Trucks are the lifeblood of modern freight and logistics systems. From compact trucks weaving through city streets to colossal vehicles operating in large-scale construction sites, the diversity of trucks is immense. But have you ever wondered, how heavy is the largest truck? This article by Xe Tải Mỹ Đình will take you on a journey to explore the world of trucks, from basic structures and diverse classifications to load capacity “records,” focusing specifically on the question: how many tons can the largest truck carry?
What is a Truck? Common Structure of Trucks
A truck, also known as a lorry, is a specialized road transport vehicle designed to carry goods. Today, the truck market is incredibly diverse, with many types such as box trucks, dump trucks, tractor trucks, and specialized trucks. However, in terms of structure, most types of trucks share a common structure consisting of two main parts: the cabin and the chassis.
Truck Cabin
The truck cabin is the workspace for the driver and co-driver. It is not only the control center of the vehicle but also a rest area, especially important for long-haul drivers. Modern cabins are now equipped with many amenities such as sleeping berths, dining tables, and refrigerators, maximizing the living needs of drivers on long journeys.
Truck cabin designs are also very diverse, from aerodynamic shapes that reduce wind resistance to high-roof cabins that provide more spacious and comfortable interiors. For example, the A5 cabin of JAC trucks stands out with its modern design, while the NX cabin of HOWO is robust and powerful.
Cabin A5 with a modern design, one of the most popular cabin models in the current truck market.
Truck Chassis
The chassis, or truck frame, acts as the backbone, bearing the entire load and forces acting on the vehicle during operation. The chassis is the foundation for assembling other important parts of the truck such as the engine, suspension system, cargo box, etc.
Chassis are typically made of high-strength carbon steel with excellent durability, load-bearing capacity, and impact resistance. Chassis dimensions are also designed to be diverse to suit different types of trucks and intended uses. The chassis determines the load capacity, durability, and stability of the truck during operation.
In addition to the two main parts, the cabin and chassis, trucks also include many other systems and components such as the engine system, transmission system, steering system, braking system, suspension system, electrical system, etc. All of these work together harmoniously to ensure safe and efficient truck operation.
Popular Truck Classifications in the Vietnamese Market
The Vietnamese truck market is currently very vibrant with a variety of types, meeting all cargo transportation needs. There are many ways to classify trucks, the most common being classification by load capacity and by truck type (intended use).
Truck Classification by Load Capacity
Based on the permissible load capacity, trucks are divided into two main groups: light-duty trucks and heavy-duty trucks. This classification helps users easily choose a vehicle suitable for the volume of goods to be transported.
Light-Duty Trucks
Light-duty trucks typically have a load capacity of 1 to 5 tons, making them ideal for transporting goods within cities, urban areas, and narrow roads. The advantages of light-duty trucks are high flexibility, ease of movement in heavy traffic conditions, and low investment and operating costs.
Heavy-Duty Trucks
Heavy-duty trucks are true “warriors” in the transportation industry, with load capacities from 6 tons and upwards, even tens of tons. They are used to transport long-distance goods, bulky goods, construction materials, agricultural products, industrial goods, etc. Heavy-duty trucks play an important role in connecting economic regions and ensuring the circulation of goods over a wide area.
Heavy-duty truck line, with the ability to transport large volumes of goods, is the top choice for long-distance transportation businesses.
Truck Classification by Type (Intended Use)
In addition to classification by load capacity, trucks are also classified by intended use, also known as truck type. Common truck types include: dump trucks, box trucks, tractor trucks, and specialized trucks. Each type of truck is specifically designed to serve a specific transportation purpose.
Dump Trucks
Dump trucks, also known as tipper trucks, are designed with a rear-mounted cargo box that can tilt to unload construction materials such as soil, rock, sand, gravel, etc., quickly and efficiently. Dump trucks are powerful “right-hand men” in construction sites, mines, and related industries.
Dump truck carrying construction materials, a familiar sight on construction sites and projects.
Box Trucks
Box trucks are the most versatile type of truck, capable of transporting a wide variety of goods thanks to their diverse cargo box designs. Common types of truck bodies include:
- Enclosed bodies, container bodies: Specialized for transporting goods that need weather protection, electronics, packaged foods, logistics goods, moving houses, offices, etc.
- Tarpaulin bodies (frame and tarpaulin bodies): Transporting goods that do not require special preservation, agricultural products, livestock, ornamental plants, furniture for moving houses, offices, etc.
- Flatbed bodies: Transporting bulky goods, bar-shaped construction materials, pipes, wooden items, steel, etc.
- Refrigerated bodies: Transporting goods requiring special temperature control such as frozen foods, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, etc.
Tractor Trucks
Tractor trucks, also known as container trucks or semi-trailer trucks, are the “kings of the road” in freight transport. They are designed to pull trailers or semi-trailers carrying containers, transporting oversized and overweight goods on long-distance, inter-provincial, and international routes. Tractor trucks have the ability to transport extremely large volumes of goods, making a significant contribution to import-export activities and international trade.
Tractor truck with extremely high load capacity, the main vehicle in container and heavy long-distance freight transport.
Specialized Trucks
Specialized trucks include many types of vehicles specifically designed to serve specialized purposes. Examples include concrete mixer trucks, tanker trucks for petrol and oil, water trucks, animal feed trucks, construction machinery trucks, double-decker livestock trucks, etc. Each type of specialized truck has its own unique structure and function, meeting the specific transportation needs of each industry.
How Heavy is the Largest Truck in the World?
Answering the question “how heavy is the largest truck?”, currently, the title of “world’s largest truck” belongs to the BelAZ 75710, a “giant” from Belarus, manufactured by the company BelAZ. This “monster” dump truck has a maximum load capacity of up to 450 tons. The BelAZ 75710 is specially designed and manufactured to operate in large-scale open-pit mines, where performance and power are key factors.
In Vietnam, popular truck lines have much smaller load capacities than the BelAZ 75710. Light-duty trucks typically have a load capacity of less than 5 tons, while heavy-duty trucks have common load capacities ranging from 6 to 30 tons. The specific payload of each type of truck depends on the manufacturer’s design and legal regulations on vehicle load limits.
To better visualize the load capacity of popular truck types in Vietnam, readers can refer to the technical specification table below:
Vietnamese Truck Market Today
The Vietnamese truck market is witnessing strong growth, with fierce competition among domestic and foreign automakers. Manufacturers are constantly introducing new truck lines, applying advanced technologies, improving operating efficiency, and saving fuel.
Consumers have more and more choices when buying trucks, from familiar brands such as HOWO, JAC, Chenglong, Isuzu, Hino to emerging brands. The diversity in types, models, and price segments helps customers easily find a truck that suits their needs and financial capabilities.
Conclusion
Trucks are an indispensable part of the transportation and logistics industry, playing an important role in economic development. Understanding the structure, classification, and especially the load capacity of trucks helps users choose and use vehicles effectively. Hopefully, this article has provided readers with useful information to answer the question how heavy is the largest truck as well as a more general overview of the diverse and rich world of trucks.
