Feldbinder KIH

With a gross weight of 45,000 kg, the KIH 55.5 sits at the upper end of EU trailer class O4. With an unladen weight of 8,430 kg, payload comes to 36,570 kg, more than four-fifths of the gross weight. At 2.55 m wide, the body matches the standard maximum vehicle width used across the EU.

Silo vehicles of this size run on air brakes and typically on air suspension. Towing it as a combination requires licence category CE in the EU. A gross weight of 45 tonnes for a single semi-trailer requires a correspondingly rated fifth-wheel coupling on the towing vehicle and sufficient load capacity on every axle.

When buying a used high-volume silo semi-trailer, check the inner walls and welds for corrosion and material fatigue caused by the long load bed, check the discharge flaps for leaks, check the axles for even wheel-load distribution under full load, and check the fifth-wheel coupling for wear at the kingpin. Given the long unsupported span between the axle group and the coupling, it is also worth checking the chassis for any sign of permanent sagging.