TRUCK TERMS GLOSSARY

Air Governor

An air governor regulates the amount of pressure in the air

system at all times by automatically starting and stopping the
air compressor.

ABS (Antilock Braking System)

Computer, sensors and solenoid valves which together
monitor wheel speed and modulate braking force if wheel
lockup is sensed during braking. Helps the driver retain
control of the vehicle during heavy braking on slippery roads.

Air Lift Axle (Lift Axle)

An air-powered axle which, when lowered, will both convert
a vehicle into a multi-axle unit and provide greater load
carrying capacity.

A Dolly
This converter dolly has an A shaped drawbar that joins
at a single connection point to the trailer ahead of it. These
dollies can have one or more axles and are the most
common in usage.

Air Reservoir System

The reservoir system consists of usually cylindrical air
tanks that are used to store the air from the compressor
until needed.

AFV (Alternative Fueled Vehicle)

Air Ride Suspension

Vehicle powered by a fuel other than gasoline or diesel.

Suspension which supports the load on air-lled rubber bags

rather than steel springs. Compressed air is supplied by
the same engine-driven air compressor and reservoir tanks
which provide air to the air brake system.

Air Brake
Air brakes use compressed air to control friction between the
brake linings and the brake rotor / drum, which is mounted to
the wheel.

All-Wheel Drive
A vehicle in which all the wheels are drive wheels, such
as 4x4, 6x6, etc. Designed to improve on-road traction in
unfavorable road conditions or for ultra high performance
driving. In all-wheel drive vehicles, the transfer case receives
engine power from the transmission and delivers it to the
front and rear drive-shafts, then to the differentials and the
wheels, reducing wheel slippage and providing greater driver
control over the vehicle.

Air Brake Chamber

Pressurized air from the air reservoir enters the brake
chamber through the air inlet. This air presses against a
diaphragm that in turn exerts force on a push rod.

Air Can Trailer

Slang / jargon for a pneumatic tank trailer for transporting
solids in bulk.

Articulated Bus
A bus, usually more than 55 feet in length, characterized by
two connected passenger compartments that bend or ex in
the middle and allow the bus to maneuver through curves or
around corners.

Air Compressor
Powered by the engine, this device draws air in and
compresses it, which increases its pressure.

Air Dryer

ATA (American Trucking Associations)

Removes dirt and moisture, reducing the possibility of

corrosion and moisture in the brake system.

A national federation of independent and autonomous truck

carrier conferences and state trucking associations. Includes
Regular Common Carrier Conference, National Tank Truck
Carriers Conference.

AF (Axle to Frame)
The measurement from the center of the rear axle to the end
of the frame rail.

ATC (Automatic Traction Control)

Usually an optional feature based on ABS, it prevents
spinning of the drive wheels under power on slippery
surfaces by braking individual wheels and/or reducing
engine throttle.

Air Freight Container

A small light weight cargo container often made out of ber
glass designed to hold cargoes that are shipped in airplanes.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

A-Train

B Dolly

Slang / jargon- a truck tractor pulling more than one trailer

connected by A dollies.

A fth wheel mounted on one or more axles that are

permanently attached and extend off the rear of a semitrailer, most commonly used on atbeds or tank trailers.

Auger
A shaft with a broad spiral ange rotating inside a cylindrical
casing to carry bulk material from one end of the shaft to the
other. Augers are used to unload cargoes such as grain from
grain trailers.

Beavertail

Auto Carrier

Belly Bin

A hinged ramp(s) on the end of a atbed trailer enabling

vehicles or heavy equipment to drive onto the trailer. These
ramps can be powered by a hydraulic mechanism.

Specialized multi-decked trailer and/or power unit specically

used to transport automobiles.

Boxes attached under the oor of a trailer. May carry cargo,

but more often used for carrying spare parts.

AVI (Automatic Vehicle Identication)

Belly Dump

System combining an on-board transponder with roadside

receivers to automate identication of vehicles. Uses include
electronic toll collection and stolen vehicle detection.

Another name for a HOPPER BOTTOM trailer, both empty

their load from underneath via gravity.

Bill of Lading

AVL (Automated Vehicle Location)

Itemized list of goods contained in a shipment. A contract

between the shipper and the carrier that includes freight
origin and destination, description, and weight.

Class of technologies designed to locate vehicles for eet

management purposes and for stolen vehicle recovery.
Infrastructure can be land-based radio towers or satellites.

Blind Spot

Axle

Areas around a commercial vehicle not visible to the driver

either through the windshield, side windows, or mirrors.

Structural component to which wheels, brakes and

suspension are attached. Axle designations such as 4x2,
6x4, etc.: the number of wheels followed by the number
of wheels driving, each axle assumed to have one wheel at
each end, e.g., 6x4 is 6 wheels total, 4 driving, thus, a 3-axle
power unit with 2 drive axles.

Bobtail
Slang / jargon a tractor operating without a trailer.

Body

Drive axles are those with powered wheels.

Front axle is usually called the steer axle.
Pusher axles are unpowered and go ahead of
drive axles.
Rear axles may be drive, tag or pusher types.
Tag axles are unpowered and go behind drive axles.

The payload-carrying or work-performing structure thats

mounted directly on a truck chassis.

Bogie (also spelled bogey)

Assembly of two or more axles, usually a pair in tandem.

Boom

Axle Weight

A lifting mechanism. May be mounted on or as part of the

cargo body of a truck. Booms are common on utility trucks
or atbeds.

Amount of weight carried by one axle.

Booster (Axle or Dolly)

Usually at the rear of a truck and employs hydraulics to shift
some of the load weight onto the vehicles main axles.

Bafe
A wall or partition inside a liquid tank that inhibits the ow of
uids reducing the slosh effect that liquid tankers experience.

Bottle
Refers to the cargo tank of a truck or trailer designed to carry
liqueed or compressed gases. Examples include bottled
gas, propane, and butane.

