Truck facts with pups

Welcome to the fantastic, amazing world of trucks! Join Trailer and Lorry, two puppy truckers, and travel aboard the "Shooting Star", their state-of-the-art big rig on the highways, learning and discovering a whole new world! From the biggest truck to the most famous road in the world, the fun is guaranteed! Ask them anything: from questions about the world of trucks to personal topics. You're sure to have a good time!

But first, a few rules:

Oh my! What happened here?!

Well, lordy! These kinds of wrecks happen a whole lot more often than you'd think, bud.

How did it happen? The lorry is so big (hehehe, pun intended). Didn't he see it coming? It is so easy to see!

Well now, sometimes it ain't quite as obvious as it looks, but here there's no excuse! Remember when we were talkin' 'bout the maximum weight for rigs? That was a good while back. Well, that’s exactly where a lot of these modern buildin' problems come from.

See, a lot of bridges are old, way older than you can even imagine, and they just weren't built for big ol' vehicles to go passin' underneath them. Some of them didn't even get adjusted when they cleared the max size for trucks in the US, so most of them usually carry a sign showin' the clearance height.

So, how did this accident happen then?

Well, it happens a lot that truckers just plum ignore the signs put up. See, the bridge where this wreck took place is known as the "can opener." It's the York County Bridge 47. I know it real well 'cause a lot of greenhorns fall for it, and most of them get stuck tighter than a drum right there, trustin' their GPS way too much.

Goodness! It says it right there, very clearly.

Tell me about it! But nowadays, a lot of bridges don't have their max height logged electronically. And the GPS systems don't give a hoot about it either. These rookies trust the tech way too much and their own gut and the road signs way too little… and then, bam! Disaster strikes!

Oh… and how do you know that bridge so well?

Hehehe... Lil'star, I used to be a greenhorn myself!

Literature (Why is this so important):

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/t/are-local-legendary-locations-acceptable-as-wayspots/108321/4

Trailer, I have been thinking about a question that is nibblin at me. One time you said the maximum for a Class 8 heavy duty is 36.3 tonnes. But then another time we saw that in some countries in Europe the maximum is higher.

I like where you’re headin’ with this one. Go on now, keep it comin’. I wanna see where you’re fixin’ to land.

Well, I realised that the trucks in Europe have much more horsepower than the American ones, even though they are smaller and more plain.

So far you’re doin’ just fine, my little buddy. Keep that deduction rollin’.

And you said that American trucks still follow a design that comes from the 70s, with Nixon… would it not have been easier to improve it by now?

Lorry, you just opened Pandora’s box.

Oh lovely! Are there sweets inside?

Not quite, but close enough! The whole truck size issue in the United States is a mighty tricky one. See, for starters, if we wanted containers to carry more weight, we’d have to seriously upgrade the safety systems on Class 8 rigs. Just so you get the picture: a whole lotta Class 8s don’t even come with airbags ’cause they’re optional.

But then there’s infrastructure. A whole mess of bridges would need reinforcin’ to handle a whole lot more weight. We ain’t just talkin’ about bumpin’ up container loads a notch — this would be across the board. So if every truck in America suddenly got a significant weight increase, the highway infrastructure would take a mighty hard hit.

So it would be a huge investment on both sides… That is a problem. Oh! Wait — do we not have airbags?!

Course we do! And plenty more safety systems besides! Ryder made sure nothin’ bad would happen to us. We’re runnin’ smooth as ever, Lorry!

Literature (Why is this so important):

https://truckdriversus.com/how-semi-trucks-prioritize-driver-safety-without-airbags/

Understanding Class 8 trucks

About Nixon

Trailer, the last time we went to Builder Cove, I noticed nobody names their vehicle except us. Are we kinda weird?

Hey now! Don’t you go pickin’ on my big girl! Shooting Star earned that name fair and square!

Yeah, but I wonder… is it just us, or do other people do it too?

Well now, most people just see a truck as a hunk o’ metal on wheels, nothin’ but machinery. But some truckers—pups like me—we see somethin’ more. Kinda like people namin’ their home and nailin’ that name right on the front door. Truth be told, that’s one tell of a hard question you’re throwin’ at me.

