Full Trailer Road-Train Batch Delivered to an Ethiopian Fleet Operator

A Full Trailer, Not a Semi-Trailer

A fleet operator in Ethiopia running rigid trucks wanted more haul capacity without buying additional tractor units, which is exactly what a drawbar trailer is built for — its own front and rear axle sets carry the full deck load, so the truck pulling it isn't giving up any of its own payload to a fifth-wheel load.

The Customer Came to Inspect the Batch

Before the order shipped, the customer traveled to the Liangshan plant to walk the yard in person, checking weld quality on the axle mounts and the finish on the box-body panels against a photo of a spec sheet. It's a step SIGMA sees more often on larger export orders — buyers who want to see the batch built, not just photographed, before it leaves the country.

White Box-Body Decks Ready for Loadout

The finished batch queued in the yard with white side-board box bodies fitted, drawbar coupling and self-tracking front axle visible on each unit — a full trailer follows the towing truck's turning path rather than cutting corners, which matters on a longer combined rig.

Paired With the Customer's Own Rigid Trucks

The customer runs its own rigid trucks, coupling the drawbar trailers behind them to form a road-train rather than adding tractor units. Since the truck carries no trailer weight on a fifth wheel, it hauls its own full body load and tows the full trailer's load at the same time, effectively doubling capacity per truck on the route.

Road-Train Duty in Ethiopia

For inland freight corridors carrying mixed agricultural and construction cargo, that combination means fewer trucks and drivers moving the same tonnage, with the full trailer's own axles absorbing the extra weight instead of overloading the towing truck's suspension.