BBC (Bumper to Back of Cab)

The distance from the front bumper to the back of the
truck cab.

Bottom Dump
Dry bulk bodies which empty by means of gravity alone
through the bottom. Sometimes referred to as hopper
bottoms or belly dumps.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

Brake Horsepower (bhp)

Cab Forward

Engine horsepower rating as determined by brake

dynamometer testing. (see Horsepower)

Similar to a cab-over in that the cab is positioned ahead of

the engine. Most commonly seen on refuse trucks and some
construction equipment.

Bridge Formula

Cab-over (Cab-Over-Engine, COE)

A bridge protection formula used by federal and state

governments to regulate the amount of weight that can be
put on each of a vehicles axles, and how far apart the axles
(or groups of axles) must be to legally carry a given weight.

Truck or tractor design in which the cab sits over the engine
on the chassis. The cab-over is identied by the windshield
being located directly over the front bumper and driver more
or less directly over the steering axle.

B-Train

Cargo Weight

Slang / jargon a truck tractor pulling two semi-trailers where

the second trailer sits on a fth wheel that is permanently
attached and extends off the rear of the lead trailer. Most
commonly used on atbeds or tank trailers. The B train is
considered a more stable double trailers conguration.

Combined weight of all loads, gear and supplies on

a vehicle.

Cartage Company
Company that provides local (within a town, city or
municipality) pick-up and delivery.

Bulk Cargo
Loose and unpackaged, sometimes referred to as
aggregate cargo.

Cast Spoke Wheel

Wheel with ve or six spokes originating from a center hub.
The spoked portion, usually made of cast steel, is bolted to a
multiple-piece steel rim.

Bulk Hauler
Vehicle that carries a large quantity of a single dry, liquid
or gaseous commodity such as various types of grains,
chemicals, petroleum products, etc.

CB (Citizens Band Radio)

Wall-like structure used at the front of a atbed or back of the

power unit to protect against damage from shifting cargo, or
a wall inside any trailer that partitions the load.

Two-way radio for which no license is required by the

Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Long beyond
its heyday in the 70s, CB is still used by truckers and
motorists for everything from trafc condition reports to
emergency calls to idle chatter.

Bunk

C-Channel

Cradle-like metal up-right brackets mounted on a log truck or

trailer to hold the logs. Sometimes referred to as bolsters.

A frame rail created by stamping steel or extruding aluminum

alloys into lengths with a C shaped cross-section.

Bunk

CDL (Commercial Drivers License)

Slang-Jargon-See Sleeper.

License which authorizes an individual to operate

commercial motor vehicles and buses over 26,000 pounds
gross vehicle weight.

Bulkhead

C Dolly
This converter dolly has two drawbars and attaches at two
connection points to the trailer ahead of it. These dollies can
have one or more axles and are considered more stable than
the common A dolly.

CA (Cab to Axle)
Measurement from the back of the cab to the center of the
rear axle.

Cab

CE (CF, CeoF)

The enclosed compartment in a vehicle in which the

driver sits.

Distance from back of a trucks cab to the end of its frame.

CG (Center of Gravity)

Cab & Chassis (CC or C&C)

Weight center or balance point of an object, such as a truck

body. Calculated to help determine optimum placement of
truck bodies on chassis.

Most trucks are sold as a frame and running gear (chassis)

with a cab. The cargo body or fth wheel is added by the
purchaser or a body builder.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

Charge Air Cooler

Combination Vehicle

Used in conjunction with a turbocharger, it is a means by

which the efciency of the turbocharger can be increased.
Charge air coolers allow heated air to be cooled before
entering the engine. Cool, dense air creates more efcient
combustion. Think of this as a radiator for the engines
air intake.

A vehicle made up of two or more separate units hooked

together, such as a tractor-semi-trailer combination. Also
called an ARTICULATED vehicle since units pivot at the
coupling point.

Commodity
Anything bought and sold.

Charter Bus
A bus that is operated on a for-hire basis, usually providing
round-trip service for a tour group or an outing, either on an
ad hoc or scheduled basis.

Common Carrier

The framework or foundation of the vehicle, consisting of its

frame rails, cross-members, suspensions, and drive-train
everything except the cab.

Freight transportation company which serves the general

public. May be regular route service (over designated
highways on a regular basis) or irregular route (between
various points on an unscheduled basis). Interstate common
carriers must hold a certicate issued by the Interstate
Commerce Commission which limits service to a specic
geographical area.

Cheater Axle

Compactor

(Slang) for a lift axle or an air-powered axle which, when

lowered, will both convert a vehicle into a multi-axle unit and
provide greater load carrying capacity.

A device used to compact things, particularly garbage.

Chassis

Compensated Intracorporate Hauling

Freight transportation service provided by one company for a
sister company.

Chassis Weight (Curb Weight, Tare Weight)

Weight of the empty truck, without occupants or load.

Consignee

Club Cab Extended Cab

A two door truck cab with a back seat behind the front seats.

The person or rm designated to receive freight that has

been shipped.

Clutch

Consignor

Connects or disconnects the engine power from the

transmission and driveline to allow the driver to select gears
based on the current driving situation. When the clutch
pedal is disengaged, the power produced by the engine is
transmitted through it to the transmission. When the clutch
pedal is engaged, such as during idling, the power is not
transmitted to other driveline components.

The person or rm responsible for shipping a particular

freight.

Container (Shipping Container)

Standard-sized rectangular box used to transport freight
by ship, rail and highway. International shipping containers
are 20 or 40 feet long, conform to International Standards
Organization (ISO) standards and are designed to t in
ships holds. Containers are transported on public roads atop
a container chassis towed by a tractor. Domestic containers,
up to 53 feet long and of lighter construction, are designed
for rail and highway use only.

