Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Air Governor
A Dolly
This converter dolly has an A shaped drawbar that joins
at a single connection point to the trailer ahead of it. These
dollies can have one or more axles and are the most
common in usage.
Air Brake
Air brakes use compressed air to control friction between the
brake linings and the brake rotor / drum, which is mounted to
the wheel.
All-Wheel Drive
A vehicle in which all the wheels are drive wheels, such
as 4x4, 6x6, etc. Designed to improve on-road traction in
unfavorable road conditions or for ultra high performance
driving. In all-wheel drive vehicles, the transfer case receives
engine power from the transmission and delivers it to the
front and rear drive-shafts, then to the differentials and the
wheels, reducing wheel slippage and providing greater driver
control over the vehicle.
Articulated Bus
A bus, usually more than 55 feet in length, characterized by
two connected passenger compartments that bend or ex in
the middle and allow the bus to maneuver through curves or
around corners.
Air Compressor
Powered by the engine, this device draws air in and
compresses it, which increases its pressure.
Air Dryer
AF (Axle to Frame)
The measurement from the center of the rear axle to the end
of the frame rail.
A-Train
B Dolly
Auger
A shaft with a broad spiral ange rotating inside a cylindrical
casing to carry bulk material from one end of the shaft to the
other. Augers are used to unload cargoes such as grain from
grain trailers.
Beavertail
Auto Carrier
Belly Bin
Belly Dump
Bill of Lading
Blind Spot
Axle
Bobtail
Slang / jargon a tractor operating without a trailer.
Body
Boom
Axle Weight
Bafe
A wall or partition inside a liquid tank that inhibits the ow of
uids reducing the slosh effect that liquid tankers experience.
Bottle
Refers to the cargo tank of a truck or trailer designed to carry
liqueed or compressed gases. Examples include bottled
gas, propane, and butane.
Bottom Dump
Dry bulk bodies which empty by means of gravity alone
through the bottom. Sometimes referred to as hopper
bottoms or belly dumps.
Cab Forward
Bridge Formula
Truck or tractor design in which the cab sits over the engine
on the chassis. The cab-over is identied by the windshield
being located directly over the front bumper and driver more
or less directly over the steering axle.
B-Train
Cargo Weight
Cartage Company
Company that provides local (within a town, city or
municipality) pick-up and delivery.
Bulk Cargo
Loose and unpackaged, sometimes referred to as
aggregate cargo.
Bulk Hauler
Vehicle that carries a large quantity of a single dry, liquid
or gaseous commodity such as various types of grains,
chemicals, petroleum products, etc.
Bunk
C-Channel
Bunk
Slang-Jargon-See Sleeper.
Bulkhead
C Dolly
This converter dolly has two drawbars and attaches at two
connection points to the trailer ahead of it. These dollies can
have one or more axles and are considered more stable than
the common A dolly.
CA (Cab to Axle)
Measurement from the back of the cab to the center of the
rear axle.
Cab
CE (CF, CeoF)
CG (Center of Gravity)
Combination Vehicle
Commodity
Anything bought and sold.
Charter Bus
A bus that is operated on a for-hire basis, usually providing
round-trip service for a tour group or an outing, either on an
ad hoc or scheduled basis.
Common Carrier
Cheater Axle
Compactor
Chassis
Consignee
Clutch
Consignor
Container Chassis
Single-purpose semi-trailer consisting of a frame (no
oor, sides or roof) with locking devices for securing and
transporting a shipping container.
Contract Carrier
CNG
COE
See Cab-over.
Conventional
Engine forward of cab in power unit.
Converter Dolly
Disc Wheel
Crew Cab
Cross-members
Create the bridge between the outer frame rails, tying
the chassis together and providing additional load bearing
capacity. Cross-members are formed from stamped or
extruded beams in the form of C-Channels, I-beams or
hat sections.
Dolly
See Converter Dolly.
Cube Out
Cube Van
Drag Link
Curb Weight
See Chassis Weight.
