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Truck

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A truck is a special motor vehicle built for work.

Freightliner M2 106 6x4 2014 (14240376744)
Freightliner M2 106 6x4 2014 (14240376744)

Most trucks are made using body-on-frame construction. This means the cabin for the driver is separate from the part that carries the load. Trucks can be used to move freight or carry specialized tools. Some trucks are built to mix concrete or pick up trash.

34th St 2nd Av td (2018-11-20) 07
34th St 2nd Av td (2018-11-20) 07

In America, a truck that pulls a trailer is called a tractor. A truck without a trailer is called a straight truck. These vehicles are essential for moving goods across the world.

How a truck works depends on its engine. Many large trucks use diesel engines to move heavy loads.

Foden Diesel Truck (40746179963)
Foden Diesel Truck (40746179963)

Some smaller trucks in North America use gasoline engines instead. In places like China and Europe, electric power is very popular.

President Biden Ford F150 Lightning 05 20 2021
President Biden Ford F150 Lightning 05 20 2021

Electric trucks use batteries to run their motors. This was common in the 1920s for city deliveries. Today, new battery technology is making electric trucks useful for even more jobs. The way a truck is built helps it handle different weights.

Trucks have a very long history of changing. In the mid-19th century, steam wagons were used for short trips.

1924-Super-Sentinel
1924-Super-Sentinel

These wagons often moved goods from a factory to a railway station. Karl Benz built the first internal combustion truck in 1895.

DMG-Lastwagen von 1896
DMG-Lastwagen von 1896

Gottlieb Daimler built another version just one year later. In the United States, Autocar built the first truck in 1899. George Eldridge also built an early American truck in 1903.

1903EldridgeTruck
1903EldridgeTruck

These early machines were much smaller than the trucks we see today.

There are many different sizes of trucks. Very light trucks are often used on golf courses or in parks.

Might-E Truck
Might-E Truck

In Japan, small mini-trucks follow special Kei car laws to save on taxes.

池袋 (16203352225)
池袋 (16203352225)

Light trucks are about the size of a car. Medium trucks are larger and often work in public services.

Rapperswil - Seestrasse Feuerwehr Rapperswil-Jona 2011-06-19 15-24-18 ShiftN
Rapperswil - Seestrasse Feuerwehr Rapperswil-Jona 2011-06-19 15-24-18 ShiftN

Heavy trucks are the largest and are known as Class 8 vehicles. These huge trucks can carry very heavy things like ore in mines.

Liebherr T282
Liebherr T282

People around the world use different names for these vehicles. In the United States, people say "truck." In the United Kingdom, they often use the word "lorry."

In Australia, a pickup truck is often called a ute. In South Africa, people call them bakkies. In India and Pakistan, trucks are often very colorful and decorated.

Truck Pakistan
Truck Pakistan

No matter what they are called, trucks help keep our world moving.

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🖼️ Images & Media (43)
File:Freightliner_M2_106_6x4_2014_(14240376744).jpg
Freightliner_M2_106_6x4_2014_(14240376744).jpg
File:1924-Super-Sentinel.jpg
1924-Super-Sentinel.jpg
File:DMG-Lastwagen von 1896.jpg
DMG-Lastwagen von 1896.jpg
File:1903EldridgeTruck.jpg
1903EldridgeTruck.jpg
File:Foden_Diesel_Truck_(40746179963).jpg
Foden_Diesel_Truck_(40746179963).jpg
File:1911WalkerElectricTruck-2.jpg
1911WalkerElectricTruck-2.jpg
File:President Biden Ford F150 Lightning 05 20 2021.jpg
President Biden Ford F150 Lightning 05 20 2021.jpg
File:Finlaysonin Mannesmann Mulag-auto.jpg
Finlaysonin Mannesmann Mulag-auto.jpg
File:Trucks parked in USA.jpg
Trucks parked in USA.jpg
File:Truck Pakistan.jpg
Truck Pakistan.jpg
File:Might-E Truck.jpg
Might-E Truck.jpg
File:Mitsubishi Motors Minicab MiEV Truck (Prototype).jpg
Mitsubishi Motors Minicab MiEV Truck...

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