CMV (Commercial Motor Vehicle )

A motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in
commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor
vehicle: 1) has a gross combination weight rating greater
than or equal to 26,000 lb. including a towed unit with a
gross vehicle weight rating of at least 10,000 lb.; or 2) has
a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 26,001 lb.; or 3)
is designed to transport 16 or more passengers including
the driver; or 4) a motor vehicle of any size that transports
hazardous materials of any kind.

Container Chassis
Single-purpose semi-trailer consisting of a frame (no
oor, sides or roof) with locking devices for securing and
transporting a shipping container.

Contract Carrier

CNG

A company that engages in for-hire transportation of property

under individual contract or agreement with one or a limited
number of shippers.

Compressed natural gas.

COE
See Cab-over.

Conventional
Engine forward of cab in power unit.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

Converter Dolly

Disc Wheel

An undercarriage assembly with one or more axles, a fth

wheel, and a tongue, used to convert a semi-trailer to a full
trailer.

Single-piece rim/wheel assembly of stamped and welded

steel or forged aluminum, anchored by 8 or 10 nuts to a
hub. A Budd wheel is a ten-hole, stud-piloted disc wheel; a
design originated by the Budd Corporation.

Crew Cab

Displacement (Piston Displacement)

A four door truck cab with front and back seats.

Sum of the volumes swept by an engines pistons as they

travel up and down in their cylinders. Based upon bore
(diameter of cylinder) and stroke (distance traveled by
piston). Expressed in liters or cubic inches.

Cross-members
Create the bridge between the outer frame rails, tying
the chassis together and providing additional load bearing
capacity. Cross-members are formed from stamped or
extruded beams in the form of C-Channels, I-beams or
hat sections.

Dolly
See Converter Dolly.

Cube (Cubic Capacity)

Doubles (Twins, Twin Trailers)

Interior volume of a truck body, semi-trailer or trailer,

measured in cubic feet. Can also be used to refer to a pallet
of concrete blocks.

Combination of a tractor and two semi-trailers connected in

tandem by a converter dolly.

Double Drop Deck

Cube Out

A trailer, usually a atbed, with a oor set at three

different heights, it steps down towards the middle and
then steps back up at the rear. Sometimes referred to as a
STEP DECK.

When a trailer is full by volume, but there is weight capacity

to spare. Refers to cubic feet of space.

Cube Van

Drag Link

Typically a straight truck with a van style cargo body where

the width and height of the cargo body exceed that of the
truck cab.

Part of the steering system. As the driver turns the steering

wheel the back-and-forth motion of the hydraulic unit is sent
to the wheels through the pitman arm, center link and the tie
rods, which are connected to the wheels.

Curb Weight
See Chassis Weight.

Draw Bar

A metal bar that connects a truck and trailer. Sometimes

referred to as the tongue of the trailer.

Day Cab

Drive Axle

A truck or tractor without a sleeper berth. Typically used for

day trips or local routes.

Any axle that carries power from the engine to the wheels
that propel a truck or tractor. See AXLE.

Dead Axle

Driveline
All the components which together transmit power from
the transmission to the drive axle(s). These consist of at
least one driveshaft (propeller shaft) with a universal joint
at each end.

Non-powered rear axle on tandem truck or tractor.

Deck Set
(Slang) for piggyback hauled trucks. See Piggyback.

Driveshaft

Dead-Heading

A long, extremely durable steel tube that is tted with u-joints

and a slip joint. There are usually two to a driveline.

A trip where the tractor pulls an empty trailer or a trailer

loaded with cargo that generates no revenue. (Slang-Pulling
sailboat fuel)

Drive-train (Power-train)
The drive-train includes all the components (engine,
transmission, driveshaft, differential and drive axles) which
transmit the engines power to the rear wheels.

Demountable Rim
Multi-piece steel wheel rim assembly which is bolted to a
spoke hub. Demountable rims are still in use, though they
have been replaced in many applications by the simpler disc
wheel. (see Cast Spoke Wheel)

2008, Navistar, Inc.

DRL (Daytime Running Lights)

Engine Retarder

System that automatically turns on a vehicles low beam

headlights when the parking brake is released and the
ignition is on.

An engine retarder is any wear-free supplementary braking

system that operates separately of the wheel brakes,
allowing vehicles to operate within safe speed limits, even
on steep grades, without creating brake fade in the primary
braking system. While engine retarders act as brakes, they
operate as part of the engine exhaust system. Primary
retarders are tted between the engine and transmission and
secondary retarders are placed between the transmission
and the drive axle(s). Also called Jake brakes or
compression brakes.

Dual Wheels
Four wheels per axle rather than two.

Dump
A cargo body with a hydraulic, electric, or mechanical lifting
mechanism that tilts to unload cargo. DUMP includes side
dumps, walking dumps, atbed dumps, and dump trucks with
snow plows or blades.

EV (Electric Vehicle)
Vehicle powered by electric motor(s) rather than by an
internal combustion engine. Most common source of
electricity is chemical storage batteries.

Dumpster
A large metal container for garbage. The term is sometimes
used to describe refuse trucks. Dumpsters are different from
roll-off containers. A dumpster is usually kept at a garbage
collection point and not carried on a refuse truck.

Exempt Carrier
Company which transports commodities exempted
from Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)
economic regulation.

Dunnage
Loose materials (like padding) used around cargo to
prevent damage.

Expandable
Flatbed or pole trailers that can be expanded beyond their
regular length to carry larger shipments.

Extended Cab - See Club Cab.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

The business-to-business interconnection of computers for
the rapid exchange of a wide variety of documents, from bills
of lading to build tickets at auto plants.

Eighteen Wheeler

Operates using a switch regulated by thermostat readings.

Once engine temperature has reached a preset threshold,
as measured by a sensor in the engine coolant, the fan will
be activated to provide additional cooling.

Fan Clutch

(Slang) A three axle tractor pulling a two axle semi-trailer or

a two axle tractor pulling a three axle semi-trailer.

