Exploring the world of truck equipment
In the world of transportation, the backbone of efficient and reliable haulage lies in the quality and capabilities of truck equipment. From the iconic designs of Kenworth and Peterbilt to the innovative engineering of Volvo and International Trucks, the industry boasts a rich landscape of manufacturers dedicated to crafting robust and dependable rigs. Complementing these powerhouse vehicles are the engines that drive them, with industry giants such as Paccar, Cummins, and Volvo continuously pushing the boundaries of performance and sustainability. This article delves into the intricate world of truck equipment, exploring the key players and technologies driving the evolution of modern transportation.
Types/ basic information
In the trucking industry, there are two types of trucks that a driver can drive day cab or sleeper truck. The day cab is a truck with a driver seat and a passenger seat. Mainly used for driving shorter distances in a day which allows the driver to be home every night. The name day cab came from just using it for the day and being able to go home. Sleeper trucks are day cabs with a sleeping compartment behind the front seats. That is where the name sleeper is derived from. Some features in the sleeping compartment of the truck include a bed, closet space, and a refrigerator. It’s like a camper for one person. Companies that have sleeper trucks will most likely require you to stay in your truck for extended periods 1-2 weeks to months at a time. sleeper trucks are popular with regional drivers and over-the-road drivers.
Top American Truck Manufacturers
Kenworth
In 1923 Kenworth was started by Harry Kent and Edgar K. Worthington, building trucks for the logging industry. Now after 100 years of innovation, they are one of the top truck manufacturers in the US. Pick some articles to learn more
Peterbilt
In 1939 T.A. Peterman created the first Peterbilt Model 260 and changed the transportation industry. After 80 years Peterbilt is still innovating and changing industry standards. Find out more about Peterbilt in one of these articles.
Brief history of Peterbilt
579
589
389X
389
Freightliner
In 1942 Leland James had an innovative concept for a new truck. He wanted to build a truck out of lightweight aluminum instead of industry-standard steel. With decades of continued innovation, Freightliner is one of the top truck manufacturers in the US. Find out more on Freightliner in one of these articles
A Brief History of Freightliner
Cascadia
M2 112
Volvo
In 1927 Volvo started producing their first car in Sweden. Over a short amount of years, they expanded to many different industries including the truck industry. Innovating throughout the way. now they are one of the top truck manufacturers in the world. check out these articles to find out more.
Brief history of Volvo
VNL
VNR
VNX
International
In 1902 a merger of several leading agricultural leaders started International Harvester Company. Mainly producing agriculture equipment such as tractors and plows. By 1907 they expanded into making trucks with their first Model A designed for farm uses. Continuing to innovate they designed a Model S for urban delivery in 1915. now after 100 Years of innovation, International is one of the biggest American truck manufacturers. click on one of these articles to learn more.
Brief history of International
lonestar
LT series
RH series
Truck Engines
Paccar
Paccar is one of the leading truck engine manufacturers in the world. Their most popular engine they produce is the mx-13 which depending on the set up can pump out 510 horsepower. Paccar owns Kenworth and Peterbilt which is why most of them on the road have Paccar engines. learn more about Paccar engines below.
Brief history of Paccar
MX-13
MX-11
Detroit Diesel
General Motors started a diesel engine division in 1938 for the construction industry. With continued innovation, they designed an engine for the on-highway market in 1955 with the series 53 engines. After 85 years Detroit Diesel has become one of the most popular engines on American roads today. look at these articles to find out more.
Brief History of Detroit Diesel
Detroit DD13
Detroit DD15
Detroit DD16
Cummins
In 1919 Clessie Cummins recognized the new diesel engine technology and decided to improve upon it. He started the Cummins engine company and started to produce engines. now after 100 years, Cummins is one of the biggest engine manufacturers in America, learn more about Cummins with these articles.
Brief history of Cummins
X15
Volvo Power
Volvo has been making engines for over 90 years for a variety of industries. with the right specks on a truck, you could make above 9 mpg of fuel.
a brief history of Volvo
Volvo D11
Volvo D13
Volvo D13TC
Caterpillar
caterpillar engines are one of the most popular engines with owner-operators. With the proper tuning, they can reach up to 800 horsepower. Making climbing hills a walk in the park. To read more about cat engines click the links below.
