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Etymology: Trokhos With The Meaning Wheel, From Trekhein That Meant "To Run". The First Known Usage of

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A truck (American and Canadian English) or lorry (British English) is a motor vehicle designed

to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power and configuration, with the smallest being
mechanically similar to an automobile. Commercial trucks can be very large and powerful, and
may be configured to mount specialized equipment, such as in the case of fire trucks and
concrete mixers and suction excavators. Modern trucks are powered by either gasoline or diesel
engines, with diesel dominant in commercial applications.

Contents
[hide]

 1 The word
o 1.1 Etymology
o 1.2 International variance
 2 Driving
 3 Anatomy of a truck
o 3.1 Cab
o 3.2 Engine
o 3.3 Drivetrain
o 3.4 Frame
 4 Environmental effects
 5 Sales and sales issues
o 5.1 Truck market worldwide
 5.1.1 Worldwide
o 5.2 Manufacturers
 6 Operations issues
o 6.1 Commercial insurance
 7 Truck shows
 8 See also
 9 References
 10 External links

[edit] The word


[edit] Etymology

The word truck might have come from a back-formation of truckle with the meaning small
wheel, pulley, from Middle English trokell, in turn from Latin trochlea. Another explanation is
that it comes from Latin trochus with the meaning of iron hoop. In turn, both go back to Greek
trokhos with the meaning wheel, from trekhein that meant "to run". The first known usage of
"truck" was in 1611 when it referred to the small, strong wheels on ships' cannon carriages. In its
extended usage it came to refer to carts for carrying heavy loads, a meaning known since 1771.
With the meaning of motor-powered load carrier, it has been in usage since 1930, shortened from
motor truck who dates back to 1916.[1][2] Lorry has a more uncertain origin, but probably has its
roots in the railroad industry, where the word is known to have been used in 1838 to refer to a
type of truck (a freight car as in British usage, not a bogie as in the American), specifically a
large, flat wagon. It probably derives from the verb lurry (to pull, tug) of uncertain origin. With
the meaning of self-propelled vehicle for carrying goods it has been in usage since 1911.[3][4]

[edit] International variance

For more details on this topic, see List of truck types.

In the United States and Canada "truck" is usually reserved for commercial vehicles larger than
normal cars including pickups and other vehicles having an open load bed, while in Australia and
New Zealand, a pickup truck is usually called a ute (short for "utility") and the word "truck" is
mostly reserved for larger vehicles. The small utility truck was invented in Australia in the
1930s.[5]

In the United Kingdom, Ireland and Hong Kong lorry is used instead of truck, but only for the
medium and heavy types.

In U.S. English, the word "truck" is often preceded by a word describing the type of vehicle,
such as a "fire truck" or "tanker truck". Note that in British English these would be referred to as
"fire engine" and "tanker" or "petrol tanker", respectively. In Canada "fire engine" is also used.

[edit] Driving

Inside a Mack truck

In the United States, a commercial driver's license is required to drive any type of commercial
vehicle weighing 26,001 lbs (11,794 kg) or more.[6]

The United Kingdom and the rest of Europe now have common, yet complex rules (see
European driving licence). As an overview, to drive a vehicle weighing more than 7,500
kilograms (16,535 lb) for commercial purposes requires a specialist licence (the type varies
depending on the use of the vehicle and number of seats). For licences first acquired after 1997,
that weight was reduced to 3,500 kilograms (7,716 lb), not including trailers.
In Australia, a truck driving license is required for any motor vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Mass
(GVM) exceeding 4,500 kilograms (9,921 lb). The motor vehicles classes are further expanded
as:

 LR

Light rigid: a rigid vehicle with a GVM of more than 4,500 kilograms (9,921 lb) but not more
than 8,000 kilograms (17,637 lb). Any towed trailer must not weigh more than 9,000 kilograms
(19,842 lb) GVM.

 MR

Medium rigid: a rigid vehicle with 2 axles and a GVM of more than 8,000 kilograms (17,637 lb).
Any towed trailer must not weigh more than 9,000 kilograms (19,842 lb) GVM. Also includes
vehicles in class 'LR'.

