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- A truck is also known as a lorry.
- Trucks are vehicles generally used to transport various items, often large and heavy, from one place to another, and often special truck trailers can be attached to the vehicle.
- The word ‘truck’ was used as early as 1611, in reference to the special heavy duty wheels on the canon carriages of a ship, and by 1771 was used in reference to carts designed to carry heavy loads.
- Most trucks run on diesel, which gives better fuel economy.
- In many countries, a special licence (different to a general driver’s licence) is required for a person to be able to drive a truck.
- Trucks come in various shapes and sizes and have a cab, an engine, chassis, wheels, suspension, and sometimes a sleeping area in the cab, especially in large trucks designed to travel long distances.
- In 2011, Isuzu, a Japanese company, manufactured the most trucks in the world, producing 447,359 trucks in the year.
- In 2010 in the United States, there were 500,000 truck accidents with over 5,000 related deaths.
- The first motorised truck was built in 1896 by German Gottlieb Daimler, who also invented the first motorbike and taxi.
- There are numerous different types of trucks used for different purposes, including tip trucks, semi trucks, concrete trucks, fire trucks, refrigerated trucks.
Bibliography:
Truck, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truck>
