Semi-trucks are built to work: their engines are six times bigger than the average car engine, letting them get over a million kilometres more on average. But can you get bigger than an 18-wheeler here in Ontario? Across Canada, weight standards are pretty uniform, give or take a tonne or two, but the length of the truck can vary.
How Big Are 18-Wheelers In Ontario?
18-wheelers are pretty much the same throughout much of North America, but the weight they can carry is different across provinces and states. In Ontario, commercial motor vehicles are defined as trucks or highway tractors with a gross weight or registered gross allowable weight of more than 4,500 kilograms. Of course, they are usually a lot more!
The trailers of semi-truck are also limited to a length of 14.65 metres (48 ft.) or 16.2 metres (53 ft.) if the trailer and tractor meet specific requirements. Usually, no vehicle is permitted to be more than 23 metres (75.5 ft.) in length. For height, trucks and their loads are limited to a height of 4.15 metres (13.6 ft.) to ensure that they can make it under bridges and overpasses.
The gross allowable weight of a commercial vehicle in Ontario depends on several factors. These include the number of axles, the size of the tires, the type of suspension, the distance between the axles, the type of load carried (aggregate or non-aggregate load) and the weight allowed on the steering axle. The maximum gross vehicle weight varies across the country too, but in Ontario, it’s 63,500 kg.
Long Combination Vehicles: Longer Than Your Average Semi
While 18-wheelers abide by some pretty strict standards here in Ontario, several advancements have allowed tractors to pull larger loads and lower the cost of transportation. The most common of these is the long combination vehicle or LCV. An LCV is a 40-metres long truck made up of a tractor pulling two full-length semitrailers. This replaces two separate 23-metre tractor-trailers, and the Canada Safety Council reports that LCVs are involved in at least 40% fewer collisions than regular tractor-trailers.
It took some time to get them on our roads, but Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation gradually allowed LCVs onto Ontario roadways by issuing a limited number of permits to carriers. This allowed Ontario’s trucking to catch up with Quebec, the United States, and Western Canada.
What Is The Largest Truck In The World?
The Guinness World Record holder for the largest road-going truck is the French Nicolas Tractomas TR1010 D100. At a length of 12.5 meters (41.4 ft), a width of 3.5 meters (11.4 ft) and a height of 4.5 meters (14.8 ft), it’s 75 tonnes of the tractor, not including the load. The largest haul it can pull is 535 tons – more than 400 tonnes more than a standard semi is allowed in Ontario. Don’t expect to see it on a 400 series highway any time soon, as this road train was developed to do a maximum speed of 50 kilometres an hour.
FAQs
Long Combination Vehicles: Longer Than Your Average Semi
The most common of these is the long combination vehicle or LCV. An LCV is a 40-metres long truck made up of a tractor pulling two full-length semitrailers.
What are big transport trucks called? ›
A semi-truck and trailer, sometimes known as an 18-wheeler, is a strong commercial vehicle combination used for long-distance transportation of commodities. The front axle, driver's cabin, and engine are all located inside the semi-truck, often referred to as the tractor unit.
Which semi-truck has the least problems? ›
Peterbilt. The brand is known for some of the most reliable semi trucks. Peterbilt is a subsidiary of PACCAR, the third largest heavy truck manufacturer in the world.
What is a big pickup truck called? ›
In North America, some pickup trucks may be marketed as heavy duty (eg Ram Heavy Duty), super duty (eg Ford Super Duty) or simply "HD". This is typically a pickup truck with higher payload and/or towing capabilities than is standard for their size.
What do southerners call 18 wheelers? ›
Semi/Truck – Tractor Trailer – Eighteen Wheeler
Some regions say 18 wheelers, some say tractor-trailer, and others say semi trucks. Generally, the Northeast tends to use “Tractor trailer,” the South says “eighteen-wheeler,” and everywhere else says semi.
What are giant trucks called? ›
Most likely, if you're from the United States, you call these vehicles semi-trucks or semis, but if you live in Louisiana, you might be more likely to call it an “18-wheeler.” You'll probably say “Tractor-Trailers” if you're from New England.” In Britain, they're known as “articulated lorries” or “artics” for short.
What are the different types of transport trucks? ›
The seven main types of freight trucks are distinguished by the type of cargo they haul: semi-trailers, flatbeds, step decks, dry vans, reefers, box trucks, or tankers. Semi-trailers go by many names, including semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, and big rigs.
What truck brand has the least problems? ›
The Most Reliable Trucks
- 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 - 2023 J.D. Power Reliability Rating: 86/100.
- 2023 Ford Ranger - 2023 J.D. Power Reliability Rating: 86/100.
- 2023 Ford F-150 - 2023 J.D. Power Reliability Rating: 86/100.
- 2024 Chevrolet Silverado - 2023 J.D. Power Reliability Rating: 87/100.
The 2021 F-150 Hybrid was the most unreliable truck on the market last year, with a CR customer reliability rating of 4/100.
What is the most sought after semi truck? ›
Freightliner: Freightliner dominates the semi-truck market in the United States, boasting an impressive market share of nearly 40% in 2022. Their popularity stems from their reputation for producing high-quality and durable trucks.
Megatrucks are, as the name suggests, large trucks that can be up to 25.25 meters long and weigh up to 60 tons, usually consisting of a tractor head with a fixed trailer 7.8 meters long and an additional trailer 13.60 meters long.
What is a Jimmy Big truck? ›
The GMC CCKW, also known as "Jimmy", or the G-508 by its Ordnance Supply Catalog number, was a highly successful series of off-road capable, 2 1⁄2-ton, 6×6 trucks, built in large numbers to a standardized design (from 1941 to 1945) for the U.S. Army, that saw heavy service, predominantly as cargo trucks, in both World ...
Do 16 wheeler trucks exist? ›
Sixteen wheeler trucks are less common. As indicated by the name, 16 wheeler trucks have 16 wheels as opposed to 18. Tractor trailer engines can be as high as six times as large as the size and weight of a car engine.
What is the largest truck I can drive? ›
Category C1: This category allows you to drive vehicles with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) between 3,500 and 7,500kg, along with a trailer weighing up to 750kg. Category C1E: With this category, you can drive C1 vehicles while towing a trailer weighing over 750kg.
What is the maximum size of a truck? ›
Maximum permissible length for a rigid trucks in India is 12 meters.
What is the biggest road truck? ›
In contrast with a more common semi-trailer towing one trailer or semi-trailer, the diesel prime mover of a road train hauls two or more trailers or semi-trailers. Australia has the longest and heaviest road-legal road trains in the world, weighing up to 200 tonnes (197 long tons; 220 short tons).
