Truck

Trucks – The no. 1 mean of transport

Trucks are vehicles which are applied for the transport of goods and freight. Trucks belong to utility vehicles and are used mostly for industrial and commercial purposes.
Trucks consist of a chassis, a driver’s cabin and a coachwork for carrying the freight. Trucks are categorized in light, medium duty and heavy duty trucks. The coachworks which are attached on the trucks serve to deliver the goods. There are many different kinds of coachworks which depend on their purpose.
The most common application sites of trucks are civil engineering, agriculture and the government. In civil engineering are often trucks with special equipment and coachworks needed because bulky goods or materials are transported.

The most common kind of truck coachworks is the platform body. This one has a flat loading platform with which almost any kind of goods can be transported. The most platform bodies have sidewalls to prevent the load from sliding down. Usually almost every coachwork for trucks bases on a platform body and distinguish themselves by their changing equipment and features. For example are tipper, dumpers and different trailers basing on a platform coachwork.
For the transport and the targeted unloading of bulk materials are dump trucks like skip loaders and tippers applied. These are able to transport loads like gravel, sand and grit on their flat platform.
Furthermore there are bodies which are called closed-boxes. These box bodies are roofed and have stable walls which are sometimes folding, otherwise there is only a cargo door on the backside. Box bodies differentiate between box vans, box bodies and refrigerated trucks. The box van is the oldest kind of truck in which the driver’s cabin is connected to the trailer. The box body is not connected to the tractor unit. For the transport of perishable and deep-frozen food and other cooled goods are refrigerated trucks suitable. These have a cooling unit and isolated walls to cool down the load.

Another body for trucks is the tank body which is able to transport liquids. It is a silo tank which carries water, fuel oil, petrol and furthermore gases like propane and butane. Depending on the transported liquid, the tank trailer needs to meet special requirements, like very low temperatures transporting azote. Or for example transporting bitumen requires a special temperature otherwise the aggregate changes.
Often are trailers applied which are called container chassis. These containers can be attached on trucks but also on cargo trains. Thus these are universally applicable and easily changeable.

Special kinds of truck bodies are car carriers, concrete mixers and concrete pumps, car cranes, dump trucks and flatbed trucks. Car carriers are applied to transport several cars. These so called plateau vehicles are able to transport cars on up to two levels depending on the size of the cars up to 10 cars. Concrete mixers and concrete pumps serve to transport and mix the liquid concrete. These truck mixers have a revolving drum in which the liquid concrete is mixed for maintaining the consistency. Concrete pumps are applied to deliver the concrete at the operating site to the exact point where it’s needed up to 100 m high. They are generally utilized for building buildings, bridges and dams. Concrete pumps consist of normal truck chassis and a pumping system with placing booms. Furthermore there are combinations between concrete pumps and concrete mixers. These are called truck mixer concrete pumps and is applied to transport the liquid concrete but also mix and pump it precisely accurate.

The special truck body crane vehicle is a cantilever crane which is attached on a truck. These car or vehicle cranes are applied in civil engineering and in heavy duty transports. They serve in the assembling of concrete components, in building construction, bridge construction and on large construction sites when a steady crane cannot be applied.
A dump truck is a cross-country utility vehicle which transports loose bulk goods. These are mainly applied in civil engineering and agriculture. Up to 600 t material can be carried with a dump truck.
Flatbed trucks are special transport vehicles which are able to carry especially heavy duty loads. Particularly on routes with underpasses or tunnels are flatbed trucks suitable.
Trucks are produced by many different utility vehicle manufacturers. The first truck was designed in 1896 by Gottlieb Daimler the founder of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. Daimler called his first truck “Phoenix” and laid the foundation of the further development of motorized utility vehicles. Shortly after Carl Benz the founder of Mercedes-Benz designed in 1900 his first truck. To the manufactured utility vehicles belong not only trucks but also mini vans, semitrailers and busses. Also crane and military vehicles are categorized as utility vehicles.
In Europe are the leading trucks manufacturers M.A.N. and Mercedes-Benz from Germany and Scania from Scandinavia. Trucks by Mercedes-Benz belong to the truck branch by the Daimler Ag (Daimler Trucks). Originally the Mercedes-Benz trucks descend from the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. Daimler is the biggest truck manufacturer of the world. In their headquarters in Wörth am Rhein are the most popular series of Mercedes-Benz trucks produced. These include Actros, Atego, Econic, Zetros and Unimog.

The Man Truck & Bus AG sold in 2010 55.166 trucks. MAN is one of the leaders of global utility vehicle manufacturers and has its site in Munich. The company started in the beginning of the 20th century and expanded in the meantime 9 further sites in Europe. MAN does not only produce trucks but also busses and motors. Furthermore MAN designs also special vehicles like for example military vehicles which were applied in the Elbehochwasser. In addition MAN produces vehicles for the Technisches Hilfswerk (THW) and airfield fire engines.
The Scandinavian manufacturer of utility vehicles Scania focused in the beginning of the 20th century on the designing of trucks. Scania produces trucks for heavy duty distribution transport, longdistance traffic, construction and special vehicles. In the Europe-wide comparison is Scania ranked on the fifth place on sales figures of heavy duty trucks behind the competitors Mercedes-Benz, DAF, MAN and Volvo but before Renault and IVECO.
The truck every good and freight has established as the most important mean of transport in the last century. Companies which have to transport goods have a wide choice of vehicles. A contractor needs different trucks with different specializations. For example are skip loaders necessary for construction building which are applied for the transport of material and rubble. Also are concrete mixers and concrete pumps required for transporting the liquid concrete on the construction site.

In express companies the truck is very important as the mean of transport. The trucks transport every kind of load whether liquid or solid, whether heavy or light. The drivers have more space in bigger trucks. The driver’s cabin is the workplace of the driver. In long-distance traffic the driver has a bed and stowage for personal effects.
Before buying a truck companies and private persons have to consider many things. Generally the purpose of the truck should be clear, because there are many special trailers for many different application possibilities. Furthermore one should be aware of the measurements and legal classifications of trucks. For example depending on the demand and purpose of the truck a minivan up to 3,5 t or a small truck up to 7,5 t suffices. Bigger loads require a mid-heavy duty truck up to 12 t or heavy duty trucks which are able to reach up to 60 t in Sweden and Denmark, but in Germany are trucks not heavier than 40 t.

The Margaritis Trucks GmbH offers an extensive service in consulting and in the transaction of the purchasing and selling of utility vehicles generally trucks. Are you interested in a new truck or special utility vehicle do not hesitate to contact our experienced and professional expert team at the Margaritis Trucks GmbH.