Draw Bar
Day Cab
Drive Axle
Any axle that carries power from the engine to the wheels
that propel a truck or tractor. See AXLE.
Dead Axle
Driveline
All the components which together transmit power from
the transmission to the drive axle(s). These consist of at
least one driveshaft (propeller shaft) with a universal joint
at each end.
Deck Set
(Slang) for piggyback hauled trucks. See Piggyback.
Driveshaft
Dead-Heading
Drive-train (Power-train)
The drive-train includes all the components (engine,
transmission, driveshaft, differential and drive axles) which
transmit the engines power to the rear wheels.
Demountable Rim
Multi-piece steel wheel rim assembly which is bolted to a
spoke hub. Demountable rims are still in use, though they
have been replaced in many applications by the simpler disc
wheel. (see Cast Spoke Wheel)
Engine Retarder
Dual Wheels
Four wheels per axle rather than two.
Dump
A cargo body with a hydraulic, electric, or mechanical lifting
mechanism that tilts to unload cargo. DUMP includes side
dumps, walking dumps, atbed dumps, and dump trucks with
snow plows or blades.
EV (Electric Vehicle)
Vehicle powered by electric motor(s) rather than by an
internal combustion engine. Most common source of
electricity is chemical storage batteries.
Dumpster
A large metal container for garbage. The term is sometimes
used to describe refuse trucks. Dumpsters are different from
roll-off containers. A dumpster is usually kept at a garbage
collection point and not carried on a refuse truck.
Exempt Carrier
Company which transports commodities exempted
from Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)
economic regulation.
Dunnage
Loose materials (like padding) used around cargo to
prevent damage.
Expandable
Flatbed or pole trailers that can be expanded beyond their
regular length to carry larger shipments.
Eighteen Wheeler
Fan Clutch
Fifth Wheel
For-Hire Carrier
Flange
Upper and lower horizontal surfaces of a frame rail.
Flatbeds or Platforms
Gear Ratio
Frame Rails
Two parallel rails that run the length of the vehicle on either
side and provide the majority of its weight-bearing capacity.
Created by stamping steel or extruding aluminum alloys into
lengths with a C or L shaped cross section.
Glider Kit
Usually a cab and chassis without an engine or rear axles.
Used to rebuild a wrecked tractor.
Front-Loader
Gooseneck
Grade
Fuel
Gradeability
Full Trailer
Gross Out
Refers to gross weight. You may still have available hauling
space in your trailer, but are unable to take on more weight
per legal limits.
Garbage (Refuse)
Hazmat
Hazardous materials, as classied by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Transport of
hazardous materials is strictly regulated by the U.S.
Department of Transportation.
Headache Rack
Geared Speed
Head Ramp
ICC Bumper
Typically made out of 3 to 4 steel channel stock, usually
about 75% of the width of the trailer, suspended half the
distance from the trailer oor to the pavement with a strong
enough bracing to meet federal regulations governing underride guards.
Hoist
Refers to the lifting mechanism under cargo bodies
that dump.
In-Line Engine
In-line engines are named for the shape that their cylinders
form when you look at the engine from either end.
Conguration where all cylinders are in a single row.
Hopper Bottom
An open top cargo body capable of discharging its load
through a bottom opening without tilting. Sometimes referred
to as bottom dumps.
Inter-Axle Differential
Used on tandem axle vehicles and on all-wheel drive vehicles.
Just as the standard axle differential splits the engines power
to the two axle halves, the inter-axle differential splits the
power between the tandem axles. The inter-axle differential
compensates for tire slippage, mismatched tires between
axles and differences in wheel rotation during cornering.
Horsepower (hp)
Measure of power (the amount of work that can be done
over a given amount of time). One horsepower is dened as
33,000 foot-pounds of work in one minute. Example: Lifting
33,000 pounds one foot in one minute, or lifting 3300 pounds
ten feet in one minute.
Intermodal Container
Interstate
Intrastate
Trucking commerce within the same state.
