A great documentary about the worlds most extreme & powerful trucks ever seen. A truck (United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, called a lorry in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Indian Subcontinent) 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 largely powered by diesel engines, although small to medium size trucks with gasoline engines exist in the US. In the European Union, vehicles with a gross combination mass of up to 3,500 kilograms (7,716 lb) are known as light commercial vehicles, and those over as large goods vehicles. History[edit] A British, 1931-built Sentinel steam lorry Sentinel DG8, Beamish Steam Fair Steam trucks[edit] Trucks and cars have a common ancestor: the steam-powered fardier Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built in 1769. However, steam trucks were not common until the mid-1800s. The roads of the time, built for horse and carriages, limited these vehicles to very short hauls, usually from a factory to the nearest railway station. The first semi-trailer appeared in 1881, towed by a steam tractor manufactured by De Dion-Bouton. Steam-powered trucks were sold in France and the United States until the eve of World War I,and the beginning of World War II in the United Kingdom, where they were known as steam wagons. Internal combustion[edit] In 1895 Karl Benz designed and built the first truck in history using the internal combustion engine. Later that year some of Benz's trucks were modified to become the first bus by the Netphener, the first motorbus company in history. A year later, in 1896, another internal combustion engine truck was built by Gottlieb Daimler.[1] Other companies, such as Peugeot, Renault and Büssing, also built their own versions. The first truck in the United States was built by Autocar in 1899 and was available with optional 5 or 8 horsepower motors.[2] Trucks of the era mostly used two-cylinder engines and had a carrying capacity of 1,500 to 2,000 kilograms (3,300 to 4,400 lb). In 1904, 700 heavy trucks were built in the United States, 1000 in 1907, 6000 in 1910, and 25000 in 1914. A Benz truck modified by Netphener company (1895) After World War I, several advances were made: pneumatic tires replaced the previously common full rubber versions. Electric starters, power brakes, 4, 6, and 8 cylinder engines, closed cabs, and electric lighting followed. The first modern semi-trailer trucks also appeared. Touring car builders such as Ford and Renault entered the heavy truck market. Although it had been invented in 1890, the diesel engine was not common in trucks in Europe until the 1930s. In the United States, it took much longer for diesel engines to be accepted: gasoline engines were still in use on heavy trucks in the 1970s, while in Europe they had been completely replaced 20 years earlier. Legal issues[edit] A road train in Australia Commercial trucks in the US pay higher road use taxes on a State level than other road vehicles, and are subject to extensive regulation.[3] A few reasons commercial trucks pay higher road use taxes: they are bigger and heavier than most other vehicles, and cause more wear and tear per hour on roadways; and trucks and their drivers are on the road for more hours per day. Rules on use taxes differ among jurisdictions. The federal government has rules for commercial vehicles, regulating how many hours a driver may be on the clock, how much rest and sleep time is required (e.g., 11 hours driving/14 hours on-duty followed by 10 hours off, with a maximum of 70 hours/8 days or 60 hours/7 days, 34 hours restart ), and many other rules.[4] Violations are often subject to significant penalties. Instruments to track each driver's hours must sometimes be fitted. Trucks are subject to noise emission requirements (emanating from the U.S. Noise Control Act) in order to protect the public from noise health effects, since trucks contribute disproportionately to roadway noise due to elevated stacks and intense tire and aerodynamic noise characteristics. The Federal Bridge Law deals with the relation between the gross weight of the truck, the number of axles, and the spacing between the axles that the truck can have on the Interstate highway system.[5] Each State determines the maximum permissible vehicle, combination, and axle weight on state and local roads. Types of trucks by size[edit] See also: Truck classification and List of truck types Ultra light trucks[edit] Often produced as variations of golf cars, with internal combustion or battery electric drive, these are used typically for off-highway use on estates, golf courses, and parks.

• published: 17 Oct 2015
• views: 22781