Electronic Brake System (EBS)

Fifth Wheel

Brake system that uses an electronic signal instead of

a pneumatic signal to monitor and actuate the brakes.
Commonly referred to as a brake-by-wire system. During
an emergency stop, EBS also activates the Antilock Brake
System (ABS).

Coupling device attached to mounted on the rear of a

tractors chassis or dolly which supports the front of a semitrailer and locks it to the tractor or dolly. The fth wheels
center is designed to accept a trailers kingpin, around which
the trailer and tractor or dolly pivot in turns.

Electronic Trip Recorder

For-Hire Carrier

A device for recording data on a vehicles performance,

originally designed for monitoring and optimizing engine
performance, in recent years GPS systems have been
added to enable dispatchers to geo-locate their trucks and
many trip recorders maintain HOS data, eliminating the need
for driver maintained logbooks.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

Company in the business of transporting freight belonging

to others.

Flange
Upper and lower horizontal surfaces of a frame rail.

Flatbeds or Platforms

Gear Ratio

Open-bed trailers that haul heavy goods not easily loaded

into vans, such as construction equipment, lumber
and industrial machinery. Allows loading/unloading from
the sides.

Number, usually expressed as a decimal fraction,

representing how many turns of the input shaft cause exactly
one revolution of the output shaft. Applies to transmissions,
power takeoffs, power dividers and rear axles. Example: If
2.5 revolutions of an input shaft cause one revolution of the
output shaft, the gear ratio is 2.5:1.

Frame Rails
Two parallel rails that run the length of the vehicle on either
side and provide the majority of its weight-bearing capacity.
Created by stamping steel or extruding aluminum alloys into
lengths with a C or L shaped cross section.

Glider Kit
Usually a cab and chassis without an engine or rear axles.
Used to rebuild a wrecked tractor.

Front-Loader

Gooseneck

A refuse truck that is loaded at the front usually has hydraulic

arms that lift dumpsters over the cab dumping their contents
into a bin with some kind of compacting mechanism. Arms
must be included in truck length.

A hitch resembling the neck of a goose. Can be fth wheel

or an inverted ball hitch attachment. Both straight trucks and
tractor-trailer rigs can use goosenecks.

Grade

Fuel

Steepness of a grade, expressed as a percentage. Example:

A vehicle climbing a 5% grade rises 5 feet for every 100 feet
of forward travel.

Any type of fuel; can be gasoline, diesel, CNG (compressed

natural gas), LPG (liqueed petroleum gas, also referred to
as propane), or other (electric, hybrid etc.).

Gradeability

Full Trailer

Vehicles ability to climb a grade at a given speed. Example:

A truck with a gradeability of 5% at 60 mph can maintain 60
mph on a grade with a rise of 5%.

A full trailer is a trailer with axles in the front as well as the

rear. It can stand without support. Full trailers are coupled
to straight trucks and to the rear of semi or full trailers by a
tongue or drawbar. Full trailers are seldom used alone with
tractors.

Gross Out
Refers to gross weight. You may still have available hauling
space in your trailer, but are unable to take on more weight
per legal limits.

GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)

Garbage (Refuse)

Total weight of a vehicle and everything aboard, including

its load.

A cargo body style typied by Garbage trucks that often

have hydraulic packing mechanisms or hydraulic arms
for lifting dumpsters. Included are roll-offs, vehicles used
for transporting refuse containers. Roll-offs have rails or a
at bed and a hoist for loading and unloading the refuse
container.

GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating)

Total weight a vehicle is rated to carry by the manufacturer,
including its own weight and the weight of its load.

GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)

Maximum weight an axle is rated to carry by the
manufacturer. Includes both the weight of the axle and the
portion of a vehicles weight carried by the axle.

Hazmat
Hazardous materials, as classied by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Transport of
hazardous materials is strictly regulated by the U.S.
Department of Transportation.

GCW (Gross Combination Weight)

Total weight of a loaded combination vehicle, such as a
tractor-semi-trailer or truck and full trailer(s).

Headache Rack

Geared Speed

Heavy protective barrier, or bulkhead mounted behind the

tractors cab. Designed to prevent headaches caused by
load shifting forward from the trailer and crushing the cab.

Calculated vehicle speed at the engines governed rpm in

each transmission gear, or (commonly) in top gear.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

Head Ramp

An apparatus attached over the cab of tractors to carry

motor vehicles as freight. Auto carriers may or may not have
HEAD RAMPS.

ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission)

The federal body formerly charged with enforcing Acts of
Congress affecting interstate commerce. The ICC was
decommissioned in 1993.

Height Control Valve

Part of an air suspension system. As freight is loaded onto
the truck, the air bag systems height control valve opens
and allows compressed air from the brake system to ow
into its air bags causing the tractor/trailer to compensate for
the added weight and maintain a steady ride height. When
the cargo is unloaded, the valve releases air from the bags,
allowing the vehicle to retain its optimal height.

ICC Bumper
Typically made out of 3 to 4 steel channel stock, usually
about 75% of the width of the trailer, suspended half the
distance from the trailer oor to the pavement with a strong
enough bracing to meet federal regulations governing underride guards.

Hoist
Refers to the lifting mechanism under cargo bodies
that dump.

In-Line Engine
In-line engines are named for the shape that their cylinders
form when you look at the engine from either end.
Conguration where all cylinders are in a single row.

Hopper Bottom
An open top cargo body capable of discharging its load
through a bottom opening without tilting. Sometimes referred
to as bottom dumps.

Inter-Axle Differential
Used on tandem axle vehicles and on all-wheel drive vehicles.
Just as the standard axle differential splits the engines power
to the two axle halves, the inter-axle differential splits the
power between the tandem axles. The inter-axle differential
compensates for tire slippage, mismatched tires between
axles and differences in wheel rotation during cornering.

