Temporary container for fifth wheel tractor

A portable container system for attachment to a tractor having a receiver trailer hitch and as a temporary replacement for a semi-trailer connected to the hitch, comprising:

• a mounting frame;
• means for removably anchoring the mounting frame to said tractor;
• a cargo container, said cargo container comprising:
• a first, a second and a third container subassembly, each subassembly including a rectangular bottom portion, and a pair of parallel opposed sidewalls, said first subassembly being at a forward end of said tractor and including an end wall adjacent thereto, and said third subassembly being at the rearward end of said tractor and including an end wall adjacent thereto;
• first means for connecting the sidewalls and end walls to the bottom portions in a manner to form an upwardly open box-like enclosure;
• and
• second means for connecting said cargo container to said mounting frame.

A method of providing a cargo carrier for use in combination with a tractor having a trailer hitch receiver, comprises the steps of:

• anchoring a pair of cross-rails atop the tractor;
• locating a pair of side rails onto the pair of cross rails, the cross-rails and side rails forming a generally rectangular shaped mounting frame that encircles the hitch receiver;
• and
• forming a container for holding an article, including providing and mounting a container subassembly onto the side rails, the subassembly including a bottom portion in the form of a plate for supporting articles thereon.

A portable kit for assembling a temporary cargo container atop the frame of and encircling relation to the fifth wheel of a tractor including brackets for in situ assembling of the cargo container behind the cab of the tractor, comprising:

• a forward and a rearward cross rail and a first and a second side rail, each rail being elongated and substantially rigid, said cross rails having a first and second end portion, and said side rails having a forward and rearward end portion;
• first means for connecting each said cross rail to the brackets and the forward cross rail proximate to the cab;
• second means for connecting the forward end portions of the two side rails, respectively, to one and the other end portion of said forward cross rail;
• at least one deck section, the deck section including a deck plate, a pair of tubular members, and a plurality of sockets about the periphery of the deck section, the plate having forward and rearward edges and a pair of lateral edges, one and the other tubular member extending along a respective lateral edge of the plate, and each tubular member being dimensioned to receive and slidably fit about a respective side rail and position the deck section between the cross rails;
• a plurality of elongated support posts, each support post including a lower end portion configured for receipt within a respective socket and a pair of outwardly open channel sections;
• a plurality of panel sections, each panel section having opposite lateral edges dimensioned for slidable receipt within a pair of adjacent channels when the posts are mounted in the sockets, receipt of said posts in said sockets providing an array of vertical supports for allowing the panel sections to be mounted to and removed from said deck section and form an upwardly open container when so assembled;
• and
• third means for connecting the rearward end portions of the two side rails, respectively, to one and the other end portion of said rearward cross rail, the connecting of the cross rails to the side rails retaining the rails to each other and in a substantially fixed relationship.