Some Questions and Answers About Semi Trucks

If you’ve ever needed to call a towing service in Salt Lake City, UT, it was likely for your car, motorcycle or another smaller vehicle. You might not know that AMR Auto Repair & Towing can also perform heavy duty towing, including towing semi trucks.

Beyond that new bit of information, here are some additional interesting facts about the large vehicles you may find yourself sharing the road with, especially on long highway trips.

How much of our everyday goods are delivered by semi truck?

Estimates find that nearly 70 percent of all products in the United States arrive by semi truck. This means an average of around 60,000 pounds of goods per American are delivered each year.

How did the semi truck get its name?

Semi trucks can also be referred to as trailers, while the term “semi trailer” refers to a tractor trailer. Thus, because the trailer can only function when attached to a truck’s tractor, the name “semi truck” was coined, as was the shortened “semi.”

How many miles does a semi truck company log each year in the United States?

This can vary by company, but the industry average is around 140 billion miles per year.

How much can a semi truck’s mileage vary?

The fuel economy of a semi truck can depend on the type of truck, though mileage can vary quite a bit depending on which maneuver a driver is performing. If a truck is driving up a large hill, mileage might be around 3 mpg. Going downhill could result in mileage of about 23 mpg.

What are the most popular semi trucks on the market? 

Freightliner, a brand owned by Daimler Trucks North America, is responsible for around one third of the close to 200,000 semi truck sales each year. Some other frequently purchased brands include Peterbilt, Kenworth and Mack.

Do nearly all companies have large fleets of semi trucks? 

You may assume that most trucking companies have large numbers of semi trucks, but this is generally not the case. In fact, close to 90 percent of trucking companies own no more than six trucks.

So, while more than 3 million truck drivers drive semi trucks in the United States, the large majority of them are working for trucking companies with only a small number of vehicles in their fleets.

What types of semi truck accidents are the most serious?

Rollovers are typically the incidents that can pose the most damage. A rollover can occur when a semi truck travels onto a surface that is loose and the driver is not successfully able to maneuver it onto solid pavement.

In need of towing service in Salt Lake City, UT? AMR Auto Repair & Towing offers both towing and heavy duty towing services, so we can tow any vehicle, including cars, trucks, SUVs, scooters, motorcycles, vans, RVs, motorhomes and semi trucks. We can send our mobile mechanics to you 24 hours a day for emergency service.

In addition, we offer wrecker services and roadside assistance, as well as an auto shop. In our auto shop, we can work with issues related to alternators, starters, batteries, clutches, timing belts, radiators, steering and suspension. Contact us today for any of your towing needs!

Categorised in: Tow Truck Service

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