 HR

Heavy Rigid: a rigid vehicle with 3 or more axles and a GVM of more than 8,000 kilograms
(17,637 lb)). Any towed trailer must not weigh more than 9,000 kilograms (19,842 lb)) GVM.
Also includes articulated buses and vehicles in class 'MR'.

 HC

Heavy Combination, a typical prime mover plus semi trailer combination.

 MC Multi Combination e.g. B Doubles/Road trains.

There is also a heavy vehicle transmission condition for a licence class HR, HC or MC test
passed in a vehicle fitted with an automatic or synchromesh transmission, a driver’s licence will
be restricted to vehicles of that class fitted with a synchromesh or automatic transmission . To
have the condition removed, a person needs to pass a practical driving test in a vehicle with non
synchromesh transmission (constant mesh or crash box).[7] [8]

In 2006, the U.S. trucking industry employed 1.8 million drivers of heavy trucks.[9] There are
around 5 million truck drivers in India.[10]

[edit] Anatomy of a truck


A Russian truck from the early 1920s

Scania R470 flat nose truck

Almost all trucks share a common construction: they are made of a chassis, a cab, an area for
placing cargo or equipment, axles, suspension and roadwheels, an engine and a drivetrain.
Pneumatic, hydraulic, water, and electrical systems may also be identified. Many also tow one or
more trailers or semi-trailers.

[edit] Cab

The cab is an enclosed space where the driver is seated. A sleeper is a compartment attached to
the cab where the driver can rest while not driving, sometimes seen in semi-trailer trucks.

There are several possible cab configurations:

 Cab over engine (COE) or flat nose; where the driver is seated above the front axle and
the engine. This design is almost ubiquitous in Europe, where overall truck lengths are
strictly regulated, but also widely used in the rest of the world as well. They were
common in the United States, but lost prominence when permitted length was extended in
the early 1980s. To access the engine, the whole cab tilts forward, earning this design the
name of tilt-cab. This type of cab is especially suited to the delivery conditions in Europe
where many roads follow the layout of much more ancient path, and trackways which
require the additional turning capability of the cab over engine type. The COE design was
invented by Viktor Schreckengost.[11]
 Conventional cabs are the most common in North America, and are known in the UK as
American cabs. The driver is seated behind the engine, as in most passenger cars or
pickup trucks. Conventionals are further divided into large car and aerodynamic designs.
A "large car" or "long nose" is a conventional truck with a long (6 to 8 foot (1.8 to 2.4 m)
or more) hood. With their very square shapes, these trucks experience a lot of wind
resistance and typically consume more fuel. They also provide somewhat poorer visibility
than their aerodynamic or COE counterparts. By contrast, Aerodynamic cabs are very
streamlined, with a sloped hood and other features to lower drag.
 Cab beside engine designs also exist, but are rather rare and are mainly used inside
shipping yards, or other specialist uses such as aircraft baggage loading.

[edit] Engine

Cummins ISB 6.7L medium duty truck diesel engine

The oldest truck was built in 1896 by Gottlieb Daimler.[12] Most small trucks such as sport utility
vehicles (SUVs) or pickups, and even light medium-duty trucks in North America and Russia
will use petrol engines (gasoline engines), but many diesel engined models are now being
produced. Most heavier trucks use four stroke diesel engine with a turbocharger and aftercooler.
Huge off-highway trucks use locomotive-type engines such as a V12 Detroit Diesel two stroke
engine. Diesel engines are becoming the engine of choice for trucks ranging from class 3 to 8
GVWs.

North American manufactured highway trucks almost always use an engine built by a third
party, such as CAT, Cummins, or Detroit Diesel. The only exceptions to this are Volvo and its
subsidiary Mack Trucks, which are available with their own engines. Freightliner Trucks,
Sterling Trucks and Western Star, subsidiaries of Daimler AG, are available with Mercedes-Benz
and Detroit Diesel engines. Trucks and buses built by Navistar International usually also contain
International engines. The Swedish manufacturer Scania claims they stay away from the U.S.
market because of this third party tradition.[citation needed]
In the European Union, all new lorry engines must comply with Euro 5 emission regulations.

