Technical reference
Segments
What a vehicle type is, what it carries, and where it earns its keep — from tipper to reefer, city bus to coach.
Vehicle categories M, N and O: what makes a truck, a bus or a trailer in law
What is a semi truck? Tractor unit, semi-trailer and trailer defined
Fire engines on truck chassis: EN 1846 classes, ladders, the chassis and the body builders
How many pallets fit in a trailer: Euro pallets, 48 x 40s and the arithmetic
Refuse collection vehicles: rear, side and front loaders, chassis and EN 1501
Road sweepers and water tankers on truck chassis: EN 17106, PM10 labels, chassis and body builders
Sewer-cleaning and vacuum trucks: combination units, ADR vacuum tanks, chassis and body builders
Tipper trucks: rear and three-way tippers, chassis, body builders and tipping stability
Truck mixers and truck-mounted concrete pumps: EN 12609, EN 12001, chassis and electric mixers
GVWR, GCWR and GAWR: what the weight ratings mean and what makes a Class 8 truck
How much a semi-truck weighs: 80,000 lb, the axle limits and the bridge formula
Semi-truck dimensions: the federal length, width and height rules
Electric buses explained: how they work and how widespread they are in Europe
Hydrogen fuel-cell buses and coaches: the models in Europe
Hydrogen trucks: fuel cell (FCEV) vs hydrogen combustion (H2-ICE)
Opportunity charging for electric buses: pantograph types and standards
Regenerative braking in trucks and buses: levels, type approval and the annual test in Great Britain
Battery chemistries in heavy trucks: what LFP, NMC and NCA are and which makers state which
How electric-truck range is declared (and why the figures cannot be compared)
Installed vs usable battery capacity in electric trucks
Swap bodies (Wechselbrücke) explained: what they are, and how they differ from semi-trailers and containers
Aerodynamic cabs and the EU length rules
Axle ratios and final drive: single reduction, hub reduction and portal
Bus Doors and Emergency Exits Under UN Regulation 107
Bus Fire Safety Under R107 and R118: Two Separate Regimes
UN R66 Bus Rollover Strength, and the Classes Left Out
Bus Seat Belts: Which Classes Must Have Them, and Who Must Wear Them
Kingpin and fifth wheel: what makes a tractor and a semi-trailer compatible
What is a retarder? Engine brakes and what UN R13 requires
Semi-trailer dimensions: the rules around the 13.62-metre deck
Trailer types explained: what each semi-trailer body carries
Bus classes under UN R107: Class I, II, III, A and B
How to Read an Otokar Coach Specification Sheet
Automated manual transmissions in heavy trucks
Truck axle configurations: what 4x2, 6x2, 6x4 and 8x4 mean
kW, hp and Nm: how to read a truck's power figures
European truck cabs: day cabs, sleeper cabs and flat floors
Turbocompound engines: how they work and what makers claim