Trucking Terminology & Definitions
This comprehensive guide provides our take on trucking definitions specific to the trucking industry, including vehicle types, operations, regulations, safety, and industry-specific measurements. We’ve included truck accident-related terms, insurance concepts, and even some popular trucking slang and jargon. You’ll also see terms used by lawyers and the courts that are required to maintain procedural guidelines. Count on user-friendly language, helpful examples, and reliable sources.
How to use this resource
We aim to make all of our trucking terminology content highly shareable, vetted as trustworthy for academic research, quotable in blogs and articles, and linked to as strong, dependable resources.
Take advantage of our clickable Table of Contents, allowing you to jump to the section of each page that interests you most. Feel free to skip right to our helpful infographics, videos, and images which provide a quick visual guide to each trucking term. And be sure to review our Frequently Asked Questions section for each term.
Vehicle Types and Components
Our truck accident attorneys handle cases involving many different large trucks and commercial vehicles, each with unique components and specific trailer systems. Our knowledge of vehicle types and their respective parts and features spans over two decades, with experience in working with accidents involving just about every variation you can imagine. Get to know these vehicle types and more below.
Trucking Operations and Industry Terms
Our trucking legal team explained the major differences between auto and trucking cases for the 2023 American Association for Justice Annual Convention held in Philadelphia, PA. Foundational terms like these below nearly always find their way into routine depositions, client meetings, negotiations, and litigation we handle here in California. Operational and industry commercial vehicle terms like these should not be skipped for anyone inside or regularly interacting with the trucking industry.
Regulations and Compliance
When we represent injured clients in complex truck accident cases, these typically involve interaction with regulatory bodies like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and producing evidence backed by a thorough knowledge of trucking regulations and standards. Get to know these compliance terms below.
Safety and Accident-Related Terms
Our truck accident lawyers represent victims injured in big rig and commercial vehicle collisions, and must directly address safety in every single California case we handle. Accident investigation, reconstruction, and other collision factors utilize many of these common terms below.
Legal and Insurance Terms
Law and insurance terms are woven through most of our lives in the form of legal documents, contracts, insurance policies, and claims.
Call upon the terminology below when you need to know your rights, understand your legal obligations, and clarify the extent of coverage provided by your insurance policies. Knowing these terms could also safeguard against potential legal disputes or financial losses. If unsure, call Jordan Jones or speak with any of our legal team at Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers about any questions or uncertainty you might have. Our experienced attorneys are happy to help.
Trucking Measurements and Limits
Proper weight distribution, height, and length measurements help prevent accidents, reduce road damage, and optimize fuel usage. These terms reference how trucks must operate within legal guidelines and how trucking companies must track operational performance while prioritizing public safety.
Trucking Slang and Jargon
Some trucker slang terms quickly convey important information about road conditions, weather, or potential hazards. These insider terms are a form of shorthand shared among many within the industry.
This Page Was Reviewed By:
Attorney Jordan M. Jones is one of California’s only Board-Certified truck accident lawyers. Hailing from Harvard, Wayne State University, and University of Windsor, he regularly speaks at legal seminars on trucking topics including “Truck Cases: Truck Anatomy 101” and “Deposing Truck Drivers and Trucking Company Representatives in Injury Cases.”
Contact attorney Jordan M. Jones and our trucking law firm by calling (213) 510-3261.
Importance of Understanding Legal and Trucking Terms
Knowledge of trucking terminology provides a common foundation for establishing safety standards, ensuring compliance with regulations, and fostering clear communication among truck drivers, trucking companies, and all regulatory bodies.
When disputes, collisions or other incidents occur, legal terminology serves as a similar cornerstone in resolving these matters. Knowing these terms helps:
- Prevent or settle costly lawsuits
- Avoid penalties
- Effectively review contracts
- Navigate insurance policies
- Maintain smooth operations
How We Keep Current with Trucking Industry Standards & Laws
Attorney Jordan M. Jones and the Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyers have a regular speaking presence at Legal Seminars and events throughout the country, providing the most current updates on new trucking technologies, safety standards, and how to successfully navigate truck accident cases. California insurance policies, trucking laws, and accident prevention strategies continually evolve. We’re committed to studying and tracking those changes, and sharing this valuable information with our clients and communities.
Some of our recent trucking seminar and event contributions have included:
- Trial Advocacy College: Litigating Truck Collision Cases
- Properly Identifying All Defendants in a Truck Crash Case
- Technology You Need to be Familiar with in a Truck Crash Case – Proving The Truck Collision Case
- Hidden Evidence You Can Find—Telematics Today (and Tomorrow)
- Using the Rules and Regulations to Prove Your Trucking Case