On the maneuverability of heavy goods vehicles

Heavy goods vehicles have not been in the focus of transport automation for a long time. This situation is at the threshold to change now. Essential technical equipment is available to extend automation to series trucks. First driverless applications in the scope of factory automation are profitably in operation today. This paper focusses on articulated heavy goods vehicles with one-axle trailers. In terms of kinematics these are general-2-trailers. The major part of road-bound heavy goods transport is carried out by trucks with one-axle trailer and still more by semi-truck/semi-trailer combinations. Although they belong to the same kinematics class they differ essentially in their maneuverability. This aspect is evaluated under two different maneuvers, one is driving with constant curvature and the other is driving into a parking box.