Facts About Trucks

FACTS ABOUT TRUCKS SEMI ENGINE VS. CAR ENGINE Semi engines are up to 6X LARGER than car engines, size and weight wine An average semi engine has Car enginos have on averago 400-600 HORSEPOWER 100 - 200 HORSEPOWER 1-2 THOUSAND FT. LB. OF TORQUE 100 -200 FT. LB. OF TORQUE The semi engine is designed to go Car engines last for about 1,000,000 MILES 150K - 200K MILES boforo an overhaul or robuild. Semi engines are designed to RUN NONSTOP The only timo you must shut thom down is to change the oil and service theA engina, or to follow anti-idlo laws. Semi engines can hold Car ongines toko on avorago 15 + GALLONS OF OIL 4-6 QUARTS OF OIL The Somi ongine will typically havo Car onginos typically havo 12. GEARS 4-5 GEARS TURBO CHARGERS are a standard component of most somi truck onginos The semi engine will bo equipped with an AIR-BREAKING SYSTEM That is without any oversize or overwoight permits. In comparison, the average automobile weighs over somewhere pround S.000 Ibs. LEGAL WEIGHT 80,000 LBS. (40 TONS) Legal U.S. welght per axle Is: Steor: 12,000 Ibs; drives: 34,000 Ibs: trailer: 34,000 Ibs. 36287 kg Canadian Logal Canada welght per axle is: Steor S443 kg: drivas: 15422 kg: trailer: 15422 kg. DIMENSIONS -70- 80FT The avorage length of an eighteen wheeler varies greatly depending on the type of cab they are driving. The length of an eighteen wheeler's cab is measured from the center of the rear wheel to the center of the steer. 13' 6" STANDARD HEIGHT 245" - 265" WHEELBASE LENGTH OF TIME NEEDED TO STOP 40% GREATER TIME NEEDED THAN CARS STOP STOP Some factors are: - Load weight - Bobtailing · Road conditions 55 FT. TURNING RADIUS AVERAGE TURNING RADIUS 24 FT. ROAD WIDTH (General U.S. Iane width is 12 ft.) COST $30,000 - $80,00 $130,000 - $180,000 UP TO $260.000 OR MORE THE FIFTH WHEEL The fifth wheel on an 18 wheeler is a round plate above the drive tires that e at couples (hooks together) the trailer to the truck. The most common amount of goars in an 18 whooler today is Doublo Clutching and "Floating" GEARS 10 FORWARD 2 REVERSE Eighteen wheeler drivers use a "double-clutch" tochnique for shifting. It is much different to drive a truck compared to a car with a standard transmission. In a car the rpm's match up and in a truck they do not therefore the clutch is depressed and then depressed again to "match" the gears with the rpm's. Most drivers use what they call "floating" which doos NOT use the clutch at all excopt to start and stop. "Floating" is an acquired skill that takes some practice to get used to, It saves fuel [when done properly) and savos wear and tear on the equipment. "Floating" is the preferred method. Bobtaling Ia the term used when a truck la driving WITHOUT the traller attached. BOBTAILING Trucks handle very differently whon bobtailing, often making them more dangerous, especially in wet weather. Tandem sometimes Incorrectly refers to a set of TWo tiros on a tractor-trailor. TANDEM Howaver, these are more commonly known as double wheels, dual tires, or 'dualies They are used for safety (redundancy) so if one tire blows the others will continue to hold up until the tire is repaired. The corroct definition of Tandom Is a sot of two axlos, with ono axlo Immedlatoly following the othor. By distributing the load over two axles, each axle boars less weight. Becouse there ore lows limiting the amount of waight that can be carried on each axle, distributing the weight over more axles allows a greater total amount of weight to be carried. A Jack-knife accidentia when tha trailer contacts the tractor by the traller "coming around" on the driver. JACK-KNIFE ACCIDENT It is said that once a trailer exceads a 45 degree angle, compared to the tractor, that a jack-knifo is inevitable. This can bo causod my many things and happena when the trailer wheels start to skid and actually ends up moving faster than the cab. Usually this happens on icy or wet roads but it can happen on dry roads when the trailor is and the driver has to do empty some very hard braking. > 45° = JACK-KNIFE INEVITABLE A kingpin is a hoavy metal tal cylindrical that is locatod undornoath the front ond of the trallor. KINGPIN The kingpin is the mechanism on the trailer that locks it to a road tractor. It is typically positioned between 18" to 48 from the trailoer nose. A greased metal grid plate surrounds the kingpin. This grid plate allows the fifth whool to slide underneath the trailor. When the tractor is backed into the nose of a trailer, the fifth whoel pivots and slides undorneath tho trailor's grid plate. The fifth wheel then locks onto the trailer's king pin. An olghteen wheelor has a total of 5 axlos. AXLES euroasiatrucks.com