Biggest Truck manufacturers in American freight transport
Daimler Trucks
Daimler Trucks North America LLC, formerly Freightliner Corporation, is an automotive industry manufacturer of commercial vehicles headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the German Daimler AG. It has several brands of trucks like Freightliner Trucks, Western Star Trucks, Sterling Trucks etc.
PACCAR Inc (parent company of Peterbilt and Kenworth)
PACCAR Inc is an American Fortune 500 company and counts among the largest manufacturers of medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles in the world.
PACCAR is engaged in the design, manufacture and customer support of light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, Leyland Trucks and DAF nameplates.
PACCAR also designs and manufactures diesel engines, provides financial services and information technology, and distributes truck parts related to its principal business.
Volvo
Volvo Group Trucks, with Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks, Mack Trucks and UD Trucks is a global truck manufacturer based in Gothenburg, Sweden. In 2016, it was the world’s second largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks.
Most used Semi Trucks in American freight transportation
Freightliner Cascadia
Freightliner Cascadia is currently the most used truck in the US with more than a third of trucks being freightliners in the industry. To see the current trucks that freightliner is offering for OTR check the following link:
https://freightliner.com/trucks/#category=On-Highway
Kenworth T680 and W990
The Kenworth T680 is a class 8 truck model first introduced in 2013/14. It became one of the most liked trucks for drivers offering matching performances and style to the cascadia.
The Kenworth W900s are in continuous production since 1961, making the W900 among the longest-running nameplates in American automotive history. The “W” in W900 denotes Worthington, one of the two founders of Kenworth. W900 is mostly favored by owner operators for its style and many opportunities for customization. The W990 as of 2019 is the newest model of W900s.
https://www.kenworth.com/trucks
Volvo VNL
Volvo trucks make up about 10 percent market share in America. In the USA Volvo ranks fifth, but world-wide ranks second for heavy-duty truck manufacturers.
https://www.volvotrucks.us/trucks/vnl
Peterbuilt 579 and 389
Peterbilt is an iconic brand in the American trucking industry. Its popularity has allowed the brand to cross over into everyday fashion. With its red oval-shaped logo and script white lettering, Peterbilt apparel – specifically trucker hats – can be found at truck stops, retail stores and various online retailers. Peterbilt makes up 13 percent of the market share in America and is beloved by its owners.
https://www.peterbilt.com/trucks/highway
International Lonestar, Prostar, 9900I and LT
Semi Trailers
A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. Together with the semi tractor they form a tractor-trailer unit. The towing vehicle (semi truck) has a wide coupling plate known as a fifth wheel coupling bolted onto its chassis on which the semi-trailer rests and pivots.
Different types of semi-trailers are designed to haul different cargoes.
- Box or van trailers are the most common type. They are quite simply a metal box on wheels with some doors on the back, though some offer additional access on the sides.
- Refrigerator trailers or reefers are box trailers with a heating/cooling unit (reefer) attached and insulated walls, used for hauling produce, frozen foods, meat, etc.
- Flatbeds consist of just a load floor and removable side rails and a bulkhead in front to protect the tractor in the event of a load shift. They can haul almost anything that can be stacked on and strapped down.
- Curtain siders or tautliners are similar to box trailers except the sides are movable curtains made of reinforced fabric coated with a waterproof coating. To put it another way, it is basically a flatbed trailer with additional aerodynamic and weather protection as well as greater load security.
- Double deckers or deckers have either a fixed, hinged, or moveable second floor to enable them to carry more palletised goods.
- Dump trailers are trailers in which one end can be raised to allow the cargo (often building materials or Agricultural produce) to slide out the other end.
- Tank chassis or “tanker” trailers are used for hauling liquids such as gasoline and alcohol, or various types of gases.
- Car carrier trailers carry multiple cars, usually new cars from the manufacturer. In the US and elsewhere, car carriers often carry used vehicles as well.
Electronic Logging Device
Electronic Logging Device (ELD or E-Log)
Is an electronic hardware that is attached to a commercial motor vehicle engine to record driving hours known as the hours of service (HOS). An ELD monitors a vehicle’s engine to capture data on whether the engine is running, whether the vehicle is moving, miles driven, and duration of engine operation.
Previously, paper logs or electronic on-board recorders were used for hours-of-service tracking but the lack of a consistent data format meant that the logs needed to be regenerated to an equivalent “paper” format for review and enforcement. The Record of Duty Status (RODS) definition within the ELD legislation defines a consistent format for enforcement personnel to review, so the ELD Mandate was created. Fleets already equipped with electronic logging technology will have until December 2019 to ensure compliance with the published specifications.
Other common equipment
APU
APU is short for Auxiliary Power Unit. Some trucks have APU’s equipped to help reduce the tractor’s idle cost by offering a more fuel saving solution to idling the tractor. The APU is a self-contained generator that powers up the auxiliary equipment within the cab of the tractor. Some APU’s are even capable of running the heat and AC within the tractor. The higher the cost of diesel the better return on investment an APU will provide. Since APU’s only use a portion of the fuel that idling the tractor would the need for APU increase as the cost of diesel increases.
Bunk heater
It is a small diesel-fired heater that heats the interior of the truck. The market is dominated by two manufacturers, Espar and Webasto (both from Germany). The heaters come in two styles, air and hydronic. The air versions are for interior heat and the hydronic ones warm the engine.
Many trucks have a bunk heater because they use a mere fraction of the fuel consumed by the engine for the same purpose. In colder climates trucks will be equipped with two heaters; one for the interior and one for the engine.
Power inverters
Inverters are for the trucks to give DC and AC converted power from a battery bank making it a quiet and environmentally friendly alternative to idling the engine to supply power to the cab. When the truck is supplied with external AC power, at a truck stop for example, the inverter/charger takes the incoming power and recharges the batteries back to full capacity.
Outlets & Sleepers
Inside the trucks can include a refrigerator, microwave, coffee makers, slow cookers, tv, vacuum cleaner etc. enabling drivers to make their own food and keep their personal expenses lower, as well having some entertainment like TV and personal computers.
Most over-the-road (OTR) semi-trucks have a twin size bed that pulls down from the wall. A thick curtain that blocks out any light is also a helpful accessory to keep near the bed. Just like a car, a truck can’t run all night during sleep hours. In extreme weather season, many truckers will stay at a motel to avoid losing any sleep.
Front facing camera
It help drivers against false claims in case there was an incident while driving. The cameras only face forward on the road and do not record audio.
Mobile apps
The use of cell phones and tablets has exploded in the trucking industry over the past couple of years. This increase can be explained by the growing number of industry-specific apps. Truckers now have access to the weather, live traffic reports, diesel prices, and their business specific apps, all in the palm of their hands.