There are different types of trucks and trailers on the roads out there. This is not difficult to notice, as you will often find cargo of various shapes and sizes being carried by vehicles that will be able to carry them. In this article, we will introduce to you some of the various types of trucks and trailers and the goods they carry.
Firstly, it is important to agree on what we would classify as a truck or a trailer. A vehicle with a cab in front and a box at the back or a flatbed carriage can be called a truck or trailer. In some trucks, there can even be two layers of beds to carry cargo on two levels.
Automotive
Automotive transport basically refers to the transportation of vehicles, most commonly cars. Automotive trainers are ideally speciality trailers, about which we will speak later, but they are the most common and significant ones by far. They often come in two levels with a clever arrangement of planks and levers to hold the cars up there. These trailers are designed to carry very heavy loads. You can go to a1autotransport.com to calculate how much shipping your car from one place to another would cost.
Refrigerated
Refrigerated or temperature-controlled trailers are used to ferry special items such as foods or perishable goods. They are not usually used over very long distances. However, their significance is maximum. If you are lucky, you will find them driving along on the roads near you!
Flatbeds
The most common type of truck that ever existed is the flatbed truck. Flatbeds have a cab in the front which is manned by the driver and his assistant and there is a flatbed at the back for carrying the cargo. Flatbeds are used to carry everything from shipping containers to other smaller items. These trucks can be configured to carry specific items, such as in the extendable flatbed trailer, which can carry cargo up to 80 feet long without the worry of the carry hanging off the edge.
Skip Loader Trucks
Skip loader trucks are usually used in waste handling and management. They clear out the rubbish from your dustbins each morning and deliver it to the processing facility or depository unit concerned. The flatbed on these trucks have a box with an open top and levers which can move the box and allow for the swift unloading of waste.
Specialty
Specialty trucks are used to carry specific cargo. These are custom made. They can have any shape and any size, so it is difficult to describe them in a certain format. Specialty trucks are available to trucking companies but usually, they are used by agencies which deal with special goods. Anything from aeroplane parts to windmills can be shipped on these.
Lowboy
Lowboys are chosen to haul very heavy loads that cannot be carried by other trailers. The weight of the load they are carrying depends totally on the number of axles. Due to the nature of the load they carry lowboy trailers often operate with special permits.
Dry Vans or Enclosed Trailers
You have probably seen one of these. Dry vans are basically modified flatbed trailers. They have a flatbed which is enclosed by a box. This makes them suitable for carrying any type of cargo which requires internal storage but no temperature control. Irregular loose items of different kinds can be packed into these. This is the type of truck that delivers your mail each morning or your shipments and parcels from the online store.
As you see the different types of trucks and trailers out on the roads. They are employed for various purposes. There are operational rules that vary from country to country. Interestingly enough, if a truck belongs to a certain nation and it crosses over with international cargo to another country it will have to follow the new rules. Long distance truck and trailer drivers are often acquainted with this.
There is a lot more to know about trucks and trailers. These large vehicles that ply on the roads with the world’s cargo on their backs are definitely important for our economy and our future.