9 Facts About Semi Trucks

We see them on the road every day and work closely with them if you are in the transportation industry, but here are 10 quick facts about semi trucks that you may not have been aware of:

  1. One-third of all semi trucks that are operating in the U.S. are registered in California, Florida, and Texas.

  2. Semi trucks drive an average of 140 billion miles a year in the U.S.

  3. About 70% of all goods in the U.S. are delivered by semi truck.

  4. Agricultural and building materials are the two leading goods in regards to weight transported.

  5. The terms “semi” and “semi truck” came about because the trailers are called semi-trailers since they have no front wheels and are dependent upon connecting to a truck.

  6. Trailers are automatically locked when standing alone. The pressure from the truck’s air pump releases the trailer breaks when it is connected.

  7. Since 1997, antilock brakes have been required on semi trucks. This has reduced the number of jackknife crashes significantly. Currently, the most dangerous accidents involving semis are rollovers.

  8. Out of all the commercial trucks, semi trucks only make up 15% of them; however, they travel 42% of all miles traveled by commercial trucks.

  9. Most diesel engines need to put out 1200 to 2050 lb-ft of torque to keep a fully loaded semi and trailer moving.