How Do Big Rigs Work

Big rigs have powerful engines and lots of wheels. Discover how they work, what they're used for, and more fun facts!

Long-haul trucks have been described as sweatshops on wheels. The typical long-haul trucker works the equivalent of two full-time jobs, often for little more than minimum wage. But it wasn’t always this way. Trucking used to be one of the best working-class jobs in the United States. The Big Rig explains how this massive degradation in the quality of work has occurred, and how companies achieve a compliant and dedicated workforce despite it. Drawing on more than 100 in-depth interviews and years of extensive observation, including six months training and working as a long-haul trucker, Viscelli explains in detail how labor is recruited, trained, and used in the industry. He then shows how inexperienced workers are convinced to lease a truck and to work as independent contractors. He explains how deregulation and collective action by employers transformed trucking’s labor markets--once dominated by the largest and most powerful union in US history--into an important example of the costs of contemporary labor markets for workers and the general public.

Big rigs have powerful engines and lots of wheels. But do you know how much weight these trucks can pull? Or how drivers stop these giant vehicles? Young readers will love this in-depth yet accessible look at big rigs. Learn how they work, the special equipment they need, and the cool features and uses they have. From their tires to their roaring engines and loud horns, this book contains all the details that will excite big-rig fans!

It hauls heavy cargo. It travels long distances. This big rig is on the move! What kind of cargo do big rigs carry? And how do big rig drivers talk to one another? Read this book to find out! Learn all about mighty machines in the Vroom-Vroom series—part of the Lightning Bolt BooksTM collection. With high-energy designs, exciting photos, and fun text, Lightning Bolt BooksTM bring nonfiction topics to life!

Monster trucks are huge and strong. How do their tires help them bounce? And how do people drive these giant vehicles? Find out how monster trucks work, the special equipment they need, and how they crush puny cars under their enormous tires. From the engine to the cabin to the oversize rims, this book delivers details that will captivate monster truck fans.

9 x 12 160 pgs 225 color & b&w photos & artwork index

Vehicle-obsessed boys and girls can follow Big Joe through a typical day’s work in his giant trailer truck. Detail-packed full-color illustrations will fascinate readers—especially the final two-page spread, which labels every working part of a tractor-trailer rig.

Many big rigs can also be called 18-wheelers. These long transport machines need eighteen big wheels to support a tractor front and trailer back. This title revs young readers up as it unloads information about the parts and purpose of big rigs.