TRUCK INDUSTRY TERMS & TRUCKING GLOSSARY

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ABS (Antilock Braking System)
Computer, sensors and solenoid valves which together monitor wheel speed and modulate braking force if wheel lockup is sensed during braking. Helps the driver retain control of the vehicle during heavy braking on slippery roads.

AFV (Alternative Fueled Vehicle)
Vehicle powered by a fuel other than gasoline or diesel.

Air Ride Suspension
Suspension which supports the load on air-filled rubber bags rather than steel springs. Compressed air is supplied by the same engine-driven air compressor and reservoir tanks which provide air to the air brake system.

ATC (Automatic Traction Control)
Usually an optional feature based on ABS, it prevents spinning of the drive wheels under power on slippery surfaces by braking individual wheels and/or reducing engine throttle. Also called ASR, an acronym sometimes loosely translated from the German as anti-spin regulation.

ATV (All Terrain Vehicle)
Vehicle designed for any type of terrain.

AVI (Automatic Vehicle Identification)
System combining an on-board transponder with roadside receivers to automate identification of vehicles. Uses include electronic toll collection and stolen vehicle detection.

AVL (Automated Vehicle Location)
Class of technologies designed to locate vehicles for fleet management purposes and for stolen vehicle recovery. Infrastructure can be land-based radio towers or satellites.

Axle
Structural component to which wheels, brakes and suspension are attached.
Drive axles are those with powered wheels.
Front axle is usually called the steer axle.
Pusher axles are unpowered and go ahead of drive axles.
Rear axles may be drive, tag or pusher types.
Tag axles are unpowered and go behind drive axles.

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BBC
Distance from a truck's front bumper to the back of its cab.

Bill of Lading
Itemized list of goods contained in a shipment.

Blind Spot
Areas around a commercial vehicle that are not visible to the driver either through the windshield, side windows or mirrors.

Bobtail
Tractor operating without a trailer. Also refers to straight truck.

Bogie (also spelled bogey)
Assembly of two or more axles, usually a pair in tandem.

Brake Horsepower (bhp)
Engine horsepower rating as determined by brake dynamometer testing. (see Horsepower)

Bridge Formula
A bridge protection formula used by federal and state governments to regulate the amount of weight that can be put on each of a vehicle's axles, and how far apart the axles (or groups of axles) must be to legally carry a given weight.

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Cabover (Cab-Over-Engine, COE)
Truck or tractor design in which the cab sits over the engine on the chassis.

Cargo Weight
Combined weight of all loads, gear and supplies on a vehicle.

Cartage Company
Company that provides local (within a town, city or municipality) pick-up and delivery.

Cast Spoke Wheel
Wheel with five or six spokes originating from a center hub. The spoked portion, usually made of cast steel, is bolted to a multiple-piece steel rim (see Demountable Rim; Disc Wheel).

CB (Citizens Band Radio)
Two-way radio for which no license is required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Long beyond its heyday in the '70s, CB is still used by truckers and motorists for everything from traffic condition reports to emergency calls to idle chatter.

CDL (Commercial Driver's License)
License which authorizes an individual to operate commercial motor vehicles and buses over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. For operators of freight-hauling trucks, the maximum size which may be driven without a CDL is Class 6 (maximum 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight).

CE (CF, LP)
Distance from back of a truck's cab to the end of its frame.

CFC
Chlorofluorocarbon.

CG (Center of Gravity)
Weight center or balance point of an object, such as a truck body. Calculated to help determine optimum placement of truck bodies on chassis.

Chassis Weight (Curb Weight, Tare Weight)
Weight of the empty truck, without occupants or load.

CNG
Compressed natural gas.

COFC (Container On Flat Car)
Method of moving shipping containers which involves transporting them on railroad flat cars.

Common Carrier
Freight transportation company which serves the general public. May be regular route service (over designated highways on a regular basis) or irregular route (between various points on an unscheduled basis).

Compensated Intracorporate Hauling
Freight transportation service provided by one company for a sister company.

Container (Shipping Container)
Standard-sized rectangular box used to transport freight by ship, rail and highway. International shipping containers are 20 or 40 feet long, conform to International Standards Organization (ISO) standards and are designed to fit in ships' holds. Containers are transported on public roads atop a container chassis towed by a tractor. Domestic containers, up to 53 feet long and of lighter construction, are designed for rail and highway use only.

Container Chassis
Single-purpose semitrailer designed to carry a shipping container.

Contract Carrier
Company that transports freight under contract with one or a limited number of shippers.

Converter Dolly (Dolly)
Auxiliary axle assembly equipped with a fifth wheel (coupling device), towed by a semitrailer and supporting the front of, and towing, another semitrailer.

Cube (Cubic Capacity)
Interior volume of a truck body, semitrailer or trailer, measured in cubic feet.

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