Brief history of cat engines
Cat 3116
Cat C7
Cat 3408
Cat C15
Cat C16
Cat C9
Cat 3126
Cat 3306
Cat C3.6
Cat C1.1
Trailer types
Dry Vans
Dry van trailers are one of the most common trailers on the road today. The average weight these trailers can haul is 42,000 -45,000 lbs. The average dimensions of dry van trailers are 8.2 Ft Wide by 8 Ft high by 48-53 Ft long.
Refer
Refer trailers are the same as dry van trailers except for one major feature. They have a diesel refrigerator unit in the front of the trailer to keep the things in the trailer cool. The temperature in the trailer can go from 0-55 degrees. Refer trailers can haul 43,000-45,000 lbs. The average refer trailer dimensions are 8.2 Ft wide by 8 Ft high by 48-53 Ft long.
Pneumatic
Pneumatic trailers are tank trailers designed to haul dry bulk materials. They can haul construction materials like sand and concrete to food products like sugar and flower. Pneumatic trailers typically have 3-4 pods that the product comes out of. The trailer needs to have a blower PTO attachment on the truck to unload. The driver typically blows the product on the trailer into the customer’s tank. Which can be time-consuming. The average length of the trailer is 45 Ft and can haul 40,000-50,000 lbs of product depending on how much the product weighs.
Tanker
Tanker trailers are round or oval-shaped closed vessels designed to haul liquids. Some examples of bulk liquids you could haul are gas/ or diesel to food-grade liquids like milk and molasses. Depending on the products being hauled the trailer could have one of three setups.
- No Baffles– no baffles in a tanker means they don’t have screens in the trailer to slow the liquid from sloshing front to back of the trailer. Food-grade products need this type to be able to clean the complete inside of the trailer. The driver needs to take longer to slow down to prevent the surge from the liquid slamming into the back of the truck.
- Baffle– Baffles in a tank trailer is a screen that allows the liquid to flow from front to back in a smoother fashion. helping to prevent violent surges from slamming the truck.
- separate compartments- These types of tanker trailers have 3-4 separate compartments that can have different products in them. This is ideal for the fuel industry which can bring different types of fuel to gas stations. The separate compartments in the trailer act as a baffle preventing a lot of surge from happening.
Livestock Trailer
Livestock trailers are designed to haul farm animals from farms to meat processing plants. They are typically made out of lightweight aluminum to be able to move more animals and to make it easier to clean. Livestock trailers can haul between 30,000- 33,000 lbs. Witch is 28-30 full-grown cows.
Hopper Bottom
Hopper bottom trailers are trailers designed to haul bulk agricultural products like corn and soybeans. They typically have 2 cone-like spouts at the bottom of the trailer that allow the grain to fall to empty the trailer. Hopper trailer specs range from a small 24ft pup trailer to a full-size 42ft trailer. The amount of weight they can haul varies depending on how the trailer is built but can range from 40,000 -68,000 lbs.
Flatbed
Flatbed trailers are trailers with just a flatbed without walls. The advantage of this type of trailer is it can haul odd-shaped objects that can’t fit into a conventional dry van. Since flatbeds don’t have walls the load needs to be secured to the trailer typically with ratchet straps or chains. The average size of these trailers is 48-53 Ft long and 8.5 Ft wide. Flatbeds can haul up to 48,000 LBS.
Lowboy
Lowboy trailers are a specific type of flatbed trailer designed to haul heavy construction and agricultural equipment. They have a removable gooseneck at the front of the trailer to be able to drive the equipment on the trailer. A driver should keep in mind that a removable gooseneck drops the ground clearance to 6-18 inches. Lowboys can range from 42-53 Ft long and 8 Ft wide. The deck size on these trailers can range too between 20-24 Ft. Maximum weight on the basic lowboy is 40,000 lbs and can differ depending on how many axles the trailer has.
Belly dump
Belly dump trailers are specialized trailers used to haul construction materials such as asphalt and gravel. The load is dumped into the top of the trailer and has a special hydraulic hatch at the bottom that allows the material to come out in a specified width. The average size of a belly dump trailer is 40 Ft long by 8 Ft wide. The amount of material that can be hauled is around 23 cubic yards
Side Dump
Side dump trailers were designed for the construction industry to haul bulk materials like dirt and construction debris. These trailers have a hydraulic system that allows the trailer to dump the load on the left or the right side. Side dump trailers come in 42-53 Ft trailers with 34-36 Ft tubs. The tubs hold around 23 cubic yards of material.