Tough Trucks
---Story by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker
Trucks are tough and sturdy. They take on heavy loads, then thunder on their giant tires down long and busy roads.
All trucks have a cab up front. The driver sits inside. The truck's controls are all around, ready for th ride.
The driver starts the engine and, when the way is clear, accelerates along the road and turns the wheel to steer.
Some truck cabs have a bunk bed, a curtain, and a light to make a tiny bedroom where the driver sleeps at night.
A big rig has a semitrailer fitted with a pin. Its tractor unit has a slot to click the trailer in.
So when the rig is traveling on roads that weave and wend, the separate parts turn one by one to get around a bend.
A garbage truck collects the trash, grumbling down the street. It lifts the cans and empties them to keep things clean and neat.
A concrete mixer stirs its load while traveling to the site. The foreman points, "Just pour it here. We're ready now. Alright?"
The piston on a dump truck can push to tilt it up. We're just about to tip some rubble. Ready, steady, hup!
A tanker carries liquids, so it's sealed up good and tight. This shiny tanker's full of milk, all creamy, cool, and white.
When traveling long distances, you're on the road alone, so drivers keep on touch by CB radio or phone.
This truck has had a breakdown, but the driver didn't panic. He radioed around and found a handy truck mechanic.
Driving trucks is tiring, but you need to be awake. So drivers park at truck stops for a meal or a break.
But look, we've reached the depot. We've made another run. The forklift starts unloading, and the foreman shouts, "Well done!"
Truck parts
tractor-trailer: this is made up of a tractor and a semitrailer--it is also called a semi or a big rig
cab-this is where the driver sits
tractor--this pulls the trailer
semitrailer--this holds the truck's load
CB radio-a driver can use this special radio to talk to other drivers
piston--also called a hoist, this is a strong pump that pushes up the back of a dump truck to help it tip its load
