's called. And no one I've asked has a clue....

 

[rmw]

The dump bed you are describing is an end dump bed? Does sideways tarp mean fore and aft?

What kind of lines or piping are attached to the tank? Any PSV's or anything to indicate that the tank is a pressure tank?

Any placards on the trailer? And if so, what is the color of and the number shown on the placard.

As you describe it, I see the tank located right above the fifth wheel. ?? Is it transverse or longitudinal? (I don't know why I asked that, but I am groping too.)

rmw

 

[JStephen]

I think the dump bed is an end dump bed, "frame type". Keep in mind, I've seen these moving on the freeway, but haven't had a chance to examine one. The info above, I wrote down while driving at 65.

Sideways tarp means it rolls up on one side of the bed.

Lines or piping- not sure, haven't seen in enough detail. Seems like it was about 2" piping, probably bigger than what just a gas would take. The tank has F&D heads, not flat heads, so it COULD be a pressure tank.

No placards that I remember seeing.

Tank is transverse, more or less above the 5th wheel.

 

[JStephen]

Okay, an update. I saw another, different trailer. This one had three axles, with long blue tank below the bed. Tank was blue, with hemispherical ends. There are 2" connections to the tank with valves. There are also 2" connections that go up into the trailer, but were not connected to the tank.

The trucks say "PPC Transportation", not PPL. I think that is "Pilgrim's Pride Company", the chicken producer. And this second style of trailer could have been "The Renderer" as shown on Summit's website, although the trailer on the website doesn't have the tank. So is this chicken remnants or feed or what?

 

[ivymike]

interesting question... do you suppose that the truck carries a supply of water for washing out the contents of the dump bed (pressurized by air)?

 

[JStephen]

I found a site for Travis Trailers that shows their rendering trailer. No tank is visible. But the text says:
"Whether it's a Rendering trailer with clean out drains, center gates, blood tanks, special valves and seals..."
And on another photo:
"Travis Rendering Trailer, 40' Classic, Slope-Nosed, with 850 gal. internal blood tank, center-gate. cleaner plates, drain valves, etc...."

On the trailer I saw today, it could be rigged to drain from the trailer to the tank. But on the other style, the tank is above the bottom of the bed.

 

[rmw]

I went to the Summit site and looked at their offerings. Witout specific knowledge, my guess was that it was some type of rendering application; where they may be transporting a combination of rendering products, liquids in the tank, solids in the dump bed.

But, this is just a guess. And, not even an educated one at that.

What type of bed was above the blue tank that you described in your post of 23:39? And, how long was the tank with respect to the overall length of the trailer?

There are a lots of chicken processing plants in my corner of the world, but I don't typically see the type of trailer you describe.

Now, I did think of your post yesterday, when I glanced at a trailer beside me was a 'single drop deck' style, that had a second level above the drop deck portion of the trailer with a load of electrical transformers on each level, as well as the deck portion right above the fifth wheel.

Unfortunately since I got out of the trucking business some years ago (thank God) I don't even look at them and only glanced at this one as I was exiting the freeway, so I did not get a good look at how this all was configured.

rmw

 

[MintJulep]

My guess would be chicken manure.

 

[innov]

I believe when laying hens that have expired their usefulnesss, they get vacuumed into a trailer such as you described, in which they get chopped up and used as fertilizer. ......speculating.......

 

[rmw]

I had a report of an article in Popular Science Mag about a company in Missouri making diesel fuel from turkey guts. I am from Missouri on that (for our non-USA members, that means that I want to be shown) but if true, (and with Fisher-Tropsch technology, it should be true) then we could make diesel or jet fuel from these played out hens.

rmw

 

[jammer28]

it's a chicken rendering trailer.the tank on the front is for the blood. how do i know? i built it

 

[rmw]

Now, that is what I call getting it from the horses (or is it chicken's) mouth. Thanks for clearing this up.

Do you have any links to an anctual picture so that Jstephen can prove his sanity to us?

What, by the way, was the gadget he mentioned seeing under the trailer? Blood a pump for the blood?

And, one further question, with copious amounts of chicken processing plants in the mid deep south, why don't I commonly see such a trailer in this region?

rmw

 

[JStephen]

"What type of bed was above the blue tank that you described in your post of 23:39? And, how long was the tank with respect to the overall length of the trailer?"

I'm pretty sure that second trailer was the "The Renderer" as shown on Summit's website. Just that the tank is an option, and is not shown in that photo. The tank was maybe 15-20' long. Lot larger than an air tank or something like that.

It's been several weeks now since I've seen one of those trailers. Who knows, they may just make one run a day or something.

 

[jammer28]

sorry i don't have a picture of the trailer. the tank on the side or underneath i don't know about. it must an add on by the trucking co.it dont come from summit that way.as for the pipes on the front of the tank they are there to drian the tank. we build several differnet types of this trailers for several different companies.as for a link or picture just whats on summits wed site