If you are looking to understand the difference between a straight truck and a tractor-trailer, you probably wonder which truck configuration fits your needs.
Both have their unique advantages and can perform a wide range of tasks.
For example, if you need to haul lightweight or medium-weight freight, you might need a type of straight truck. But, if you need to haul heavy-weight freight, you might need a tractor-trailer.
Understanding this distinction between these two types of truck configurations may help you to search for specific trucking jobs.
Below, you'll find the main differences between hauling with a straight truck and hauling with a tractor-trailer.
What Is a Straight Truck?
Find below what is a straight truck.
A straight truck is a name for a group of vehicles that all have one common characteristic. Be it a box truck, a pickup truck, non-articulated dump truck, or other type of straight trucks, all their parts such as axles, cargo boxes, and the driver's cabin are attached to one single frame. Be it a box truck, a pickup truck, or a non-articulated dump truck. These vehicles fall under the group of a straight trucks.
Straight trucks are used to pull lightweight and medium-heavy weight freight.
Straight trucks are also called unibody vehicles due to their one-piece configuration.
What Is a Tractor Truck?
Tractor trailers or semi-trailers were technically termed like that because a semi-truck is pulling a semi-trailer. Where only the tractor has the engine and the semi-trailer cannot move on its own. Find out the difference between a truck and a tractor.
In terms of vehicle configuration, a tractor-trailer is considered to be an articulated vehicle because it is a combination of a rigid tractor pulling a rigid structure semi-trailer joined together by an articulation point.
In this truck configuration, the semi-trucks (tractor) only function is to tow the semi-trailer. While the merchandise is transported in the semi-trailer
In this tractor-trailer configuration, semi-trailers come in different configurations. That allows us to pull all kinds of heavy-weight freight from 45,000 lbs to oversized loads.
Power
- Straight truck
The straight truck's engine is less powerful than that of a tractor-trailer.
- Tractor trailer
A semi-truck is a heavy-duty vehicle that is more powerful than an average straight truck.
Dimensions and capacity
- Straight truck
The height of straight trucks ranges from 6 feet to 8 feet.
Their length ranges from 10 feet to 26 feet
The width ranges from 8 feet to 12 feet.
They can haul loads from 10,000 to 33,000 pounds.
- Tractor trailer
The height of semi-truck ranges from 12.6 feet to 13.6 feet.
Its length ranges from 28 feet to 53 feet.
Its width ranges from 8 feet to 12 feet.
A truck tractor can haul loads from 20,000 to 80,000 pounds.
Hauling distance
- Straight truck
They typically make deliveries within a city, province, or community.
- Tractor trailers
Tractor-trailers transport items to farther destinations.
Uses
- Straight truck
Straight trucks are used for moving furniture, refrigerators, refuse, boxes, appliances, washers, dryers, and other types of household items.
- Tractor-trailer
Tractor trailers can also move all the above but can do that at a higher scale.
Besides that, they can haul heavy loads of construction material, machines, and big heavy things.
Trailer
- Tractor trailer
A semi-trailer is where the merchandise is loaded.
The semi-trailer is a separate piece of equipment that doesn't have an engine and doesn't have a front axle.
When it's disconnected from the semi-truck, the semi-trailer releases its landing gear to support its weight.
To move, the semi-trailer needs to connect to a tractor. So, the tractor pulls back to attach the semi-trailer through its mounted fifth wheel hitch plate that is located on the back of the semi-truck over the rear axles.
In that way, a tractor, for example, can drop off a dry van trailer and pick up a flatbed trailer.
That means that a semi-truck can use any type of semi-trailer configuration such as a dry van trailer, flatbed trailer, reefer trailer, lowboy trailer, tanker trailer, and many other types of semi-trailer configurations.
- Straight truck
A straight truck carries the merchandise in a trailer or in an open bed trailer that is connected to the same chassis along with the other parts of the truck.
Driving requirements
- Straight truck
Straight truck drivers may often need a CDL type of class B or C to drive a lightweight or a medium-heavy commercial vehicle truck.
- Tractor trailer
Tractor-trailer drivers are required to have a CDL A license.
CDL A class also allows them to drive nearly all vehicles that a CDL B license allows you to drive.
Driver skills
- Straight truck
Because straight trucks are unibody vehicles, accelerating and reversing these trucks is similar to driving a car.
- Tractor trailer
Because tractor trailers are articulated, accelerating and making turns with combination trucks requires more skills.
Operational Costs of Trucks
- Straight truck
A straight truck vs tractor trailer, a straight truck is more economical with fuel usage.
Lower maintenance costs
- Tractor trailer
Tractor trucks have higher maintenance and repair costs because their engines are larger and require more upkeep.
