Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasySpace Below

Commercial vehicles require adequate clearance underneath to prevent undercarriage damage or getting stuck. Which of the following vehicle types has the greatest risk of getting hung up on raised railroad crossings and steep grade crests?

  1. Low-slung units such as lowboy trailers, car carriers, and moving vansAnswer
  2. B
    Short-wheelbase dump trucks with elevated axle clearance
  3. C
    Empty flatbed straight trucks with standard suspension height
  4. D
    Standard single-axle day-cab tractors operating without a trailer

Answer

Low-slung units such as lowboy trailers, car carriers, and moving vans have the highest risk of getting hung up on humped railroad crossings and steep crests.
Low-slung equipment such as car haulers, lowboys, livestock possum-belly trailers, and moving vans have minimal clearance between their frame rails and the pavement. When traversing humped railroad grade crossings or steep road crests, the high point of the pavement can contact the undercarriage, lifting the drive wheels off the ground and leaving the vehicle stranded.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the physical vulnerability associated with space below the vehicle
Vehicles with low frame clearance and long distances between axles are vulnerable to center undercarriage contact on convex surfaces.
When crossing a humped grade or railroad crossing, the apex of the hump rises between the front and rear axles.
2
Evaluate the listed vehicle types against ground clearance profiles
Car carriers, lowboys, and moving vans are specifically designed with low-slung decks and undercarriage equipment.
These specific configurations possess the lowest ground clearance and greatest susceptibility to hang-ups among commercial vehicle classes.

Key Concept

Low-slung commercial vehicles require special caution due to limited clearance underneath and high risk of hang-up on humps and crests.
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Space Below

More questions from this topic