Highlights
- Shunt trucks are vehicles designed to move trailers efficiently in yards, ports, and distribution centres.
- These terminal tractors have hydraulic fifth wheels and compact designs to handle 25-75 trailers per shift.
- The global terminal tractor market is expected to exceed $1.04 billion by 2030 with 4.23% annual growth.
- Shunt trucks improve operational safety by reducing manual trailer handling and eliminating landing gear cranking.
- Both DOT-certified road-legal models and yard only versions are available to meet your operational needs.
- Competent shunt truck drivers require mandatory shunt truck training to ensure safety in the yard.
In today’s fast-paced logistics world, every minute counts when moving trailers between dock doors, staging areas, and loading zones. The difference between smooth operations and costly bottlenecks often comes down to having the right equipment for trailer repositioning.
That’s where shunt trucks come in – purpose-built vehicles that can move three trailers in the time it takes to move a single conventional truck. However, operating shunt trucks requires skills. Ensuring your organization has skilled shunt truck drivers available is critical for smooth business operations.
Do not underestimate the power of training. The global terminal tractor market, in fact, reflects its growing importance. With growth projections expected to exceed $1.04 billion by 2030 due to an increased demand for e-commerce logistics and the need for more efficient warehouse operations, safety and skilled operations have taken center stage.
Whether you’re managing a distribution centre, port facility, or manufacturing plant with high-volume freight, understanding shunt truck capabilities and applications can make a big impact on your operational efficiency and cost savings.
In this blog, Act First Safety, a leading provider of several safety courses – from hoisting and rigging to JHSC training, will tell you all you need to know about shunt trucks at the workplace.
What is a Shunt Truck?
A shunt truck is a vehicle designed to move semi-trailers and containers over short distances in controlled, industrial environments like distribution centres, ports, rail yards, and logistics hubs. Known by several other names, such as terminal tractors, yard spotters, yard trucks or yard dogs, these machines prioritize efficiency, safety, and operator comfort to ensure repetitive trailer-handling tasks are conducted smoothly.
One of the main distinguishing factors between shunt trucks and highway tractors is that the former uses a hydraulic fifth wheel system, which allows operators to couple and decouple trailers without any manual intervention whatsoever. This makes the entire process take less than a minute – a massive time saving when compared to the several minutes conventional equipment takes. This one feature alone can increase productivity by 200-300% in high-volume operations!
Key features of a typical shunt truck include:
- Hydraulic fifth wheel for trailer coupling without manual intervention
- Single-person cab with offset positioning for enhanced visibility
- Short wheelbase design to take tight turns in tight spots without compromising safety
- Ergonomic operator environment with easy entry/exit points to guarantee seamless use daily
- Heavy-duty construction built to withstand constant bumps and impacts
Whereas highway tractors are designed for long-distance transport, shunt trucks are meant to operate in controlled environments where speed limits rarely exceed 25mph. This makes maneuverability, visibility, and quick turnaround time central to their operation.
That is why having trained operators is critical. Whether you’re scheduling training for your team or in the process of hiring a new operator, make sure they have forklift operator training too. It’s an essential when it comes to using shunt trucks.
Shunt Trucks: Primary Applications and Industries
Shunt trucks are the backbone of trailer movement across multiple industries where repositioning is critical to maintaining operational flow and meeting schedules. They can help you stay on track and meet the demands of your industry without breaking a sweat. Let’s explore.
- Port operations and marine terminals are one of the largest industries that make use of shunt trucks to move containers and chassis between ship berths, storage yards, and rail loading areas. These vehicles are capable of moving in tight spaces between stacked containers while maintaining precise positioning. This makes them essential for intermodal operations.
- Distribution centres and logistics hubs rely on yard spotters to keep the flow going between receiving docks, staging areas, and outbound loading zones. If your facility moves hundreds of trailers a day, an efficient shunting system can help you meet customer delivery commitments without any hassles or delays.
- Rail yards and intermodal facilities use terminal tractors to move trailers between rail cars and staging areas. This is particularly important for maintaining coordination between different modes of transport. Proper shunt equipment can help you ensure railcar alignment and safe operation around moving trains.