It’s just that everything you do really catches my eye!

Heh, yeah, I can tell. See, this rig here’s like another limb to us. Without it, we wouldn’t be savin’ nobody. We can sleep in it, it keeps us safe from whatever crazy weather’s blowin’ outside, keeps us warm, gives us a home, really. But that also means we gotta treat it right. Ain’t just about cleanin’ it up nice; we gotta make sure every bolt and gear’s still runnin’ like the day it rolled off the line. After a while, you can’t help but get attached. To me, it ain’t just a work tool. It’s someone who hauls us wherever folks need help.

I wonder… what name I’ll give my own truck when I have one?

Whew, that part ain’t easy, kid, not by a long shot. You gotta feel out its shape, whether it looks big and mean or small and quiet-like. Its colors, its steel skin… but also the sound of them tires on the road, the growl of the engine, all them parts movin’ when you turn the wheel. And most important of all, the kind of work it’ll do for ya. Oh, and the music you’ll play in it, how much time it’ll keep ya company. That truck’ll be your partner for a good many years. Gotta give it a name worth carryin’.

I think that, whatever it is, I’ll call it “Meteor Trail.”

Well I’ll be… and why that name?

Because that’s what you call the trail a Shooting Star leaves behind! That way, my truck and me will always be with you, wherever you go!

Literature (Why is this so important):

Stories behind truck names

Why people name their truck

Trucking history in american culture

You know, Trailer? I don’t really get something about our Shooting Star.

After three years and you’re still unsure ’bout her? Well, I’ll be barked. Alright, partner, tell me straight—what’s botherin’ you?

Why, even though she’s a big class-eight truck, do they call her a “semi-truck”? She ain’t semi at all!

Hahaha! You nailed it, Lorry! There’s a real simple reason for that. A big rig like ours is made up of a semi-trailer and a tractor unit pullin’ the weight. That’s why the whole thing’s called a semi.

Think on it this way: a truck can haul all kinds of cargo, like we’ve talked about before, though Australia sure takes the prize there. That’s why folks put the focus on “semi-truck.” Matter of fact, when they ain’t haulin’ any cargo at all, people just call ’em “trucks.”

It feels funny to think about our Shooting Star without our nice cargo. All my tools are in there! And my emergency snacks for when I gotta help with the crane!

Lorry, my lil'star, you really shouldn’t leave food lyin’ around, or we’re gonna end up with ants all over the truck!

Literature (Why is this so important):

Surprising facts about Semitrucks

Facts to know

7 fun facts

I bet so! Ya don’t know who you’re jawin’ with, partner! Gimme just a sec: need to clear my throat with a good cup o’ coffee and practice a bit in front of the mirror.

"Pedro Pablo Perez pinta preciosas pinturas para partir para Paris"

You want one more harder? Wait for it:

"R con R cigarro , r con r barril , rápido corren los carros del ferrocarril"

You’re gonna have to ask me for somethin’ tougher than that! Folks might have a bit o’ trouble understandin’ me, but I’m the best bark challenger there is!

Actually, I don’t think anyone understood any of the tongue twisters you said.

Alright, Lorry, time to do ourselves a proper heavy rescue. We’ve been sent to a particular town, an’ we gotta roll out ipso facto. You got the report handy so we can go over it on the way?

Of Course I do! They even sent me a video! Let’s see what it is!

…

… What just happened?

Two things, lil'star. First off, that right there’s why, every time we’re haulin’ cargo, you make sure it’s strapped in tight. When you hit the brakes, inertia does its “magic,” and all that weight goes flying forward, right toward the cab. Where you and I sit. We can beat a whole lotta trouble, but physics ain’t one of ’em. You know that better’n me.

Oh wow! The driver looks okay! He’s hurt, but he got out all by himself! That’s super lucky!

You got that right! Many cabovers will tip on purpose in situations like this, and keeps the cargo from crushin’ the driver. That’s somethin’ American rigs don’t got, and lemme tell you, this ain’t the first time I’ve had to help out after a load came crashin’ right through the cab.

