Large trucks are the heaviest trucks allowed on the roads and are generally used for long-distance travel. A truck is a motor vehicle for transporting goods. The word “truck” comes from the Greek “trochos” which means “wheel”.

Damage to the road increases very rapidly with the weight of the axle or the weight of the truck divided by the number of axles. In many countries with good quality roads, a 6-axle truck is allowed to have a maximum weight of 50,000 kg.

Large trucks are a major source of smog (smoke + fog), poisonous chemical pollution, and fine soot particles. The federal government classifies any automobile above 8,500 pounds as a “heavy duty” truck, and that includes large pickup trucks and many other types. Large trucks are legally allowed to emit as much pollution as a dozen cars, but in reality, many large trucks produce as much pollution as 150 cars.

Urban areas suffer the most from large trucks and buses. In the event of an accident, large trucks, due to their size, can cause the worst damage to a car’s occupants. Therefore, it is natural for many drivers to panic when they must share a road with large trucks. According to AAA (American Automobile Association), people in passenger cars accounted for 98% of fatalities in fatal two-vehicle crashes involving a car and a truck weighing more than 10,000 pounds.

Large trucks produce air turbulence that can drag another vehicle towards them or push it out. This means that a vehicle must have a sufficiently large space between the truck and itself.

Despite all these problems, it is important to note that truck drivers are trained. Statistically, your safety record is satisfactory and improving. According to the Ontario Trucking Association website, commercial truck drivers are the safest drivers and motor vehicles on the road. In reality, trucks are involved in 20% fewer accidents today than 10 years ago.