[edit] Drivetrain

A truck rear suspension and drive axles overview

Eaton Roadranger 18 speed "crash box" with automated gearshift

Small trucks use the same type of transmissions as almost all cars, having either an automatic
transmission or a manual transmission with synchromesh (synchronizers). Bigger trucks often
use manual transmissions without synchronisers, saving bulk and weight, although synchromesh
transmissions are used in larger trucks as well. Transmissions without synchronizers, known as
"crash boxes", require double-clutching for each shift, (which can lead to repetitive motion
injuries), or a technique known colloquially as "floating", a method of changing gears which
doesn't use the clutch, except for starts and stops, due to the physical effort of double clutching,
especially with non power assisted clutches, faster shifts, and less clutch wear.

Double-clutching allows the driver to control the engine and transmission revolutions to
synchronize, so that a smooth shift can be made, e.g., when upshifting, the accelerator pedal is
released and the clutch pedal is depressed while the gear lever is moved into neutral, the clutch
pedal is then released and quickly pushed down again while the gear lever is moved to the next
higher gear. Finally, the clutch pedal is released and the accelerator pedal pushed down to obtain
required engine speed. Although this is a relatively fast movement, perhaps a second or so while
transmission is in neutral, it allows the engine speed to drop and synchronize engine and
transmission revolutions relative to the road speed. Downshifting is performed in a similar
fashion, except the engine speed is now required to increase (while transmission is in neutral)
just the right amount in order to achieve the synchronization for a smooth, non-collision gear
change. Skip changing is also widely used; in principle operation is the same as double-
clutching, but it requires neutral be held slightly longer than a single gear change.

Common North American setups include 9, 10, 13, 15, and 18 speeds. Automatic and semi-
automatic transmissions for heavy trucks are becoming more and more common, due to advances
both in transmission and engine power. In Europe 8, 10, 12 and 16 gears are common on larger
trucks with manual transmission, while automatic or semi-automatic transmissions would have
anything from 5 to 12 gears. Almost all heavy truck transmissions are of the "range and split"
(double H shift pattern) type, where range change and so-called half gears or splits are air
operated and always preselected before the main gear selection.

[edit] Frame

A truck rear frame (chassis) section view

A truck frame consists of two parallel boxed (tubular) or C-shaped rails, or beams, held together
by crossmembers. These frames are referred to as ladder frames due to their resemblance to a
ladder if tipped on end. The rails consist of a tall vertical section (two if boxed) and two shorter
horizontal flanges. The height of the vertical section provides opposition to vertical flex when
weight is applied to the top of the frame (beam resistance). Though typically flat the whole
length on heavy duty trucks, the rails may sometimes be tapered or arched for clearance around
the engine or over the axles. The holes in rails are used either for mounting vehicle components
and running wires and hoses, or measuring and adjusting the orientation of the rails at the factory
or repair shop.

Though they may be welded, crossmembers are most often attached to frame rails by bolts or
rivets. Crossmembers may be boxed or stamped into a c-shape, but are most commonly boxed on
modern vehicles, particularly heavy trucks.

The frame is almost always made of steel, but can be made (whole or in part) of aluminium for a
lighter weight. A tow bar may be found attached at one or both ends, but heavy trucks almost
always make use of a fifth wheel hitch.

[edit] Environmental effects


See also: Diesel exhaust air contaminants and Diesel particulate matter
DAF tractor with an auto-transport semi-trailer carrying Škoda Octavia cars in Cardiff, Wales

Trucks contribute to air, noise, and water pollution similarly to automobiles. Trucks may emit
lower air pollution emissions than cars per pound of vehicle mass, although the absolute level per
vehicle mile traveled is higher, and diesel particulate matter is especially problematic for health.
[13]
With respect to noise pollution, trucks emit considerably higher sound levels at all speeds
compared to typical car; this contrast is particularly strong with heavy-duty trucks.[14] There are
several aspects of truck operations that contribute to the overall sound that is emitted.
Continuous sounds are those from tires rolling on the roadway, and the constant hum of their
diesel engines at highway speeds. Less frequent noises, but perhaps more noticeable, are things
like the repeated sharp-pitched whistle of a turbocharger on acceleration, or the abrupt blare of
an exhaust brake retarder when traversing a downgrade. There has been noise regulation put in
place to help control where and when the use of engine braking retarders are allowed.