Hot Shot
(Slang) - 1) a local freight hauler; 2) a one ton truck equipped
with a fth wheel for pulling light weight trailers.
Hours-Of-Service
Federal safety regulations which govern the hours of service
of commercial vehicle drivers engaged in interstate trucking
operations.
Hydraulic Brakes
Lessor
Jackknife
Lift Axle
Liquids in Bulk
This cargo category describes the contents of liquid tanks
that are not otherwise packaged. Examples include brine,
gasoline, whiskey mash, milk, drillers mud (90% water), oil,
septic waste, molten sulfur, sulfuric acid, water, tallow, live
sh if transported in water.
Jeep Dolly
A heavy-duty goose neck dolly usually with 2 or more axles
that support the front of a cradle frame for transporting large
objects or a heavy-duty lowboy trailer.
Livestock Carrier
JIT (Just-In-Time)
Loader
(1) an off road vehicle with a large bucket or shovel on the
front to move material, particularly dirt or debris. (2) refers to
a hydraulic mechanism mounted on a trailer or behind the
cab of a truck or tractor used to load cargo onto the trailer
or truck. Some logging industry trucks are equipped with log
loaders for loading fresh cut logs.
Kingpin (axle)
Pin around which a steer axles wheels pivot.
Kingpin (trailer)
Attaching pin on a semi-trailer that attaches to and pivots
within the fth wheel of a tractor or converter dolly.
Locking Differential
Locks left and right sides of an axle for improved traction.
Kompensator
This is a fth wheel that tilts side-to-side as well as up and
down. It is used with trailers with rigid frames that travel offroad, such as tankers or lowboys.
Logbook
Book carried by truck drivers in which they record their hours
of service and duty status for each 24-hour period.
Logging Trailers
Lowboy
Landing Gear
Lease
LPG
LTL (Less-Than-Truckload)
Lessee
LTL Carrier
Trucking company which consolidates less-than-truckload
cargo for multiple destinations on one vehicle.
Outrigger
Leg-like extensions used on the front and/or rear of
machinery to improve stability. Also, structural load-carrying
members attached to and extending from the main frame of
a trailer.
Michigan Doubles
A combination vehicle consisting of a tractor pulling two
trailers with a total of 11 axles, typically for hauling gravel
(dump trailers) or steel (atbed trailers).
Overdrive
Multi-Leaf Spring
Over-the-Road
Travel from one city to another, as distinct from travel in and
around the vehicles base.
Neck
Refers to the non-load bearing coupling portion of a trailer.
Owner-Operator
Net
P&D
No Tilt
Payload
Peddle Run
Ocean Container
Pigtail
Piggyback/Tow-away
Oileld Body
Operating Authority
The entity responsible for a truck being on the roadway. An
example would be if you own the truck and are transporting
your own cargo then you would be the operating authority;
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Pintle Hook
Coupling device used in double trailer, triple trailer and trucktrailer combinations. It has a curved, xed towing horn and
an upper latch that opens to accept the drawbar eye of a
trailer or dolly.
Pitman Arm
A bracket attached to the steering gear box that transfers the
movement of the steering wheel to turn the front wheels.
Planetary Gearing
Automatic transmissions use a torque converter to multiply
the available torque as the engine speeds up. Power from
the torque converter then enters an automatic transmissions
planetary gearing. The cosmic reference comes from the
arrangement of the gears, which is set up like the sun with
several planets revolving around it. Using a movement
principle similar to sliding gear manual transmissions,
these planetary gears are engaged by a series of multiple
disc clutches.
Pull Trailer
Pulpwood
Logs (usually shorter and smaller in diameter) used for
making pulp to manufacture paper.
Pup Trailer
Pusher Axle
The non-powered axle placed ahead of a powered rear axle
on a vehicle.
Pole Trailers
A logging trailer. Consists of a set of axles with a cradle to
hold logs and a long, sometimes adjustable pole attached to
the rear of a power unit. Usually has bunks for holding logs.
