There are a lot of things that people don’t know about trucks. If you ask anyone, they would either not be interested in trucks or their information would be solely limited to what they see in movies. However, you’ll find it surprisingly beneficial to know about trucks, especially that there are multiple accidents across the states in which trucks were responsible for the deaths of many. So, if you’re interested to know about these vehicles, keep on reading to know 6 of the most interesting facts about them.
1. The Engine Can Last for Long
While most vehicles are able to keep operating for 200,000 miles. When they get past that threshold, they will need serious maintenance to keep them up and running. This can be unnoticeable for car drivers, as 200,000 miles equals about 11 years of driving. However, truckers can get past the threshold of 200,000 miles only in a couple of years, which is why truck engines are sturdier and trucks are generally designed to be more durable than regular vehicles. Nowadays you’ll even find engines of new semi-trucks that can last for about one million miles, which accounts for a considerable time for driving an 18-wheeler.
2. Driver Fatigue
Despite how sturdy trucks are, being a truck driver, whether you’re working for a company or have a truck of your own, is one of the most dangerous jobs around the world and especially in the U.S. There were about 5,250 fatal work accidents in 2018. 2,080 of these accidents (which makes up 40%) were due to transportation accidents. This number includes 966 of 18-wheelers, heavy and tractor-trailer drivers, which indicates how dangerous this line of work can be, despite the precautionary measures drivers take. Most truck accidents can be attributed to driver fatigue, as truck drivers are forced to drive for long hours every day of the week, which makes exhaustion an inevitable thing to occur.
3. Why They Are Used
Everyone realizes now how dangerous it can be to have trucks on the streets. However, it’s undeniable how we need trucks in the states as well. With almost 36 million registered trucks, semi-trucks move 71% of the nation’s freight, which includes food, heavy equipment, electronics and appliances, military machines, furniture, clothing, dangerous materials, vehicles, small homes, etc. Thus, if we don’t have 18-wheeler trucks on our streets, we won’t be able to get our groceries from the nearest grocery store, and we wouldn’t be enjoying the feats of technology that we have today, like automation and home safety technology.
4. Why Truck Accidents Occur
As we mentioned earlier, truck accidents can occur due to drivers’ fatigue who can be overworked with long hours of driving every day. However, there are other factors that can instigate a truck accident as well, like poor weather conditions or driving over loose surfaces This will force the driver to overcorrect, which can be disastrous, considering the excessive momentum of trucks that requires trucks to slow down before coming to a complete stop. Because of all of these dangers, manufacturers are doing their best to equip trucks with safety features like anti-lock brake systems (ABS).
5. Electric Trucks
You’ve probably already heard of Elon Musk’s Tesla. Cars were already becoming electric since 2008 all thanks to him. However, Musk is now trying his hand in the trucking industry as well. In 2017, Jerome Guillen was appointed the leader of the Tesla Semi program, but the production of these trucks isn’t going to begin until the end of 2020. Despite that, multiple industries have already placed orders on the Tesla Semis, as they’re expected to prove successful like the original Teslas.
6. Special Driving Skills
You think becoming a truck is an easy endeavor? Think again. There are multiple people who think that driving trucks will be as easy as driving a car, which can be true, but only to an extent. Both trucks and cars have brakes, transmission sticks, steering wheels, etc. However, there are other factors to be considered, like the fact that you’ll be driving a large, heavy vehicle on the road. In addition to that, trucks have one of the worst momenta, which means that the amount of reaction time you’ll have before using brakes will be shorter. In order to pass a driving test, you’ll have to get a commercial driver’s license.
Trucks can be fascinating, especially with how many types of trucks are on the market. If you’re not careful enough while driving a truck, though, you’ll be placing yourself in the danger of an accident. Make sure that you acquaint yourself with driving a large truck first before you decide to take a long ride.
