YOU want to know some interesting facts about big rig trucks? Let’s get straight down to business!
The total mileage of all the heavy trucks on the roads of the USA amounts to 140 billion miles per year. Road freight is the most popular form of freight in the US, mainly because of the direct nature of the method, and there are countless miles of road across the continent to cover.
This is why maintenance and parts suppliers such as www.finditparts.com/t/2/manufacturer/ are always in high demand. Next time you see a big truck, think how many miles it might have done so far!
Stopping Power
By law, all big rig trucks must be fitted with anti-lock brakes. This came into being in 1997 after a spate of accidents. After all, nobody wants an out of control truck in their path. Also, the brakes on a trailer can only be unlocked when the trailer is correctly linked to the rig. Another safety feature, this prevents trailers moving of their own accord, and is also a security feature.
Top Selling Brands
There are more Freightliner trucks on the roads in the USA than any other brand. They produce a range of massive, very powerful models that are favoured as load haulers by the many truck operators in the country, and are regarded for their reliability and performance., founded in 1942, this is one of the longest lived truck companies in the world, and is likely to keep on trucking for many more years.
Bringing Goods to US Homes
If you’ve ever wondered just how much of the food and household goods we use in the USA is delivered by truck, the answer is around 70%! Why is this? A heavy truck can take goods directly from depot to depot, from where they can be offloaded to smaller vehicles for delivery to stores or even homes. An aircraft can only operate from designated airports which are not always close to the destination, and air freight is expensive and limited by weight, while rail freight is also inconvenient and cannot accommodate as much as a fleet of trucks. That’s how much we rely on trucks for our everyday lives!
Delivering the Power
A heavy truck is a big vehicle, so you’d imagine they need plenty of power from that engine to keep them going. You’d be right: the most powerful push out around 600bhp, and that’s a lot of power. They also provide massive amounts of torque – the force that keeps the truck in motion – and truck engines are also diesel powered, not gasoline. Most trucks will have between 500bhp and 550bhp at the top end, enough to keep them hauling those loads all day long.
The First of the Breed
When was the first heavy truck produced? It’s hard to say, but it’s possible the first semi-truck – one with a detachable trailer – was the 1898 Winton, built in Cleveland, Ohio. It was built to deliver cars – Winton was an early car manufacturer – and is regarded as the forerunner of today’s semi. In the 1920’s, it became quite commonplace for commercial owners to convert the trusty Ford Model T into a truck by fitting a flat-bed body or other attachment.
That’s a few interesting facts about the fabled and much-loved big rig truck, a true icon of the roads in the United States. Next time you see one – or possibly a convoy – just think about the miles it will cover, the goods it delivers, and where it came from, and give thanks that there are trucks and truckers keeping us going day to day.
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