Biglorryblog is delighted to welcome the old (and venerable) 'Keeper of the Flame' Martin Phippard back into the fray. Martin has sent me this collection of magnificent Michigan roadtrains and he says: "Hello Brian, I don't know about you but I am always cheered by the sight of rows of axles on the move. [true, how true Martin....]Trouble is, apart from the CombiTrailers used by container haulers and the occasional heavy, indivisible load, such sights are not enjoyed that often in Britain.
Martin continues: "It's different in Michigan State of course where in order to haul the maximum gross of 74-tonnes it's necessary to have 11-axles under the combination. SO for the sake of variety and in order to add a little lustre to an otherwise rather ordinary day, I am attaching a few images of some of Michigan's finest hauling timber and steel coils, for BLB of course." And where better place to see them -- that's what I'd like to know eh? (sorry gopt a bit 'shouty' then)
Martin says: "The 'covered wagon' trailers utilised by the steel haulers are configured with different axle spacings and groupings in order to accommodate coils of different sizes and weights. And although the owner-operator preference is for Kenworth and Peterbilt I managed to find a Ford, Western Star and Autocar AT64F too! 
And what a splendid old-timer this one is too? Anyone like to hazard a guess as to its age (for a pie naturally).
Here's the 'Star' performer..now click through here for more multi-axloe maulers...
Here's that Ford 9000. What did they call them 'Louisvilles'? And were they designated LT900s? Answers please...
I guess this is the Autocar...at last the badge on the grille seems to suggest it it. But what's parked next to it? It looks to have an integral sleeper..so is it a White?
Nice big 'Pete' complete with 'Texas Snowplough' front bumper.......
Another Pete but this time with a load of planed timber on the back....not to be 'hurried' around the corners I'd say...
The Ford`s an LTL 9000 Louisville,we used to get them here.The problem with guessing the age of a Seppo (Yank) truck is that they keep the one design for everything from about 1946 until now.
Yes it's a Ford LTL-9000. It's called the "Louisville" because the only plant where it was made was in Louisville, Kentucky (also home of the "Louisville Slugger" baseball bat).
One of the reasons Ford picked the site for the plant was International Truck had a cab-over road-tractor nicknamed the "Emeryville", for it's plant site at Emeryville, California. The nickname was given by truck drivers and never acknowledged by International (brilliant marketing geniuses). Ford was smart enough to set up their truck with a built-in name.
Louisvilles were commonly called "Loosely-Builts" in NZ, however they were actually very good trucks which have now become, of course, Sterlings under the ownership of Mercedes-Benz. The firm I work for had a couple of LTL9000 models, with Detroit Diesel 4-stroke engines and 15-speed Roadranger boxes. A very nice truck to drive and impressive to look at, too..
However every one I saw had the instruments and switches etc on the dashboard laid out differently, so you were never sure what a switch was for. We used to reckon that every morning the person in charge of the assembly line used to gather all the switches and dials for each truck in his hand and throw them at the dashboards; the place where they hit was where they were installed in that truck.
i would guess that mettallic brown 359 is from the early 80,s.i can say that because i have just bought a 1983 cat powered 359 on american ebay,and the two trucks to me look fairly similar.wow! martin as usual from you some excellent shots.i live within three miles of one of the largest steel works in the uk and i have never seen any steel wagons like those in you,r shots,awesome!