subject: Truck Anatomy Guide [print this page] A Truck is a large vehicle designed to transport large cargo's.
Trucks vary greatly in sizeand power from smaller almost car like trucks up to trucks built to carry specialised equipment and cargo.
There are 4 main sections on any truck. Below you will find information about each section.
Cab
The cab is where the driver is seated, it is an enclosed space. Some trucks feature a space behind the cab where the driver can rest while not driving, this is called the sleeper.
There are 3 types of cab design. Cab Over Engine (COE), Cab Beside Engine (CBE) and Conventional cabs.
Most Cab Over Engine trucks (also known as flat nose cabs) are found in and around Europe as the length of the trucks is strictly regulated. The driver is sat in the cab with the engine underneath the cab.
Conventional cabs are most common in North America. The driver is sat behind the engine like most car drivers. These cabs are larger and are built for transproting larger loads or multiple trailers.
Cab beside engine designs tend to be fairly specialised for example airport luggage trucks.
Engine
Most trucks use four stroke diesel engines. Turbo chargers and after-coolers come as standard on most truck engines. Smaller or medium trucks may sometimes use smaller petrol engines.
Drivetrain
Small trucks will have a transmission similar to cars or vans, however most large trucks will use a manual transmission without a synchroniser. This saves on weight, but required the driver to double clutch when changing up and down gears.
Frame
Sometimes known as a ladder frame, a standard truck frame consists of 2 parallel steal beams held together by cross members. These beams can be box beams or ovular beams for strength. They are almost always made of steel, although some trucks have aluminium to save weight.
Trucks can vary by huge amounts between manufacturers, but the items listed above are fairly standard worldwide..