Poor man!

Our job sure ain’t easy, Lorry! We gotta think about every variable that might show up out there. This right here shows ya why truckers can’t just slam on the brakes. This time the cargo shot forward, but in other situations, the whole rig could roll over or lose control.

At least the tiny car is okay! And its driver too! Nobody died!

Yeah, that little car took the most dramatic fall I’ve ever seen in my whole career rescuin’ heavy vehicles! Now set the route, Lorry: we’re hittin’ the road!

Literature (Why is this so important):

Cálculo de las fuerzas del cargamento (In english)

What is the real reason heavier vehicles have longer stopping distances?

Cargo security on trucks

¡Hola, compañero de carretera! ¡Encantado de conocerte!

Yeah, I know a lil’ bit. Gency’s grandma — and reckon she’s mine now too — lived down in San Benito a loooong time ago. She spoke Spanish before moving up to Glen Rose and meetin’ her husband, who was from Pearsall, Texas. Her daughter knew Spanish and I learned by hearsay.

My great-grandma, from mother, was from Oxkutzcab, Mexico, near Yucatan —same as my great-grandpa — and sometimes she’d come visit us. Buuuut I’m real rusty, so Grandma keeps tellin’ me I oughta be proud o’ my roots an’ practice my Spanish day by day. Truth is, half my grandparents tell me that. The other half’s from Texas. Kinda fun watchin’ ’em swap words in different languages when they all get together.

One, two, three, four, five, six…

What ya countin’, son? The hours left till supper?

The number of mirrors we’ve got! A lot! Two on each side, but then heaps more all over. We can see the back of the Shooting Star from every angle! Do we really need that many mirrors?

Dang right we do, partner! A mighty long truck’s got a whole mess of blind spots. The longer it is, the easier it is to miss somethin’. Truth is, without these mirrors, I couldn’t back up proper or pull off them tricks I showed ya—like the tea-bag truck. They ain’t just important—they’re somethin’ ya gotta keep your eyes on the whole ride.

Still, even with all that, we got blind spots left over. That’s why it’s real important cars don’t tailgate us or hug too close on the sides.

Understood! But I can see the mirrors aren’t all the same. Some are all roundy… look, my nose looks all wonky!

HAHAHAHAHA! That’s normal, lil'star! Those’re wide-angle mirrors. Usually set underneath or beside the regular ones, their curved shape lets ya see a bigger area. Mighty handy for backin’ up and peekin’ at spots the straight mirrors can’t reach.

Oh, I get it! The regular ones are the long ones, just for seeing behind, right? But then… why’ve we got so many more? Aren't those enough?

Never enough, son. We’ve also got front mirrors—those help us spot what’s right in front o’ the Shooting Star; lower mirrors—big rigs like ours use ’em to check blind spots round the wheels; and far-view mirrors—to see traffic further back. Now, we don’t use ’em all at once. The bigger the truck and the heavier the load, the more mirrors ya stick on. But ya know the best part?

Tell me!

Some o’ ours are digital! I still favor the ol’ glass ones, but sometimes ya gotta roll with the times. Now grin, boy—ya just got recorded!

Literature (Why is this so important):

A begginer's guide for better safety

Explanation of the mirrors

Mandatory Mirrors for trucks

Well now, Lorry! We’re all done workin’ on the Shooting Star. How ya feelin’, partner?

Awful tired... Wow! I never saw the Shooting Star’s engine before! It’s... it’s HUGE!

Image from Shutterstock

That’s ‘cause she’s gotta haul a whole lotta weight, son! Class-8 truck engines like ours are ‘bout six times bigger an’ heavier than a car’s. And lemme tell ya—they pack way more punch, too. We’re talkin’ four to six hundred horsepower, ‘stead o’ the hundred, maybe two hundred, you’d find in a big ol’ car. ‘Course, a big engine like that’s got its downsides. For instance, a diesel Class-8’ll drink a lot more oil than a car—’round 15 gallons compared to a car’s 4.

