What Is a Semi-Trailer?
A semi-trailer is an unpowered trailer unit carried at the front by a tractor unit's fifth-wheel coupling and at the rear by two or three of its own axles, used to transport freight by road across Europe.
Curtainsiders, flatbeds, refrigerated trailers, and low-loaders are all semi-trailer body types, and each serves a different cargo category in European road freight.
How Does a Semi-Trailer Work?
A semi-trailer attaches to a tractor unit through a kingpin fixed beneath the trailer's front section, which locks into a fifth-wheel plate mounted on the tractor's rear chassis.
When a tractor disconnects, the trailer's front section sits on retractable landing gear that holds the trailer level at loading bays, warehouses, and freight terminals.
This coupling design separates the semi-trailer truck — the full tractor-plus-trailer combination — from the semi-trailer itself, which is the unpowered trailer unit only.
What Are the Standard Dimensions of a Semi-Trailer in Europe?
Standard European semi-trailers have a loading length of 13.6 metres, an external width of 2.55 metres, and travel within a road network height clearance of 4.0 metres.
The full tractor-plus-semi-trailer combination reaches a maximum overall length of 18.75 metres, with a gross vehicle weight limit of 40,000 kg for standard EU cross-border freight.
Payload capacity for most standard semi-trailer configurations runs between 24,000 and 26,000 kg.
What Body Types Are Used on Semi-Trailers in European Freight?
The curtainsider is the most widely used semi-trailer body in European road freight, allowing forklift access from either side without rear-only restrictions.
Flatbeds, box bodies, refrigerated semi-trailers, low-loaders, and tanker semi-trailers serve different cargo categories including steel, pharmaceuticals, temperature-controlled goods, machinery, and liquids.
What Is the Difference Between a Semi-Trailer and a Full Trailer?
A full trailer has both a front axle and rear axles, supporting its full weight independently from the towing vehicle.
A semi-trailer has no front axle — the tractor carries the trailer's front weight through the kingpin and fifth-wheel connection.
What Is the Difference Between a Semi-Trailer and a Swap Body?
A swap body is a detachable freight unit built for transfer between road vehicles, rail wagons, and short-sea vessels, while a semi-trailer operates on road only with its own rear axles and kingpin coupling.
Swap bodies support intermodal transport corridors, while semi-trailers are the standard choice for full-load road freight operations.
What Industries Use Semi-Trailers for European Freight?
Retail, manufacturing, food and beverage, construction, and pharmaceutical industries use semi-trailers across European freight networks.
Different semi-trailer bodies match different requirements, including curtainsiders for palletised goods, reefers for cold chain, and flatbeds or low-loaders for industrial cargo.
What Licence Is Required to Drive a Semi-Trailer in Europe?
Driving a tractor-plus-semi-trailer combination on European public roads requires a CE category driving licence covering articulated combinations above 3,500 kg where the trailer exceeds 750 kg.
Drivers must also hold a valid Certificate of Professional Competence under EU Directive 2003/59/EC and ADR certification when carrying dangerous goods.
How Does Go Trans Arrange Semi-Trailer Freight Across Europe?
Go Trans arranges road freight across Europe using semi-trailer capacity through its carrier network, matching cargo weight, volume, and body type to the right trailer on each lane.
Consignments that fill an entire trailer travel as full truckload freight across Europe, while smaller consignments use part-load freight arrangements within consolidated trailer schedules.