What is Truck Piggybacking?

William Thomas / January 2021

What Is Truck Piggybacking?

Truck piggybacking is a unique shipping process involving using one trailer to transport more than one semi truck. This can be up to there or four trucks, depending on their individual weights and length compared to the trailer capacity. This is how it works:

First, a semi truck is hitched onto the first tractor trailer’s 5th wheel. The first tractor-trailer is the one pulling the load. Another truck is then attached to the back of this trailer. Another follows until up to four trucks have been hitched to the first tractor-trailer. By doing so, one tractor-trailer can easily haul up to four more trucks to their ultimate destinations. During the hauling process, only the rear wheels are in contact with the ground while the front wheels are safely hitched to the fifth wheel mount.

Advantages of Truck Piggybacking in Transportation

Truck piggybacking is a cost-efficient shipping process, especially if several trucks are moving along a common route. The loading and unloading process is safe and easy, especially with specialized heavy hauling equipment. Besides, the load is very secure as each truck is securely hitched to the 5th wheel. You can, therefore, enjoy a safe, reliable, easy, and stress-free shipping process.

Truck piggybacking does not require any specialized shipping equipment, such as flatbed, gooseneck, or lowboy trailers. So this makes the shipping process more affordable and further simplifies the entire hauling process. Besides, truck piggybacking only requires one driver once it has been safely loaded and does not require an additional hauling specialist. This reduces the ultimate labor costs incurred during loading and unloading.

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Safety Consideration During Truck Piggybacking Shipping Process

There are two crucial things to consider when truck piggybacking. First, be sure not to exceed the maximum load limit for each truck during the shipping process. If you have no professional skills or experience to safely load the trucks, you might want to consider contacting hauling experts for professional help. Having handled numerous jobs similar to yours, a shipping expert will ensure that your trucks are safely loaded and well-balanced to avoid overloading. Proper balance ensures maximum stability on the road and guarantees a smooth hauling process.

Be sure to inspect the individual trucks and ensure that the rear wheels are in perfect working conditions and properly inflated. Note these are the only source of contact between the trucks and the ground surface. Therefore, worn-out and poorly inflated tires should never be used. If any of the truck’s tires are worn out, this can lead to the driver losing control.