Horsepower (hp)
Measure of power (the amount of work that can be done
over a given amount of time). One horsepower is dened as
33,000 foot-pounds of work in one minute. Example: Lifting
33,000 pounds one foot in one minute, or lifting 3300 pounds
ten feet in one minute.

Intermodal Container

Tested horsepower of a bare engine without fan, water

pump, alternator, exhaust system or any other accessories.

A cargo container designed for high-speed transfer of

cargoes between different transportation modes. Typically
seen around harbor ports, railway yards, and cargo
storage facilities.

Horsepower, SAE Net

Interstate

Horsepower capability of an engine with full accessories and

exhaust system. Test procedures per standards of Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE).

Trucking commerce crossing state lines.

Horsepower, Gross Laboratory

Intrastate
Trucking commerce within the same state.

Hot Shot
(Slang) - 1) a local freight hauler; 2) a one ton truck equipped
with a fth wheel for pulling light weight trailers.

IVHS (Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems)

Blanket term for a wide array of technologies, including
electronic sensors, computer hardware and software and
radio communications. The purpose of IVHS is to increase
efciency of use of existing highways, reducing travel time,
fuel consumption, air pollution and accidents. There are ve
functional areas:

Hours-Of-Service
Federal safety regulations which govern the hours of service
of commercial vehicle drivers engaged in interstate trucking
operations.

Hydraulic Brakes

A brake system that uses hydraulic uid to activate the

brakes. When the pedal is pressed, hydraulic uid forces the
pistons to put pressure on the brake pads which rub against
the brake disc and cause enough friction to stop. Since a
hydraulic system simply boosts the mechanical force exerted
by the driver, its use is limited to cars and medium-sized
trucks. For heavy duty trucks carrying substantial payloads,
the air brake system is most often used.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS)

Advance Trafc Management Systems (ATMS)
Advance Traveler Information Systems (ATIS)
Advanced Vehicle Control Systems (AVCS)
Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO)

A more recently coined term, Intelligent Transportation

Systems (ITS), encompasses both IVHS and modes of
transportation other than highway, such as rail.

Lessor

Jackknife

Lift Axle

Company which leases vehicles.

To place the trailer at a very sharp angle to the tractor.

Extra, unpowered axle needed only when the vehicle

is loaded, allowing it to meet federal and state vehicle
weight standards. The lift axle is mounted to an air spring
suspension that raises the axle when it is not required.

Jake Brake See also Retarder.

A device that increases braking efciency by manipulating
the engine valves to create engine drag, also referred to
as an engine retarder. Slang term for an engine brake,
specically manufactured by Jacobs compression brake.

Liquids in Bulk
This cargo category describes the contents of liquid tanks
that are not otherwise packaged. Examples include brine,
gasoline, whiskey mash, milk, drillers mud (90% water), oil,
septic waste, molten sulfur, sulfuric acid, water, tallow, live
sh if transported in water.

Jeep Dolly
A heavy-duty goose neck dolly usually with 2 or more axles
that support the front of a cradle frame for transporting large
objects or a heavy-duty lowboy trailer.

Livestock Carrier

JIT (Just-In-Time)

This trailer cargo body style typically has slotted or slatted

sides designed for the transportation of farm animals. It may
have a double deck. These trailers sometimes have
possum bellies, compartments in the bottom for holding
smaller animals.

Manufacturing system which depends on frequent, small

deliveries of parts and supplies to keep on-site inventory to
a minimum.

Loader
(1) an off road vehicle with a large bucket or shovel on the
front to move material, particularly dirt or debris. (2) refers to
a hydraulic mechanism mounted on a trailer or behind the
cab of a truck or tractor used to load cargo onto the trailer
or truck. Some logging industry trucks are equipped with log
loaders for loading fresh cut logs.

Kingpin (axle)
Pin around which a steer axles wheels pivot.

Kingpin (trailer)
Attaching pin on a semi-trailer that attaches to and pivots
within the fth wheel of a tractor or converter dolly.

Locking Differential
Locks left and right sides of an axle for improved traction.

Kompensator
This is a fth wheel that tilts side-to-side as well as up and
down. It is used with trailers with rigid frames that travel offroad, such as tankers or lowboys.

Logbook
Book carried by truck drivers in which they record their hours
of service and duty status for each 24-hour period.

Logging Trailers

Retracting legs which support the front of a semi-trailer when

it is not coupled to a tractor.

Some pole trailers consist of a set of axles with a cradle to

hold logs and a pole attached to the rear of a power unit.
Others are skeletally framed. Some have double decks. Most
will have cradle-like features called BUNKS to hold the logs
in place.

LCV (Long Combination Vehicle)

Lowboy

Landing Gear

In general, vehicles longer than a standard doubles rig

(tractor and two 28-foot semi-trailers). Examples of LCVs
are: Twin 48-foot trailers; triple 28-foot trailers.

Open at-bed gooseneck trailer with a deck height very low

to the ground, used to haul construction equipment or bulky
or heavy loads.

Lease

LPG

Truck companies sometimes lease trucks or trailers from

leasing companies.

Liquid propane gas.

LTL (Less-Than-Truckload)

Lessee

A quantity of freight less than that required for the application

of a truckload (TL) rate; usually less than 10,000 pounds.

Company or individual which leases vehicles.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

or if you needed a commodity shipped and hired a trucking

company to transport it for you, then the trucking company
would be the operating authority. A rule of thumb in
determining operating authority is to examine who owns or is
responsible for the cargo.

LTL Carrier
Trucking company which consolidates less-than-truckload
cargo for multiple destinations on one vehicle.

Outrigger
Leg-like extensions used on the front and/or rear of
machinery to improve stability. Also, structural load-carrying
members attached to and extending from the main frame of
a trailer.

Michigan Doubles
A combination vehicle consisting of a tractor pulling two
trailers with a total of 11 axles, typically for hauling gravel
(dump trailers) or steel (atbed trailers).