Wow! Then you shouldn’t leave it on when we stop for snacks.

Don’t you fret none! Ours is electric, but even if it was diesel, them big rig diesels are built to keep on runnin’ even when you ain’t movin’.

But... won’t that make the diesel engine burn up?

No sir! Diesel—or gas—truck engines got different fuel modes, but ya gotta remember they’re made for long hauls. Sometimes it takes days to get from one end to the other, and a driver needs to rest. We ain’t the only ones makin’ our rig our home!

Oh! If the engine’s idle, they can, like, sleep with the air conditioner on!

That’s right! Plus, all them quick temperature changes ain’t good for a regular truck engine. She’s made o’ lots o’ tiny parts that can wear out fast if they expand an’ shrink too quick. Anyhow! We’re done with the maintenance, so I say we earned ourselves a treat. How ‘bout we head over to our grandparents’ place an’ watch a movie with ‘em tonight?

Yes! Yes! Grandma’s house! I wanna play with the sheep and help her with the chickens! That’ll be fun!

…Heh… Yeah… You run on ahead, I’ll just sit a spell on the porch an’ rest my paws...

Literature (Why is this so important):

Surprising facts about Semitrucks

Facts to know

7 fun facts

Well howdy, Toxlink! Mighty nice to meet ya! Fancy a bit o’ tea? Lorry’s been tryin’ out all sorts of kinds, hopin’ one of ‘em’ll win me over.

'bout the question... More times than you’d think. That nose of his is downright amazin’—but what really gets me is how he can smell fried bugs and call it food. Even when we’re on the road and the weather’s nice, we sleep with the windows cracked open just a bit. I switch on the electric bug zapper, but sure enough… a few hours later, Lorry’s up sayin’ he’s hungry.

While you propably have to eat accordingly to the hard work you do, do you have preferences? I know Trailer likes coffee, but what other foods/drinks you both like?

Also, you do listen to music while driving the road? I know it’s important to focus on driving, but do you vibe sometimes?

Much love <3

P.S. I like your names, they’re fun and fitting :)

Howdy there, oceanicwolf47. Mighty fine meetin’ ya. Don’t reckon we’ve crossed paths before. How ‘bout a cup o’ coffee?

When it comes to food, I try to eat a bit of everything. But I gotta admit, there’s three things I’m real fond of. First off, I’ve got a special soft spot for Schweppes. It’s this fizzy drink I’ve been hooked on ever since Gency introduced me to it. Second? A good, proper barbecue. I try to treat Lorry and myself to one at a truck stop at least once a month—if he don’t go and ruin it with some wild idea of his…

And third? Pizza. Ain’t no Saturday without one! Barring last-minute emergencies, it’s tradition: Saturday night, we drive to a stop, fire up a pizza, and sit down together to watch a movie while we eat. It’s our little reward for all the hard work we do. Worth every bite!

I looove everything! It’s so hard to pick just one! Let me think, let me think… Oh! I adore salmon! Smoked salmon, pickled salmon, salmon on pizza… I wonder what would happen if I ever caught a real salmon?

Oh! And cheese! I loooove cheese! But since we’re dogs, cheese is a bit of a no-no. One time, I ate a whole wedge of it… and it didn’t go too well. So now Trailer’s banned cheese from the truck. Absolutely banned!

Aaaand switchin’ gears completely—music! Gotta admit, thanks to Gency, I got real into classic country: Outlaw Country, like Willie Nelson, or a bit of bluegrass, like The Steeldrivers. That’s what I throw on when I’m drivin’ down the highway, waitin’ for a call. But if I’m windin’ down after a rescue, I go for somethin’ smoother—like jazz. “The Rippingtons” are a good go-to.

I like country too! But I like the fun stuff best—Jon Pardi’s loads of fun! And Blake Shelton! That’s what I put on for the rare times Trailer lets me drive. Keeps me awake, see?

Buuut when I’m studying do you know what I listen to? Racing game music! Like Gran Turismo, Forza… Lately, I found this really catchy one—the soundtrack from a game called “Ridge Racer Type 4.” Oh! And Synthwave! I adore synthwave music. It’s so cool!