- Manufacturing facilities with high volume shipping depend on spotter trucks to move finished goods trailers from production areas to shipping docks. They often require coordination with just-in-time production schedules to prevent delays cascading through the entire supply chain.
- Cross-docking operations and freight consolidation centres use these vehicles to reposition trailers between different carrier networks. Since their transfers are of a time-sensitive nature, they require a shunt system that guarantees maximum efficiency to maintain service levels across multiple logistics networks.
So if your business belongs to any of these industries, it makes sense to implement a proper shunt network with certified operators helming it. Act First Safety offers both shunt truck training and forklift training to ensure you have well-qualified operators on your team.
Key Features and Specifications of Shunt Trucks
Modern shunt trucks feature many innovations designed to increase operator productivity, comfort, safety, and equipment durability in demanding operational environments. The most useful features you need to look out for include:
Hydraulic Fifth Wheel Systems
The hydraulic fifth wheel system is the biggest advancement in shunt truck technology. Unlike manual fifth wheels, where operators have to exit the cab and physically crank the landing gear, hydraulic systems allow trailer coupling from inside the vehicle. This eliminates the physical strain of manual cranking and reduces coupling time from 3-5 minutes to under 1 minute.
Moreover, advanced hydraulic fifth wheels can lift up to 24,000 pounds and adjust to different trailer heights for precise positioning in difficult coupling situations. The system reduces maintenance compared to manual fifth wheels and keeps operators safe inside the cab.
Using this system requires some practice, and that is why our shunt truck safety training offers focused practice sessions to ensure safe yard operations.
Ergonomic Design and Operator Comfort
Shunt trucks do not require a buddy system. They are designed for a single operator who frequently enters and exits the cab for the purpose of shunting. They are designed with contemporary ergonomic features such as:
- Offset cab positioning for clear visibility of the fifth wheel area
- Low step height with wide door openings for easy access
- Panoramic windows to prevent blind spots for safe operation
- Climate control for operator comfort during long shifts
- Adjustable seating for different operator preferences
- Intuitive control layout to reduce training time and errors
At its core, good shunt truck design focuses on increasing operator safety and comfort.
Engine and Performance Specifications
Shunt trucks have fuel-efficient engines designed for stop-and-go operation. They are not built for long-distance or highway speeds. Most models have 6.7-litre diesel engines producing 200-250 horsepower, which is enough to move loaded trailers while prioritizing fuel economy and emissions compliance.
A short wheelbase design allows for a 15-foot turning radius to navigate between dock doors and confined yard spaces. Heavy-duty suspension absorbs constant impacts from trailer coupling and maintains stability during frequent direction changes.
The Importance of Hiring Competent Shunt Truck Drivers
Shunt truck drivers should gain worksite-specific training that includes a holistic approach to the yard and a complete understanding of its hazards. In addition, to gain competency, shunt truck drivers need to complete shunt truck training to understand the safe operation of the spotter truck.
Training can help you maintain compliance and avoid legal issues. Plus, it ensures maximum safety for everyone on-site as these machines are big and often have to move through tight spaces, which can be a hazard if not handled well.
Conclusion
Shunt trucks are one of the most useful modern inventions. But they can only take you so far if you do not have certified operators running them. Act First Safety, Ontario’s leading provider of worker safety programs, offers a comprehensive, engaging, and practice course on shunt truck training that is open to participants from all industries. Contact us to register and get one step closer to earning your shunt truck training certification.
FAQs
Do shunt truck operators need a license in Ontario?
Yes. But just a traditional driver’s license won’t do for yard-only operators. They must enroll in a competency-based training program to learn the skills required for shunt truck operation.
What is the validity of a shunt truck training certificate?
The validity of Act First Safety’s shunt truck training certificate is 3 years, post which a recertification is required.
Is forklift training necessary along with shunt training?
It is not necessary, but most workplaces have made both training programs mandatory for their operators. This ensures that no skill is missed during shunt operation.
