Abstract
As part of improving road safety around trucks, a solution was proposed to reduce the swept path width of a moving tractor-semi-trailer. This article presents a mathematical analysis of the movement of a tractor unit with a traditional semi-trailer with fixed axles and steered wheels. A simulation analysis of both presented vehicles was carried out. The core of the algorithm controlling the steering angle of the semi-trailer wheels is presented. The influence of controlling the semi-trailer's swivel wheels on the swept path width of a tractor-trailer with a semi-trailer equipped with swivel wheels is discussed. The assumptions for building the control algorithm are presented. The article presents the advantages of the solution used along with the control algorithm. Measurable benefits resulting from the use of the presented solution are presented, such as increasing cargo space, reducing cargo transport costs, and reducing aerodynamic resistance and fuel consumption. It is worth emphasizing that reducing fuel consumption is very important because it reduces the emission of harmful exhaust gases into the atmosphere. The swept path width is important especially in the case of vehicles moving in a limited area, for example in the parking lots of transhipment and logistics centers, between urban buildings. Vehicles admitted to traffic meet the minimum conditions imposed by homologation regulations, but reducing the swept path width allows for improving the operational properties of the tractor-semi-trailer. The use of the proposed control algorithm to control the turn of the semi-trailer's steered wheels brings tangible benefits both in improving road safety and in reducing the emission of harmful substances into the environment.