Elegant Moves: How BPW is using Active Reverse Control to manoeuvre trailers out of their niche and into the mainstream

Historical old towns, narrow access roads, crowded car parks, construction sites or farms: manoeuvring or reversing a trailer in a confined space can cause even the most experienced truckers to break into a sweat. The smallest oversight can have expensive consequences. Nevertheless, steering systems for trailers were long considered a niche product: too expensive, too complicated, too heavy. Since 2018, BPW has been successfully moving trailer steering from a niche solution to the mainstream with its agile electro-hydraulic system. The company continues to expand its functionality: in the future, multiple trailer axles will steer automatically when reversing and can be controlled remotely from the cockpit when driving forward.

For a long time, conventional positive steering systems were considered the gold standard for precise trailer steering. They are mechanically coupled directly to the tractor unit's steering system via a steering angle sensor attached to the kingpin, and move the trailer's wheels via hydraulically controlled bars with a turntable. However, their complexity, high weight (starting from an additional 350 kilograms per trailer) and the preparation required made them a status symbol for only a few vehicle types. Even electro-hydraulic steering systems are too expensive for most applications. "We had to radically rethink the steering system to achieve greater safety and agility for everyone" Peter Lindner, Director Sales Business Unit Customised Solutions at BPW, remembers. "We wanted them to be smart, elegant, digital and affordable. Luckily, we didn't have to start from scratch. We were able to use the trailing steering axle as a tried and tested basis."

With trailing steering axles, the wheels are moveably mounted – similar to an office chair or a shopping trolley. When driving forwards, they willingly follow the steering movement of the tractor unit – this improves tracking and reduces tyre wear significantly. Lindner: "our developers came up with the idea of equipping these axles with electro-hydraulic actuators so that they could actively steer the wheels even when reversing at walking speed." The idea for Active Reverse Control (ARC) was born – solving several problems of the positive steering system in one go: the actuators are so compact that they can even be installed in low loader trailers, where every millimetre counts. Even the connection to the tractor unit could be dispensed with: the system recognises the direction in which it should go by the activated reversing light. The steering angle is set fully automatically via a gyroscope sensor which enables perfect steering radii in the tightest of spaces. If needed, the driver can increase the steering angle via remote control. BPW developed an app for vehicle manufacturers that greatly simplifies the commissioning and error diagnostics of the system.

At the bauma 2025 trade fair, BPW presented the combination of ARC with several self-steering axles – for example, for four-axle low loader trailers in all variants and drawbar trailers. BPW also demonstrated how the hydraulic components and the control box can be freely positioned. Peter Lindner: "We are using the bauma as a platform to discuss future solutions and new ideas with vehicle operators and manufactures".

Sensors: four integrated sensors – gyroscope sensor, tachometer, steering angle sensor and proximity switch – detect every movement of the trailer in real-time. 

Hydraulics: a closed circuits enables precise steering without the need for extensive maintenance. 

Steering: the software adapts to individual driving habits via a Bluetooth app – from reaction speed of the steering to the diagnostics. 

By eliminating the need for a complex mechanical structure under the vehicle, BPW reduces the system weight by 70 percent compared to mechanical solutions. For hauliers this means: each trailer can carry up to 300 kilograms more useable load – with no increase in the overall length of the vehicle.