Overdrive

Multi-Leaf Spring

Gearing in which less than one revolution of a transmissions

input shaft causes one turn of the output shaft. Example: A
transmission with an overdrive top gear has a ratio of 0.70
to one. Turning the input shaft 0.7 revolutions causes 1.0
revolution of the output shaft.

A type of truck suspension that is a combination of at and/or

slightly tapered leaf springs stacked to obtain a given height
and ex rate.

Over-the-Road
Travel from one city to another, as distinct from travel in and
around the vehicles base.

Neck
Refers to the non-load bearing coupling portion of a trailer.

Owner-Operator
Net

A for-hire carrier who both owns and drives a vehicle and

serves as the operating authority.

Used in weighing terminology, refers to cargo weight. (Tare =

unloaded, Net = cargo, Gross = Tare + Net).

NHTSA (National Highway Trafc Safety Administration)

Regulatory part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

P&D

No Tilt

Pickup and delivery.

Unlike a typical fth wheel, the kingpin on the trailer tilts,

rather than the fth wheel. Typically used for aluminum
frameless end dump trailers.

Payload

Peddle Run

Ocean Container

Pigtail

Weight of the cargo being hauled.

Truck route with frequent delivery stops.

A completely enclosed, often water tight container

designed to be loaded onto ocean freighters to carry
commodities overseas.

Cable used to transmit electrical power from the tractor to

the trailer. So named because it is coiled like a pigs tail.

Piggyback/Tow-away

Oileld Body

Refers to motor vehicles being carried piggyback on a power

unit. The trucks being carried have their front axles off the
ground resting on the vehicle in front. Several vehicles may
be hitched together in this way. This category is also used for
wreckers towing a vehicle. Piggyback also refers to the way
empty log trailers are carried on the bed of a tractor such
that no axles touch the ground. Also may refer to other kinds
of vehicles carried on the rear of a power unit in a manner
that axles do touch the road. See also DECK SET.

Heavily constructed platform-type body equipped with

instruments and machinery for oil drilling.

Open Top Van

A cargo body style with sides but without a permanent xed,
solid top.

Operating Authority
The entity responsible for a truck being on the roadway. An
example would be if you own the truck and are transporting
your own cargo then you would be the operating authority;

2008, Navistar, Inc.

10

Pintle Hook

PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch)

Coupling device used in double trailer, triple trailer and trucktrailer combinations. It has a curved, xed towing horn and
an upper latch that opens to accept the drawbar eye of a
trailer or dolly.

In trucking, unit of measurement for tire air pressure, air

brake system pressure and turbocharger boost.

PTO (Power Takeoff)

Device used to transmit engine power to auxiliary equipment.
A PTO often drives a hydraulic pump, which can power a
dump body, concrete mixer or refuse packer. Some designs
mount to a standard opening on the transmission, while
others attach at the front or rear of the engine.

Pitman Arm
A bracket attached to the steering gear box that transfers the
movement of the steering wheel to turn the front wheels.

Planetary Gearing
Automatic transmissions use a torque converter to multiply
the available torque as the engine speeds up. Power from
the torque converter then enters an automatic transmissions
planetary gearing. The cosmic reference comes from the
arrangement of the gears, which is set up like the sun with
several planets revolving around it. Using a movement
principle similar to sliding gear manual transmissions,
these planetary gears are engaged by a series of multiple
disc clutches.

Pull Trailer

Ply Rating (PR)

A short semi-trailer between 26 and 32 feet long, with a

single axle. Used in combination with a dolly and another
semi-trailer to create a twin trailer. Sometimes used to refer
to a short semi-trailer not in twin combination. Sometimes a
pull trailer is referred to as pup. See PULL TRAILER.

Short, full trailer (supported by axles front and rear) with an

extended tongue.

Pulpwood
Logs (usually shorter and smaller in diameter) used for
making pulp to manufacture paper.

Pup Trailer

Relative measure of tire casing strength.

A ply is a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords, which
together with steel or nylon form the body of a tire. A multiple
ply tire may only indicate the equivalent strength of the tire
wall rather than the number of layers in the tire.

Pusher Axle
The non-powered axle placed ahead of a powered rear axle
on a vehicle.

Pole Trailers
A logging trailer. Consists of a set of axles with a cradle to
hold logs and a long, sometimes adjustable pole attached to
the rear of a power unit. Usually has bunks for holding logs.
The center portion of the trailer may be adjustable in order to
accommodate loads of different lengths.

R
Racks

Pole Truck

Removable wood or metal wall sections attachable to atbed

trailers to make sides for conning loads.

(1) also, WINCH TRUCK - it has lifting equipment for lifting

poles in oileld service and contracting. It can have an Aframe. (2) Sometimes refers to a atbed with bunks.

Railway Container
A cargo container that can be loaded or stacked on a railroad
at car.

Pony Axle
(Slang) for a smaller diameter wheel attached to a lift axle.

Rat Hole Service

Possum Belly Trailer

Oileld vehicle- refers to drilling rigs.

A drop center livestock trailer.

Rear Loader

Powertrain See Drivetrain.

A refuse truck that is loaded at the rear usually with some

kind of compacting mechanism.

Power Unit

Reefer

A truck, or the part of a combination that has the engine.

Refrigerated trailer or truck with insulated walls and a

self-powered refrigeration unit. Most commonly used for
transporting food.

Private Carrier
A company which maintains its own trucks to transport
its own freight. The principal business activity of a private
carrier is not transportation. (see For-Hire Carrier)

2008, Navistar, Inc.

11

Refuse

Runaway Truck Ramp

A cargo body style synonymous with garbage trucks that

often have hydraulic packing mechanisms or hydraulic arms
for lifting dumpsters. Included are roll-offs, vehicles used for
transporting refuse containers. Roll-off refuse trucks have
rails or a at bed and a hoist for loading and unloading the
refuse container.

