Trochos - Truck!
Broom it’s a Truck…
A truck is a vehicle usually used for transporting bulk goods, materials, or equipment. The word "truck" comes from the Greek "trochos", meaning "wheel". In America, the big wheels of wagons were called trucks. When the gasoline-engine driven trucks came into fashion, these were called "motor trucks" and the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV)).
Lorry is a British term but is only used for the medium and heavy types (see below), i.e. a van, a pickup or a SUV would never be regarded as a "lorry". Other languages have loanwords based on these terms, such as the Malay lori and the Mexican Spanish troca (or pickup in northern Mexico).
In Australia and New Zealand a small vehicle with an open back is called a ute (short for "utility vehicle") and the word "truck" is reserved for larger vehicles.
Steam trucks
Trucks and cars have a common ancestor: the steam-powered fardier Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built in 1769. However, steam trucks were not common until the mid-1800s. The roads of the time, built for horse and carriages, limited these vehicles to very short hauls, usually from a factory to the nearest railway station. The first semi-trailer appeared in 1881, towed by a De Dion steam tractor. Steam-powered trucks were sold in France and the United States until the eve of World War I,and the beginning of World War II in the United Kingdom.
Heavy trucks are the largest trucks allowed on the road. They are mostly used for long-haul purposes, often in semi-trailer or B-double configuration.
Road damage and wear increase very rapidly with the axle weight. The axle weight is basically truck weight divided by the number of axles, but the actual axle weight depends on the position of the load over the axles. Also the number of steering axles and the suspension type has influence on the road wear. In many countries with good roads a 6-axle truck may have a maximum weight over 50 tonnes (50,000 kg). In Australia two or three trailers towed by a tractor truck or even a load carrying tractor (a "three and a half") are linked to make what are called road trains. These are useful in carrying mixed loads or substantial weights using only one driver.
They are mostly driven in the outback, due to little congestion of cars, and because of the large turns they make. Owing to the difficulties in operating such vehicles they have special priorities over lighter vehicles.
