Did You Know? 8 Interesting Facts About 18 Wheelers
Check out who invented the first semi, engines, and more!
You may know how to drive one pretty darn well but did you know these interesting facts about semis?
Interesting Fun Facts About Semis
Road Trains
The maximum load trucks can haul in the US is 80,000 pounds. However, Australia allows “road trains,” or a tractor with four trailers attached to it hauling upward of 300,000 pounds!
Truck Engines
Semi-trailer truck engines are about six times larger than the average car engine, weighing 3,000 lbs. They give you up to 1,800 more pound-feet of torque because they have 300-600 more horsepower.
European Semis
European 18 wheelers have speed limiters that prevent them from going above 56 mph, while truckers in England aren’t allowed to smoke in their semis. Both of these might be great ideas to incorporate over here.
Central Truck Areas
There are 1,900,000 semi-trucks operating in the US, one-third are registered in California, Texas, and Florida. Unfortunately, there are only 3.2 million truck drivers.
Who Invented the First Semi?
In 1898, a vehicle manufacturer named Alexander Winton invented the first semi-truck as a solution to transport his cars to customers.
Mud Flaps
Do you know what the mud flaps do? They protect vehicles, passengers, and pedestrians from mud and debris that flies off a semi’s tires. They are also designed to improve airflow. reduce water spray (from the rain on the road), and make the vehicle more aerodynamic.
Miles and Gallons
Every year, an 18 wheeler goes through approximately 20,500 gallons of fuel. Compare this to the 500 gallons that passenger vehicles use per year. It’s estimated that trucks travel about 280 billion miles a year collectively.
Why Diesel?
Diesel fuel contains more usable energy than regular gasoline. It actually contains about 10 to 15 percent more energy than gas, making it much more efficient, because a truck can go 30 percent farther on the highway.
