The trucking industry and semi trucks, in particular, play a huge role in the economies of almost every country in the world.
These huge, powerful vehicles transport and deliver millions of tons of goods every year. Without them, many businesses and other industries would come to a sudden standstill.
In the United States alone, it’s believed that semi trucks travel over 140 billion miles every year and deliver almost 70% of all of the products that are delivered every 12 months.
Without semis, there would be no food in the grocery store or gas at the gas pump, just to mention just a few of the most critical aspects of our lives.
How Much Does A Semi Truck Weigh?
A semi truck, along with an empty trailer, weigh around 35,000 pounds.
Legally, in the United States, the maximum weight of a semi truck with a loaded trailer is 80,000 pounds. And this weight is spread over 18 wheels.
However, that’s only a fraction of the weight of loads carried by similar vehicles in other countries such as Australia, where the laws are different. Over there, combined loads contained in 4 trailers reach weights of up to 300,000 pounds. That’s more than 25 elephants!
How Much Does A Semi Weigh Without A Trailer?
Semi trucks or tractors vary in size from over 10,000 pounds to 25,000 pounds.
Semi trucks, which are also known as tractors, are designed to haul heavy loads which are placed in a wide range of trailers that can be 50 feet or more in length.
Pulling heavy loads often comes at a cost though, and semi trucks can be expensive vehicles to keep on the road.
Most of these trucks are estimated to deliver 4-7 miles per gallon, and this decreases greatly when these machines are driving uphill.
Fun Fact
There are more than 1,900,000 registered semi trucks or tractors operating in the United States, with one third of them registered in Florida, Texas, and California.
However, nearly 3 times as many semi-truck trailers, or approximately 5.6 million, are registered!
Resources:
https://www.thetruckersreport.com/facts-about-trucks/