You see semi-trailers almost everyday you’re on the road, whether you’re on a local street or the highway. But there is a lot you don’t know about these vehicles and the multitude of purposes they serve. You could find yourself needing a trailer rental Everett WA if you’re an expanding business or moving heavy loads. So, here is what you should know about semi-trailers.
What They’re Used For
You can use these vehicles for a variety of purposes. They can be used for storage, moving, particularly moving large amounts between locations for your small business. On a personal level, you can use semi’s to move long distances to new homes. If you’re looking at interstate travel, a semi is just the thing for the job. Nearly 70 percent of all goods in the U.S. goods are delivered by semi’s. Billions of miles are travelled annually by semi’s, which is indicative of how efficient they are at moving long distances with large loads. They also play big roles in delivering agricultural and building materials.
How Much They Can Pull
A standard semi can carry about 80,000 pounds, more than enough to reliably carry whatever you might need one for. All of that weight, however, requires a lot of horsepower to move. The engine in these trailers can weigh more that 2,000 pounds themselves. The amount of of power these engines need to generate would be about 1800 pounds per square foot to continuously move all of that weight. For comparison, your average car or truck engine produces about 400 pounds per square foot. All of this horsepower does mean these trailer burn more gas per mile than your car does. They have more than one gas tank and each can hold up to 150 gallons of gas.
Who Can Drive One
Not just anybody can drive a semi, which makes sense when you think about how big they are, what they carry and the risks that come with driving such a huge vehicle on the road. You typically need a Class A license to operate any vehicle with a rating over 26,000 pounds. Keep this in mind if you’re looking out and planning a big move.
Semi-trailers are have been integral in transportation. Their size and power are what allow people and companies to easily and quickly transport important supplies to their destinations. They transport products from agriculture and support construction efforts. Their value and impact on the road is why not just anybody can drive one; therefore, you should plan ahead for when and how long you want to use one of these big and bad movers.
