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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 40 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Trucks
| According to the AAA (Automobile Association of America) which driver was found to be primarily responsible for fatal accidents between a car and a truck by 98%?
| Monster Trucks!
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the car driver. Check out the AAA traffic safety website . They list the various factors as being cutting in front of a truck, driver inattention, fatigue, speeding, failure to stay in lane and failure to yield right of way, as the main reasons for this. http://www.aaafoundation.org/home/
| How many times out of 100 is there a fatal truck accident due to driver fatigue (the truck driver)?
| Monster Trucks!
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4. Not as high as you thought, huh?
up to 80,000 lbs. Generally, 80,000 is the maximum for 18 wheelers. Some can carry more weight than that depending on the state and the number of axles. The editor here tells me in his country it is not uncommon to see trucks weighing 150 tons (300,000 lbs.) Those trucks have more than 18 wheels, of course.
However, even at 80,000, this is like 20 - 30 times the weight of a car (depending on the weight of your car)! Is it in your best interest to steer clear of the big trucks?
| At 55 mph, how far does a large truck need to travel before it can stop? | Monster Trucks!
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twice the length of a football field. A big truck cannot stop on a dime, like a little car. In the U.S. trucks usually have ABS brakes.
A loaded truck weighing the maximum allowed (80,000 lbs.) can require twice the length of a football field or more to stop. The lighter the load, the longer the distance! Probably the opposite of what you thought. And rain or slick roads make even more distance necessary.
Accidents are caused sometimes from tailgating or the driver in the rear vehicle not paying attention.
Here's some more info for you to add to that memory bank that you hang your hat on.
FACT: How fast you are traveling affects how well you're able to control a vehicle or stop it.
Stopping distance is determined by 3 factors:
* Perception Distance
* Reaction Distance
* Braking Distance
Total stopping distance = perception distance + reaction distance + braking distance
What are all these distances you ask?
Perception Distance: length the vehicle travels from the time you see a hazard until your brain recognizes it (for alert drivers, approx. 3/4 of a second). At 55 mph, a vehicle travels about 60 feet in 3/4 of a second. For comparison, from the back of the trailer to about 1/2 way through the sleeper (if the driver is pulling a 53' van)
Reaction Distance: length a vehicle travels in the time it takes the brain to tell the foot to push the brake pedal. This reaction takes another 3/4 of a second and another 60 feet. Total distance traveled to this point: 120 feet! (About 1 1/2 truck / trailer lengths)
Braking Distance: length it takes to stop a vehicle once the brakes are applied. At 55 mph, on dry road, and with good brakes, the vehicle travels approx. 390 more feet in 4.5 seconds before stopping. Total stopping distance from the appearance of the hazard = approximately 6 seconds and 510 feet! THAT'S ALMOST TWICE THE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD!
***NOTE***
* Speeds above 55 mph greatly increase stopping distance.
* Brakes, tires, springs, and shocks on heavy vehicles are designed to work best when the vehicle is fully loaded. It takes more time and distance to stop an empty vehicle.
Source: Speed and Space Management Driver's Handbook, J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc.I
18 Speed. It is very similar to the 13 speed transmission but with the 13 speed you can't split the low range gears.
Kenworth. In 2004 the two popular Class 8 trucks that Paccar manufactured were the Kenworth and the Peterbilt.
Bill Mack. Bill has been closely associated with truckers and millions of other listeners via his radio programs out of the Fort Worth-Dallas Metroplex since 1969, broadcasting during the wee hours of the morning and keeping the world company with his music and chit-chat that has allowed him to be featured in more publications and to win more awards than any other country music DJ.. in the world.
His biggest moment in music came in 1997 when his song, “BLUE”, made LeAnn Rimes a star and he won a Grammy when it was voted “The Country Song Of The Year”, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a songwriter.
Peterbilt. The 379 Peterbilt is a very popular model of truck for owner operators because it features a classic look with the long nose.
A tow truck. Truckers use some very strange terminology. I'm sure if you were to listen to a CB Radio for a few minutes you would be scratching your head wondering what is being said.
| You have a Class 8 tandem tractor and tandem 48' trailer. You have 11,800 lbs on the steers, 33,900 lbs on the drives, and 34,000 lbs on the tandems. Are you legal to run with it? | Big Trucks - Steering and Gearing Them #1
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Yes. In most cases you are allowed 12,000 on the steering tires, 34,000 on the drive axles and 34,000 on the trailer tandems.
Dispatcher. The "travel agent" can be the truck driver's best friend or worst enemy. The dispatcher arranges for loads, assigns the loads to the drivers and ensures that all schedules are met. He is the driver's primary contact with the office. In some companies the dispatcher is called the fleet manager.
Detroit Diesel. The DT60 became the most popular engine in heavy duty trucks in the 1990s. This was due to its reliability and fuel economy.
