Editing Road transport (section)

==Trucking and haulage==
[[Image:Intermodal Transport by Truck.JPG|thumb|right|A truck transporting a container on [[Interstate 95]] in [[South Florida]].]]
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[[File:Transport - Ystad-2023.jpg|thumb|200px|The Polish transport company Bedmet uses a special vehicle to transport two large [[silo]]s.]]
{{redirect|Trucking|the 1970 Grateful Dead song|Truckin'}}
{{see also|Intermodal freight transport}}
Trucking companies (in [[American English]] terminology) or haulage companies / hauliers (in British English) accept [[cargo]] for road transport. [[Truck driver]]s operate either independently – working directly for the client – or through freight carriers or shipping agents. Some big companies (e.g. grocery store chains) operate their own internal trucking operations. The market size for general freight trucking was nearly $125 billion in 2010.

In the U.S. many truckers own their [[truck]] (rig), and are known as [[owner-operator]]s. Some road transportation is done on regular routes or for only one [[consignee]] per run ([[truckload shipping|full truckload]]), while others transport goods from many different loading stations/shippers to various consignees per run ([[less-than-truckload shipping|less-than-truckload]]). On some long runs only cargo for one leg of the route (to) is known when the cargo is loaded. Truckers may have to wait at the destination for a [[Backhaul (trucking)|backhaul]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.transport-bbhandel.de/en/road-freight/blog/truck-freight-nothing-easier-than|title=What is a backhaul?|last=Brown|first=Dennis|publisher=Freight Broker Bootcamp|access-date=20 September 2018|archive-date=22 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222095059/http://www.transport-bbhandel.de/en/road-freight/blog/truck-freight-nothing-easier-than|url-status=live}}</ref>

A [[bill of lading]] issued by the shipper provides the basic document for road freight. On cross-[[border]] transportation the trucker will present the cargo and documentation provided by the shipper to [[customs]] for inspection (for EC see also [[Schengen Agreement]]). This also applies to shipments that are transported out of a [[List of free ports|free port]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freightbrokerbootcamp.com/blog/what-is-a-backhaul/|title=Truck freight - nothing easier than|last=Bartsch|first=Frank|date=4 June 2013|publisher=BB Handel|access-date=8 June 2013|archive-date=12 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512000630/http://www.freightbrokerbootcamp.com/blog/what-is-a-backhaul/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Hours of service===
To avoid accidents caused by fatigue, truckers have to adhere to strict rules for drive time and required rest periods. In the United States and Canada, these regulations are known as [[hours of service]], and in the European Union as [[drivers working hours]]. One such regulation is the [[Hours of Work and Rest Periods (Road Transport) Convention, 1979]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road/index_en.htm|title=What do we want to achieve ?|date=19 June 2012|publisher=European Commission|access-date=11 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315230823/http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road/index_en.htm|archive-date=15 March 2007}}</ref> [[Tachograph]]s or [[Electronic on-board recorder]]s record the times the vehicle is in motion and stopped. Some companies use two drivers per truck to ensure uninterrupted transportation; with one driver resting or sleeping in a bunk in the back of the cab while the other is driving.

===Licenses===
Truck drivers often need special licenses to drive, known in the U.S. as a [[commercial driver's license]]. In the U.K. a [[large goods vehicle]] licence is required. For transport of hazardous materials (see [[dangerous goods]]) truckers need a licence, which usually requires them to pass an exam (e.g. in the EU). They have to make sure they affix proper labels for the respective hazard(s) to their vehicle. Liquid goods are transported by road in [[tank truck]]s (in American English) or tanker lorries (in British English) (also road-tankers) or special tank containers for [[Intermodal freight transport|intermodal transport]]. For transportation of live animals special requirements have to be met in many countries to prevent cruelty to animals (see [[animal rights]]). For fresh and frozen goods [[refrigerator truck]]s or [[reefer (container)|reefers]] are used.

===Weights===
Some loads are weighed at the point of origin and the driver is responsible for ensuring [[Gross vehicle weight rating|weights]] conform to maximum allowed standards. This may involve using on-board weight gauges (load pressure gauges), knowing the empty weight of the transport vehicle and the weight of the load, or using a commercial weight scale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catscale.com/about/|title=About CAT Scale|date=4 December 2015|publisher=CAT Scale|access-date=20 September 2018|archive-date=20 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920195839/https://catscale.com/about/|url-status=live}}</ref> In route [[weigh station]]s check that gross vehicle weights do not exceed the maximum weight for that particular jurisdiction and will include individual axle weights. This varies by country, states within a country, and may include federal standards. The [[United States]] uses [[Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration|FMCSA federal standards]] that include [[bridge law]] [[Federal Bridge Gross Weight Formula|formulas]]. Many states, not on the national road system, use their own road and bridge standards.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/policy/rpt_congress/truck_sw_laws/index.htm|title=Freight Management and Operations|last=Foxx|first=Anthony R.|date=2012-10-01|publisher=US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration|access-date=20 September 2018|archive-date=2018-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630105718/https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/FREIGHT/policy/rpt_congress/truck_sw_laws/index.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Enforcement scales may include portable scales, scale houses with low speed scales or [[Weigh in motion|weigh-in-motion]] (WIM) scales.

The [[European Union]] uses the ''International Recommendation'', OIML R 134-2 (2009). The process may involve a scale house and low-speed scales or higher-speed WIM road or bridge scales with the goal of public safety, as well as road and bridge safety, according to the [[Bridges Act]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.oiml.org/en/files/pdf_r/r134-2-e09.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106072945/http://www.oiml.org/en/files/pdf_r/r134-2-e09.pdf |archive-date=2014-01-06 |url-status=live|title=International Recommendation (OIML R 134-2|date= 2009 |publisher=International Organization of Legal Metrology|access-date=20 September 2018}}</ref>