The center portion of the trailer may be adjustable in order to
accommodate loads of different lengths.
R
Racks
Pole Truck
Railway Container
A cargo container that can be loaded or stacked on a railroad
at car.
Pony Axle
(Slang) for a smaller diameter wheel attached to a lift axle.
Rear Loader
Power Unit
Reefer
Private Carrier
A company which maintains its own trucks to transport
its own freight. The principal business activity of a private
carrier is not transportation. (see For-Hire Carrier)
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Refuse
Retarder
Scissors Lift
S Cam
Rig
Setback Axle
Semi-trailer
Truck trailer supported at the rear by its own wheels and
at the front by a fth wheel mounted to a tractor or dolly.
A semi-trailer has no front axle and cannot stand without
support. Semi-trailers are pulled by tractors only.
Road-Railer
Shipping Weight
Side Loader
Rolling Radius
Single-Source Leasing
Roll-Off Container
Slack Adjuster
A part of the air brake system. Specically, the slack
adjuster compensates for wear in the brake linings, ensuring
that the distance between the brake linings and drums
is always the same. Both manual and automatic slack
adjusters are available.
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Sleeper
Seen most commonly as the connection point for autocarriers, but are also seen on some logging rigs. The
inverted fth wheel is mounted behind the rear axles, at the
very end of the tractor, less than a foot off the ground.
Synchronized Transmission
Transmission with built-in mechanisms to automatically
equalize the speed of its gears to allow smooth shifting
without the need to double-clutch.
Speedability
Tandem Axle
Refers to a pair of axles at the rear of the power unit (tractor
or straight truck) or trailer. For power units, if described as a
tandem, usually indicates the number of drive axles on the
power unit.
Stake Body
A atbed with sides or stakes to retain the load.
Tanker
Steerable Dolly
Steering Axle
An axle through which directional control of the vehicle is
applied. It may be powered or not and there may be more
than one steering axle on a single unit.
Step Bumper
Tanker Liquid/Gas
Step Van
Taper-Leaf Spring
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Transmission
Tri-Axle - Tridem
Truck, tractor or trailer with three axles grouped together.
TL (Truckload)
Trip Leasing
TL Carrier
Trucking company which dedicates trailers to a single
shippers cargo, as opposed to an LTL (Less Than
Truckload) carrier which transports the consolidated cargo of
several shippers and makes multiple deliveries.
Truck
Torque
Tube Trailer
Turnpike Doubles
A combination vehicle consisting of a tractor pulling two 40 to
53 foot semi-trailers.
Torque Converter
Automatic transmissions use a torque converter to multiply
the available torque as the engine speeds up. Power from
the torque converter then enters an automatic transmissions
planetary gearing.
Turntable
A circular platform mounted under the front of a full trailer or
a jeep dolly to which an axle or axles are attached, allowing
the axles to pivot in a turning maneuver.
Toter
Twin Screw
Tractor
Tractor Trailer
ULEV
Transfer Case
ULSD
Upper Coupler
Transfer Dump
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Under-ride Guard
Wheelbase
Winch Truck
Universal Joint
Wrecker
A truck designed for hoisting and towing disabled vehicles.
Upside Down
Yard Jockey
Person who operates a yard tractor.
Van
A cargo body style with a totally enclosed cargo area.
Included are beverage vans, or bay vans, and sealed
shipping containers mounted on a special bodiless chassis.
V-engine
V-engines are named for the shape that their cylinders form
when you look at the engine from either end. In the case of
the V, the cylinder heads are offset from one another by less
than 180 degrees, hence the V shape.
W
Walking Beam Suspension
Type of truck and tractor rear suspension consisting of two
beams, one at each side of the chassis, which pivot in the
center and connect at the front to one axle of a tandem and
at the rear to the other axle.
Walking Floor
Also known as a live bottom, a type of dump trailer with a
conveyor belt or chain running down the center of the oor of
the trailer to unload the cargo.
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