Trucks are motor vehicles for the cargo carriage with at least four wheels. And the type of freight to transport depends on the technical characteristics of the vehicle.
But the meaning of “truck” varies in different countries. For example, in the United States, “truck” is usually reserved for commercial vehicles larger than regular passenger cars. While in the United Kingdom, a “lorry” is used instead of a “truck” for a large vehicle used for transporting goods by road, while a “truck” is used almost exclusively to refer to pickups.
In Europe, the concept of "truck" is the broadest. Thus, a truck means a heavy truck for cargo transportation, which is also used with a semi-trailer, forming a road train; as well as a light commercial vehicle with a weight carrying capacity of up to 3.5 tons (passenger and cargo vans); and a construction and utility truck (for example, a dumper). In addition, in Germany, there is a separate classification of trucks up to 7.5 tons (usually used for intracity transportation of industrial goods).
Furthermore, in the European Union, vehicles with a gross combination mass of up to 3.5 tons are called light commercial vehicles and those over large goods vehicles.
Truck classification
Truck classification also differs by country, but it is usually based on the maximum loaded weight of the truck, generally using Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). For example, in the United States, the classification divides trucks into eight classes, which are further grouped into light-duty (from 0 to 6,350 kg), medium-duty (from 6,351 to 11,793 kg), and heavy-duty (from 11,794 to more than 14,969 kg).
And the European classification refers trucks with a gross vehicle weight of up to 6 tons to light, from 6 to 15 tons to medium, and over 15 tons to heavy.
The weight that a truck can carry is often one of the determining factors when choosing a model.
So, trucks are classified according to:
- weight carrying capacity (especially small – up to 0.5 tons, small – from 0.5 to 2 tons, medium – from 2 to 5 tons, large – from 5 to 15 tons, and especially large – more than 15 tons);
- purpose (general and specialized);
- traffic conditions (road and off-road);
- wheel formula (from 4×2 to 8×8). The first digit indicates the number of wheels of the vehicle, and the second is the number of driving wheels.
- the type of fuel consumed – gasoline, diesel, gas, electricity.
Moreover, trucks differ in body structure: they can be open and closed. Open body trucks include tippers, flatbed trucks, container transporters, autotransporters, cab chassis trucks, and others. Closed body trucks comprise refrigerator, isothermal, vending, curtainsider trucks, etc.
Quality trucks from reliable sellers
If you are searching for new or used trucks for sale in Europe, look no further than Truck1, as you will find an extensive selection of European truck makes (DAF, MAN, MERCEDES-BENZ, SCANIA, VOLVO, and many more) on our classified ad platform.
When choosing a truck, you should consider several factors: the type of cargo being transported, its weight, volume, and other characteristics, transportation distances, terrain features, road quality, and of course, the budget.
Anyway, whatever the job is, there is a truck that is built for it. Use Truck1’s searching filters to find quickly and easily the truck that perfectly matches your budget and wishes. Please contact the seller directly to discuss all the nuances of the chosen vehicle and its acquisition.
