18-wheeler manufacturers now offer semi automatic transmissions (manual gearboxes with automated gear change) as well as automatic transmissions.
Despite newer technologies in semi truck design driving a semi is still a physically demanding job. Driving for long stretches at a time, loading and unloading cargo, making deliveries and operating the rig are all reasons a person should think about their decision to be an over the road hauler.
Probably the most important consideration is that the work of driving a 18-wheeler can be monotonous, boring and lonely. Some truckers love the profession and enjoy the time on the road. However, hours of driving at a time require focused attention and can often lead to distractedness - a dangerous situation for everyone on the road.
Some of the better known truck manufacturers include Peterbilt, Mack, and Kenworth.
The average new big rig costs around $100,000.
Other interesting facts about semi trucks -things you maybe were not aware of - all the semis in the U.S. use between 1 and 4 million gallons of diesel fuel each year as they cross the country from coast to coast and border to border.
They only average 5 to 7 miles per gallon, though, when pulling a full load. How much fuel can they carry when filled up? Most over-the-road (OTR, or 'long haul') semis mount a 150 gallon tank on either side, for a capacity of just under 300 gallons (the tanks don't fill all the way to the top and as a sobering aside it is easier to understand that semis can have a tendency to become fireballs in a collision with the gas tank placed in a somewhat unprotected spot).
Greg Baumgartner is a Texas 18-wheeler accident lawyer and the founder of the Baumgartner Firm, a Houston truck accident law firm which is dedicated to helping victims of truck accidents seek civil justice.
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