Quick question, Trailer. How much does our Shooting Star weigh?

Last time I checked, 'round fifteen tons.

Fifteen tons?! No wonder she feels so heavy and hard to steer when I’m drivin’ her! Where are we even supposed to go with fifteen tons?! That’s... that’s like the weight of a full-grown humpback whale! Or a whole small prefab house! How do the wheels last so long?

Ain’t as bad as you’re makin’ it sound! Now tell me, you remember what truck axles are?

Of course! It’s the drive system of the vehicle — acts as a link between the wheels. It can either be attached directly to the wheels and rotate with them, or fixed to the chassis while the rest spins around it. Trucks usually have more than one axle, for instance.

That’s right. And what types of axles do we got?

Let’s see... Load-bearing axles, which only carry weight; steering axles, which let us control direction; and drive axles, which send power from the engine to the wheels. There’s also tandem axles or, in the case of the Shooting Star, tridem axles — two wheels on either side of each axle.

Well done! Now, the Shooting Star — with all them axles — she can carry up to forty tons total. She weighs fifteen by herself, so that leaves us with twenty-five extra tons to haul. Handy if we ever gotta carry another small vehicle with us. But we gotta make sure that weight ain’t all in one place.

Of course! If we put it all in one spot, we’d overload an axle!

That’s right! The axles supportin’ the container can each handle fifteen tons...

Oh, I know this, I know this! Right — our container weighs ten tons in total, which means five tons on each axle. So that leaves twenty more tons we can spread out, putting ten tons on each axle. That’s why you’re always tellin’ me to keep the room tidy!

Actually, the cab — or the dog house, in our case — should always be tidy and clean, Lorry... That’s where we live our day-to-day!

Literature (Why is this so important):

Truck Axles

A guide to truck axles

Understanding truck axles

Trailer, look, look over there! Wind turbines! Aren’t they huge?

Image from: here

You bet they are! Thanks to those turbines, we’ve got clean energy in parts of the country. And they don’t pollute a thing. Ain’t that great?

But I wonder… how do they even get there? I mean, they’re massive! Just look at the size of those blades! Each one must be around 85 meters long. And they look like they’re made in one single piece, not built from smaller parts—so I’d guess they weigh about twenty tons each.

That’s some impressive guesswork, Lorry! And I’m glad you asked! Truth is, it’s a big ol’ engineering job that takes a whole team of folks. Like you said, those blades are long and heavy. The trucks that carry ‘em have to balance the weight just right. Since the base of each blade is heavier than the tip, the trucks carry the base close to the trailer and leave the tip sticking out. And to keep everyone safe, a bunch of escort vehicles drive around the truck, marking its distance. But they don’t use regular trucks for that job. They use ones made just for haulin’ those blades.

So… we couldn’t help out?

’Fraid not, kiddo—even the Shooting Star’s got her limits!

But the wind turbines are way up on mountains! How do they get up there? What about the curves on the roads and highways?

Them special trucks can tilt the blades up at an angle. Got engines strong 'nuff to hoist tons o’ weight, and they can swing the whole load 'round near 270 degrees. That way, they can wrangle even the tightest curves—real careful-like, though. And if the way’s too dang tricky… they go 'n build a whole 'nother road first!

Still, with all that weight, wouldn’t the truck sink when climbing up those steep streets?

An’ that’s why they hitch a bunch o’ trucks together, kiddo! That way, they can pull as a team. Like I said, it’s a real team-effort kinda job—just the kinda thing Rubble an’ his crew’d be perfect for! Us? We gotta keep our minds on emergency rescues, be ready... just in case somethin’ goes sideways!

That’s so cool! Well, there goes another one of my theories…

Which theory?

That wind turbines grow from little metal seeds and become big and strong like oak trees over the years!

…You’ve got a lot to learn, lil'star.

Literature (Why is this so important):

Visual explanation

Wind power

How wind turbines are made

How are Wind Turbines made