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Semi-Truck and Dump Trucks

Semi-Trucks

Semi-trucks, as the name describes, are components of trucks that have an engine, a cab for the driver, and wheels. If you are planning to buy or sell semi-trucks, you must know the following things about semi-trucks.

1) Difference Between Commercial Trucks and Semi-trucks

Commercial trucks are any kind of trucks that have a powerful engine, carrier, and permanently attached rear. The rear part of commercial trucks may have attached trailers, special utility mechanisms such as a concrete mixture, or a truck-mounted crane, or a simple box carrier.

The semi-trucks are the combination of semi-trailers or only trailers and the engine part of the truck that drags the trailer. These components can be detached and replaced with other attachments as per the need. Although semi-trucks are referred to the engine part only, today the combination of a semi-trailer and the engine is known as a semi-truck. The original semi-trucks have powerful engines and are capable of running on their own, unlike the semi-trailers.

2) Uses and Applications

Semi-trucks are generally used for transportation purposes. The other applications of semi-trucks may differ depending on the type of trailer or carrier attached to it. Some common types of semi-trailers or carriers attached to these trucks include the flatbed trailer, dry van, reefer trailer, water carrier, concrete mixer, crane, and other mechanical attachments.

3) Efficiency of the Engines

Semi-truck engines size-wise and weight-wise are up to 6x larger than car engines. These trucks have engines that last longer than any other types of heavy duty trucks and vehicles. These engines have a life expectancy of around one million kilometers and can range up to 1000 horsepower.

4) Semi-ochophobia

Although there is no specific name for the fear of trucks, the name has derived from ‘ochophobia’ which means the fear of vehicles. Hence, ‘semi-ochophobia’ means the fear of semi-trucks. People, especially car drivers often experience this fear and anxiety when they see semi-trucks on roads. They tend to panic and try to get away from semi-trucks as soon as possible. Several accidents have been reported in Edmonton because of semi-ochophobia.

5) Blind Spots

The driver of a semi-truck cannot see the areas in the front, behind, and on both sides of the truck’s rig or body. These areas are known as the blind spots. The smaller the vehicle, the harder it is to see for the truck driver. This is one reason why a lot of accidents take place between the semi-trucks and cars or other smaller vehicles around them.

Dump Trucks

For any construction purpose, using dump trucks increases the speed of work and reduces the extra human effort needed to transport the raw material. The benefits of a dump truck are many, however, while considering various dump trucks for sale, it is important to scrutinize the different types of dump trucks that are available in the market. You would not like to put in extra money in features that are not needed for your construction purpose. Here’s a look at some basic things to take into account when buying a new dump truck.
  1. Engine

The most important thing that allows the truck to work and take heavy load is its engine. For heavy load work, buying a dump truck with a power output of 300 to 600 horsepower (HP) is desirable. The trucks with lower power output are good for lightweight objects. Based on the construction work you generally perform, select the right power engine.

Along with this, checking the working condition of the engine is important. Also, check if the engine is well-lubricated before buying the dump truck. For this purpose, you can check for any friction noise that the engine produces when it lacks lubrication.

  1. Transmission

Dump truck transmission is either manual or automatic. While manual transmission provides better performance due to a wide range of gear options, the automatic one comes with a flexible torque converter. Both the types have their own advantages. Manual allows you to control the gear based on the engine’s speed while automatic reduces the strain for the driver to adjust to different gears every time. When speaking about price, automatic ones are quite expensive. Based on your need and budget, you can choose the right type of transmission for your truck.

  1. Load Volume Capacity

A dump truck is used to carry raw materials to your construction sites. Hence, the load capacity is a very important factor that needs to be considered. If the dump truck for sale is unable to carry the load of the material you want to, it will not be useful for you. It’s always better to buy a dump truck which is able to carry the sufficient load as per your requirements instead of buying two or more dump trucks for carrying the same volume of materials. Moreover, it will reduce your labor cost as well. Therefore, buy a truck that provides load capacity according to your construction work.

  1. Number of Axles

For heavy loads, it is desirable to buy dump trucks with a minimum of two rear axles. Also, as the government of various provinces has some regulations on the number of axles to be used based on the load capacity, checking the number of axles in the dump truck for sale becomes essential.

  1. Complete Inspection

You are investing your money in the dump truck, and you would not want to repair it within a few months of buying it. Having a complete inspection is, therefore, important. Check for the brakes, gears, doors, seats, paint of the body, lubricated parts, fuel tank, and all other parts of the truck before purchasing a dump truck.