Emergency area adjacent to a steep downgrade that a heavy

truck can steer into after losing braking power. Usually two
or three lanes wide and several hundred feet long, the ramp
is a soft, gravel-lled pathway which absorbs the trucks
forward momentum, bringing it to a safe stop. Depending on
the surrounding terrain, the ramp may be level or run up or
down hill.

Relay (Relay Driving)

Common practice in the less-than-truckload industry, in
which one driver takes a truck for 8 to 10 hours, then turns
the truck over to another driver, pony express style.

REPTO (Rear Engine Power Take-Off)

A PTO mounted at the rear of the engine, which powers an
auxiliary device using the engine power.

The S-shaped part of the brake mechanism that expands the

brake shoes against the brake drum when rotated by air or
hydraulic pressure.

Retarder

Scissors Lift

S Cam

Device used to assist brakes in slowing the vehicle. The

most common type of retarder on over-the-road trucks
manipulates the engines valves to create engine drag. (This
type is commonly referred to as Jake Brake because the
predominant manufacturer is Jacobs Vehicle Equipment
Co.) Other types of retarders include exhaust retarders,
transmission-mounted hydraulic retarders and axle-mounted
electromagnetic retarders.

A cargo body which is used to lift materials to a higher

surface, such as lifting shingles to a roof.

Rig

Setback Axle

Semi-trailer
Truck trailer supported at the rear by its own wheels and
at the front by a fth wheel mounted to a tractor or dolly.
A semi-trailer has no front axle and cannot stand without
support. Semi-trailers are pulled by tractors only.

Trucking jargon for a truck or tractor-trailer combination.

Road-Railer

Front steering axle moved rearward from the generally

accepted standard position. Advantages: Shorter turning
radius and more of a vehicles weight shifted to front axle.

Semi-trailer specially designed to travel both on highway and

on rails.

Shipping Weight

Rocky Mountain Doubles

Dry weight of a truck including all standard equipment, but

excluding fuel and coolant.

A combination vehicle consisting of a tractor pulling a 45 to

48 foot semi-trailer and second shorter semi-trailer (usually
28 feet in length).

Side Loader

Rolling Radius

Single Drop Trailer

A refuse truck which is loaded from the side.

Tire dimension from center of the axle to the ground;

measured with tire loaded to rated capacity. Used in
calculating geared speed.

A type of atbed trailer. The rear is closer to the ground than

the front. Also called SINGLE DROP PLATFORM.

Single-Source Leasing

Roll-Off Container

Service in which companies can lease drivers and trucks

from the same source, rather than having to procure them
from different companies.

Typically an open top container designed for transporting

solids in bulk, often used as REFUSE CONTAINERS. The
vehicles used for transporting roll-off containers have rails
or a at bed with a hydraulic hoist for loading and unloading
these large containers.

Slack Adjuster
A part of the air brake system. Specically, the slack
adjuster compensates for wear in the brake linings, ensuring
that the distance between the brake linings and drums
is always the same. Both manual and automatic slack
adjusters are available.

RPM (Revolutions Per Minute)

Measure of the speed at which a shaft spins. Most often
used to describe engine crankshaft speed. Indicated by a
tachometer.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

12

Sleeper

Stinger Fifth Wheel

Sleeping compartment mounted behind a truck cab,

sometimes attached to the cab or even designed to be an
integral part of it.

Seen most commonly as the connection point for autocarriers, but are also seen on some logging rigs. The
inverted fth wheel is mounted behind the rear axles, at the
very end of the tractor, less than a foot off the ground.

Sleeper Team See Team.

Straight Truck See Truck.

A single unit vehicle capable of carrying cargo. Examples
include refuse, tank, and dump trucks. Straight trucks may or
may not pull trailers.

Sliding Fifth Wheel

A fth-wheel assembly capable of being moved forward or
backward on the tractor to adjust the load distribution on the
tractor and the overall length of the rig.

Synchronized Transmission
Transmission with built-in mechanisms to automatically
equalize the speed of its gears to allow smooth shifting
without the need to double-clutch.

Sliding Tandem (Slider)

Mechanism that allows a tandem axle suspension to be
moved back and forth at the rear of a semi-trailer, for the
purpose of adjusting the distribution of weight between the
axles and fth wheel.

Switching Tractor See Yard Horse.

Speedability

Top speed a vehicle can attain as determined by engine

power, engine governed speed, gross weight, driveline
efciency, air resistance, grade and load.

Tag Axle See Axle.

A non powered axle located behind the drive axle.

Spoke Wheel See Cast Spoke Wheel.

Tag or Tagalong Trailers

Spread Axle (Spread Tandem)

Usually single axle equipment like generators, cement

mixers, or wood chippers.

Tandem axle assembly spaced further apart than the

standard spacing of 54 inches. The U.S. federal bridge
formula favors trailer axles with an eight or nine foot
spread by allowing higher weight than on tandems with
standard spacing.

Tandem Axle
Refers to a pair of axles at the rear of the power unit (tractor
or straight truck) or trailer. For power units, if described as a
tandem, usually indicates the number of drive axles on the
power unit.

Stake Body
A atbed with sides or stakes to retain the load.

Tanker

Steerable Dolly

An enclosed cargo body designed solely for the

transportation of uid or gaseous commodities in bulk. Not to
be confused with trailers which are designed for carrying dry
bulk products.

Used in transporting extremely long objects, some can be

steered remotely from the cab.

Steering Axle
An axle through which directional control of the vehicle is
applied. It may be powered or not and there may be more
than one steering axle on a single unit.

Tanker - Dry Bulk

Step Bumper

Tanker Liquid/Gas

Sometimes called air-can trailers. Used exclusively for

hauling dry bulk material. Cargo is emptied pneumatically.

A bumper that can also function as a stepping platform

either into or out of a cargo body, usually these bumpers are
mounted relatively close to the ground.

A cargo body style characterized by tankers which can carry

only liquids or gases in bulk.