Concerns have been raised about the effect of trucking on the environment, particularly as part of
the debate on global warming. In the period from 1990 to 2003, carbon dioxide emissions from
transportation sources increased by 20%, despite improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency.[15]

In 2005, transportation accounted for 27% of U.S. greenhouse gas emission, increasing faster
than any other sector.[16]

Between 1985 and 2004, in the U.S., energy consumption in freight transportation grew nearly
53%, while the number of ton-miles carried increased only 43%.[17] "Modal shifts account for a
nearly a 23% increase in energy consumption over this period. Much of this shift is due to a
greater fraction of freight ton-miles being carried via truck and air, as compared to water, rail,
and pipelines."

According to a 1995 U.S. Government estimate, the energy cost of carrying one ton of freight a
distance of one kilometer averages 337 kJ for water, 221 kJ for rail, 2,000 kJ for trucks, and
nearly 13,000 kJ for air transport.[18] Many environmental organizations favor laws and
incentives to encourage the switch from road to rail, especially in Europe.[19]

The European Parliament is moving to ensure that charges on heavy-goods vehicles should be
based in part on the air and noise pollution they produce and the congestion they cause,
according to legislation approved by the Transport Committee.[20] The Eurovignette scheme has
been proposed, whereby new charges would be potentially levied against things such as noise
and air pollution and also weight related damages from the lorries themselves.[21]

[edit] Sales and sales issues


[edit] Truck market worldwide

[edit] Worldwide

Mercedes-Benz Volvo's subsidiary Renault Magnum


Isuzu Truck SISU truck
Truck Truck

Tata truck UD Nissan truck Hino Motors truck MAN truck


Largest truck manufacturers in the world as of 2009, over 16 tons GVW in 2009.[22][citation needed]
Pos. Make Units
Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner Trucks, Sterling Trucks, Unimog,
1 478,535
Western Star, Fuso)
2 Volvo Group (Volvo, Mack, Renault, UD Nissan Diesel) 438,954
3 Dongfeng 341,875
4 Tata Group (Tata Motors, Daewoo Commercial Vehicle) 159,237
5 Hyundai Group (Hyundai) 157,781
6 Hino Motors (Toyota Group) 129,107
7 Fiat Group (Iveco, Magirus, Astra, Seddon Atkinson, Yuejin) 127,542
8 PACCAR (DAF Trucks, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Leyland Trucks) 126,960
9 Volkswagen Group (Scania, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles) 110,617
MAN SE (MAN SE, Volkswagen Trucks and Buses, China National Heavy Duty
10 92,485
Truck Group)

[edit] Manufacturers

Main article: List of truck manufacturers

[edit] Operations issues


[edit] Commercial insurance

Primary liability Insurance coverage protects the truck from damage or injuries to other people as
a result of a truck accident. This truck insurance coverage is mandated by U.S. state and federal
agencies, and proof of coverage is required to be sent to them. Insurance coverage limits range
from $35,000 to $1,000,000. Pricing is dependent on region, driving records, and history of the
trucking operation.

Motor truck cargo insurance protects the transporter for his responsibility in the event of
damaged or lost freight. The policy is purchased with a maximum load limit per vehicle. Cargo
insurance coverage limits can range from $10,000 to $100,000 or more. Pricing for this
insurance is mainly dependent on the type of cargo being hauled.

[edit] Truck shows


In the UK, three truck shows are popular - Shropshire Truck Show in Oswestry Showground
during May, The UK Truck Show held in June at Santa Pod Raceway, and FIA European Drag
Racing Championships from the home of European Drag-Racing. The UK Truck Show features
drag-racing with 6-ton trucks from the British Truck Racing Association, plus other diesel-
powered entertainment.

Truck shows provide operators with an opportunity to win awards for their trucks.

[edit] See also


 Animal transporter  Road train
 Ballast tractor  Semi-trailer
 Bus  Tail lift
 Campervan  Tractor unit
 Cutaway van chassis  Trailer (vehicle)
 Dekotora; Japanese decorated trucks  Truck classification
 Euro IV and Euro V  Truck driver
 Forklift  Trucking industry in the United States
 Glossary of trucking industry terms in  Truck hijacking
the United States  Weigh station
 Pakistani truck art

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