Different Types of Trucks – Part III

There is no shortage of different types of trucks on the road. Drivers have long recognized the benefits of driving and owning trucks from commercial jobs to just being able to haul large items around. Trucks can pull a lot of weight, transport a lot of materials, and in winter climates are great for driving on dangerous snowy roads. Let’s explore some of the different truck options out there: dump trucks, sleeper trucks, semi trucks, dromedaries, and couriers. The trucking service serves a wide variety of industries from shops to restaurants to textiles and beverages. The trucking industry has helped establish states and industries since the earliest of times and has also assisted in the building and establishing of important road structures.

Dump Trucks

Dump trucks are the best for discharging a truck of its contents in a safe and efficient manner. Most often, a dump truck is open-topped, and its body can be tilted to slide the contents out. Common dump truck contents would include garbage to be picked up from residential houses or industrial or commercial work sites. With the truck’s body tilted, contents such as sand, gravel, or garbage are dumped out through the open tailgate.

Sleeper Trucks

Sleeper trucks have a sleeping compartment attached to the truck’s cabin. These types of trucks are used for long hauls like trucking companies whose drivers are traversing great distances for long periods of time. There are places along major highways where truckers can pull over and safely rest, to reduce the danger associated with driving long periods and the tendency to fall asleep at the wheel. Sleeper trucks helped define the industry so truckers could transport their goods across larger and larger distances.

Semi Trucks

Semi Truck, also known as ‘semis’, is a combination of a tractor unit and a semi-trailer for hauling freight. The semi-trailer attaches to the tractor via a fifth-wheel hitch. The tractor and the semi have a different design than a rigid trailer and truck would have. Semis can haul large amounts of weight and can be removed easily when delivered.

Dromedaries

Dromedaries, trucks with drom boxes, were much more commonplace between the 1940s and 60s. The goal of the drom box was to be able to increase the number of materials being hauled, without going over the allotted length limit. Currently, dromedaries are thought of as specialized rigs, which is why they are not so common. With the passing of the cabover age and length restrictions evolved, the dromedary became less and less common.

Couriers

Courier trucks are hired to deliver goods from one location to another. Courier trucks deliver their goods within a predetermined timeframe. Because hand-delivery is competent, goods generally arrive fast and in one piece. Courier trucks are more often used for smaller deliveries of smaller packages of goods. Courier trucks are used when a company or individual needs goods picked up from one location and delivered to another as quickly and safely as possible.

There is such a wide range of vehicles on the road today. Whether for recreational or business purposes, trucks are useful for a number of reasons. They are strong, fast, can haul and carry heavy cargo, and can be ideal to drive in dangerous driving conditions such as inclement weather and slippery roads. Trucking has a rich and far-reaching history as an essential means by which goods were delivered over large distances. Trucks also have played a vital role in the building of the nation’s major roadways. From semis to dromedaries, couriers and dump trucks, there is a different truck with features that suit every purpose.