Step Van

A curved spring design which distributes the load evenly

throughout the length of the spring, putting material only
where needed.

Taper-Leaf Spring

A lightweight delivery truck designed so the driver can step

into and out of the cab as well as into the rear cargo area.

Tare Weight See Chassis Weight.

The weight of a vehicle without a load.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

13

Team (Driver Team)

Transmission

Team of two drivers who alternate driving and resting.

TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit)

Mechanism containing a number of gears that convert

engine torque into useable power that can accommodate
different vehicle loads and speeds.

Standardized unit for measuring container capacity on ships,

railcars, etc.

Tri-Axle - Tridem
Truck, tractor or trailer with three axles grouped together.

TL (Truckload)

Trip Leasing

The quantity of freight required to ll a trailer; usually more

than 10,000 pounds.

Leasing a companys vehicle to another transportation

provider for a single trip.

TL Carrier
Trucking company which dedicates trailers to a single
shippers cargo, as opposed to an LTL (Less Than
Truckload) carrier which transports the consolidated cargo of
several shippers and makes multiple deliveries.

Trip Recorder (On-Board Computer)

TOFC (Trailer On Flatcar)

Truck

Method of moving cargo which involves transporting semitrailers on railroad at cars.

Vehicle which carries cargo in a body mounted to its chassis,

rather than on a trailer towed by the vehicle.

Torque

Tube Trailer

Torque is a turning or twisting effort. In truck applications, it

refers to the force that an engine delivers to turn the drive
shaft. Torque also refers to the measurement of that force,
whether or not it actually produces movement.

A semi-trailer used to transport cryogenic gases.

Cab-mounted device which electronically or mechanically

records data such as truck speed, engine rpm, idle time and
other information useful to trucking management.

Turnpike Doubles
A combination vehicle consisting of a tractor pulling two 40 to
53 foot semi-trailers.

Torque Converter
Automatic transmissions use a torque converter to multiply
the available torque as the engine speeds up. Power from
the torque converter then enters an automatic transmissions
planetary gearing.

Turntable
A circular platform mounted under the front of a full trailer or
a jeep dolly to which an axle or axles are attached, allowing
the axles to pivot in a turning maneuver.

Toter

Twins (Twin Trailers) See Doubles.

A power unit designed to transport mobile homes.

Twin Screw

Tractor

A truck or tractor with two rear axles, both driven by the

engine.

A vehicle designed primarily to pull a semi-trailer by means

of a fth wheel mounted over the rear axle(s). Sometimes
called a truck tractor or highway tractor to differentiate from it
from a farm tractor.

Tractor Trailer

ULEV

Tractor and semi-trailer combination.

Ultra-low emissions vehicle.

Transfer Case

ULSD

Used in all-wheel drive applications, power from the

transmission is directed to the transfer case, which then
transfers that power to both the front and rear axles.

Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel fuel, containing less than 15 parts

per million (p.p.m.) sulfur content.

Upper Coupler

Transfer Dump

Load bearing surface on the underside of the front of a

semi-trailer. It rests on the fth wheel of a tractor or dolly and
has a downward-protruding kingpin which is captured by the
locking jaws of the fth wheel.

A straight dump truck pulling a full dump trailer without

hydraulics. The dump box of the trailer slides (transfers) into
the empty dump bed of the power unit utilizing the hydraulics
of the power unit to unload.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

14

Under-ride Guard

Wheelbase

A rear impact guard installed at the rear or under the rear of

the cargo body of a truck or trailer so that when the vehicle is
struck from the rear, it can limit the distance that the striking
vehicles front end slides under the rear of the truck or trailer.
Most semi-trailers have what are known as ICC bumpers,
but a hydraulic lift-gate at the rear of a box van can act as an
under-ride guard. See ICC BUMPER.

The distance from center of front axle to center of rear axle,

for a two axle vehicle, or front axle center to the midpoint
between the rear tandem axle centers for a three axle
vehicle. For a truck tractor and semi-trailer combination,
wheelbase refers to from the center of the front tractor axle
to the center of the rearmost trailer axle.

Winch Truck

Universal Joint

A winch is a powered spool wound with cable. Winches are

used to lift or to pull heavy objects. Winches vary in size
from those on the front of small vehicles to heavy equipment
which may weigh tons.

Also known as U-joint or yoke. The U-joint, found at both

ends of the shaft assembly, allows the engines power to ow
freely to the rear drive axle even when a sudden change in
the relative heights of the transmission and rear axle occurs,
such as when the vehicle hits a bump.

Wrecker
A truck designed for hoisting and towing disabled vehicles.

Upside Down

The situation in which the amount owed exceeds the trade-in

value. This is a common occurrence in the early years of a
nance contract.

Yard Jockey
Person who operates a yard tractor.

Yard Tractor (Yard Mule, Yard Goat, Yard Horse, Spotter)

Special tractor used to move trailers short distances in
a truck yard around a warehouse, distribution center, or
terminal compound. Sometimes old, spare, or unroadworthy
tractors are used.

Van
A cargo body style with a totally enclosed cargo area.
Included are beverage vans, or bay vans, and sealed
shipping containers mounted on a special bodiless chassis.

VIN (Vehicle Identication Number)

Assigned by the manufacturer, this 17 digit number is unique
to each vehicle and appears on the vehicles registration and
title.

V-engine
V-engines are named for the shape that their cylinders form
when you look at the engine from either end. In the case of
the V, the cylinder heads are offset from one another by less
than 180 degrees, hence the V shape.

W
Walking Beam Suspension
Type of truck and tractor rear suspension consisting of two
beams, one at each side of the chassis, which pivot in the
center and connect at the front to one axle of a tandem and
at the rear to the other axle.

Walking Floor
Also known as a live bottom, a type of dump trailer with a
conveyor belt or chain running down the center of the oor of
the trailer to unload the cargo.

2008, Navistar, Inc.

15