F. A salt shaker is a snow plow. Truckers call the snow plow a salt shaker because of it's ability to spread salt on the highways during icy conditions on the highway.
| What year saw the automotive industry produce more than 1 million trucks for the first time? | Classic American Trucks
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1941. A good number of these trucks were for the military. The United States government placed more than $5 billion in orders that year in response to WWII.
1955 GMC Suburban. Fiberglass was first found in the Suburban's smooth-sided cargo box sides. In addition, GMC offered its first V-8 engine in 1955.
Volkswagen. Germany's Volkswagen, with its forward-control Transporter, captured the automotive industry's attention in the 1960's. In addition to modest truck sales, Volkswagen found great success in the 1960's with the sales of their Volkswagen Type 1 cars, also known as the Beetle.
47,557. The 1961 line of Chevy Corvair trucks included a bus, panel delivery, and ramp-side pickup.
November 1944. All production restrictions were lifted August 20, 1945. Prior to the limitation, civilians feverishly purchased trucks in anticipation of future shortages.
The R-Series. One truck in the R-Series was the 2R5. This truck was a half-ton pickup that was the first to feature inboard running boards.
International. International joined the half-ton truck market with the Willys-Overland-built D1 starting in late 1932.
1924 TT. For most of the Twenties, Ford trucks consisted of the Model TT one-ton and adaptations of the Model T car.
| What is the minimum legal requirement for truck tyres and trailers in the U.K? | Trucks U.K.
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1mm. The legal limit for cars is 1.6mm across the tread. For some reason the minimum limit on trucks is 1mm across 3/4 of the tread.
| Scania and Volvo trucks are built by which country? | Trucks U.K.
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Sweden. Scania and Volvo are both built in Sweden, although they may have parts, etc. built elsewhere. In my experience they are the most favoured trucks by the majority of truckers in Europe, with Scania just edging it, although they may not be favoured by most companies as they are quite expensive along with the parts.
| What is the name of the table mounted centrally to the chassis behind the cab which is used to hook the tractor unit up to a trailer? | Trucks U.K.
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5th wheel. The 5th wheel is mounted at the rear of the cab and should be regularly serviced and greased. It has a wide opening at the rear to guide the king pin into position. When you are connecting under a trailer you remain as central as possible when the king pin is moved into the jaws of the 5th wheel. The jaws will automatically shut, connecting the trailer to the truck.
| What is the name of the pin centrally fitted near the front of a trailer which is used to connect the trailer to the truck? | Trucks U.K.
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King pin. The King pin is located underneath near the front of the trailer centrally and is used to connect the truck to the trailer. When the jaws of the 5th wheel lock into place (you can hear this as it makes a loud clunk sound) the driver should conduct a tug test by engaging a low forward gear and attempting to pull the trailer. Most drivers do this twice to ensure the jaws have locked into place. The trailer should not move unless the previous driver has left the shunt brake on.
| What colour generally is the shunt brake on a trailer? | Trucks U.K.
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Black. The shunt brakes are generally all black. They should be used only for shunting or in the case of a emergency. They are located at different positions depending on the make of the trailer.
| In Europe trucks are fitted with speed limiters by law. What is the maximum speed they can be set at? | Trucks U.K.
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56 mph. Any truck in Europe must be fitted with a speed limiter set at 56mph or less. Some haulers set them at slightly less, the only exception being for trucks older than 1988, even though the speed limit for trucks on motorways is 60mph.
| What is the maximum permissible gross weight of trucks in Europe in tonnes? | Trucks U.K.
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44. The maximum gross weight for trucks in Europe is 44 tonnes, the only exceptions being if you are not on the public highway, or you have STGO plates, and licence for abnormal loads, of which there are 3 categories. When one started trucking in the 1980s, it was 38 tonnes.
| What colour generally is the handbrake on a trailer? | Trucks U.K.
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Red. The handbrake on a trailer should be red and will be located somewhere on the chassis, depending on the make of the trailer. The shunt brake coloured black will be located next to it.
| The walkway located directly behind the cab used to connect all air and electrical lines is called what? | Trucks U.K.
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Cat walk. The cat walk is used to walk behind the cab to connect your 2 air lines, 2 electrical Suzie's and ABS line (if fitted). There are steps on the side of the truck (usually on the left) to enable you to climb onto the cat walk. Some trucks have the steps built into the fuel tank.
| When roping and sheeting a load on a truck or trailer, what is the name of the most commonly used knot, often referred to as the trucker's knot? | Trucks U.K.
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Dolly knot. The dolly knot is used by truckers to secure a load on a flatbed, sometimes in conjunction with a sheet. It is referred to as the dolly but to get extra tautness in the rope you can use a double dolly. In North America, they use the terminology of tarping, rather than roping and sheeting.
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