| A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle for | | | | Electric starters, power brakes, 4, 6, |
| transporting goods. The word "truck" | | | | and 8 cylinder engines, closed cabs, and |
| comes from the Greek "trochos", meaning | | | | electric lighting followed. The first |
| "wheel". In America, the big wheels of | | | | modern semi-trailer trucks also |
| wagons were called trucks. When the | | | | appeared. Touring car builders such as |
| gasoline engine-driven trucks came into | | | | Ford and Renault entered the heavy truck |
| fashion, these were called "motortrucks" | | | | market. |
| and the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV)). The | | | | Diesel engines |
| British term is, however, only used for | | | | Although it had been invented in 1890, |
| the medium and heavy types (see below), | | | | the diesel engine was not common in |
| i.e. a van, a pickup or a SUV would | | | | trucks in Europe until the 1920s. In the |
| never be regarded as a "lorry". Other | | | | United States, it took much longer for |
| languages have loanwords based on these | | | | diesel engines be accepted: gasoline |
| terms, such as the Malay lori and the | | | | engines were still in use on heavy |
| Mexican Spanish troca (or pickup in | | | | trucks in the 1970s, while in Europe |
| northern Mexico). | | | | they had been completely replaced 20 |
| In Australia and New Zealand a small | | | | years earlier. |
| vehicle with an open back is called a | | | | Legal issues |
| ute (short for "utility vehicle") and | | | | Commercial Trucks in the US pay higher |
| the word "truck" is reserved for larger | | | | road use taxes on a State level than |
| vehicles. | | | | other road vehicles, and are subject to |
| Steam trucks | | | | extensive regulation. Here are a few |
| Trucks and cars have a common ancestor: | | | | reasons Commercial Trucks pay higher |
| the steam-powered "fardier" | | | | road use taxes: bigger and heavier than |
| Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built in 1769. | | | | most other vehicles, and cause more wear |
| However, steam trucks were not common | | | | and tear per hour on roadways; and |
| until the mid-1800s. The roads of the | | | | trucks and their drivers are on the road |
| time, built for horse and carriages, | | | | for more hours per day. UPS vehicles are |
| limited these vehicles to very short | | | | called 'package cars' in the US, because |
| hauls, usually from a factory to the | | | | that exempted them from certain |
| nearest railway station. The first | | | | tax-rates. Rules on use taxes differ |
| semi-trailer appeared in 1881, towed by | | | | among jurisdictions. |
| a De Dion steam tractor. Steam-powered | | | | Most jurisdictions have rules for |
| trucks were sold in France and the | | | | commercial vehicles, regulating how many |
| United States until the eve of World War | | | | hours a driver may be on the clock, how |
| I, and the beginning of World War II in | | | | much rest and sleep time is required |
| the United Kingdom. | | | | (e.g., 11hrs on/10hrs off, and 34hrs off |
| Internal combustion | | | | over every 7 days), and many other |
| In 1895 Karl Benz designed and built the | | | | rules. Violations are often subject to |
| first truck in history using the | | | | significant penalties. Instruments to |
| internal combustion engine. Later that | | | | track each driver's hours must often be |
| year some of Benz's trucks were modified | | | | fitted. |
| to become the first buses by the | | | | Trucks are subject to noise emission |
| Netphener, the first bus company in | | | | requirements (emanating from the U.S. |
| history. Three years later, in 1898, | | | | Noise Control Act) in order to protect |
| another internal combustion engine truck | | | | the public from noise health effects, |
| was built by Gottlieb Daimler. Other | | | | since trucks contribute |
| companies, such as Peugeot and Renault, | | | | disproportionately to roadway noise due |
| also built their own versions. Trucks of | | | | to elevated stacks and intense tire and |
| the era mostly used two-cylinder engines | | | | aerodynamic noise characteristics. |
| and had a carrying capacity of 1500 to | | | | The Bridge Law deals with the relation |
| 2000 kg. In 1904, 700 heavy trucks were | | | | between the gross weight of the truck |
| built in the United States, 1000 in | | | | and the amount of axles and the spacing |
| 1907, 6000 in 1910, and 25000 in 1914. | | | | between axles wheel base the truck has. |
| After World War I, several advances were | | | | Each State determines the minimum and |
| made: pneumatic tires replaced the | | | | maximum permissible weight per axle. |
| previously common full rubber versions. | | | | |