Transportation Terms - T

Tachometer A device inside the cab of a vehicle to show the engine RPM.

Tandem Axle (Tandems) Pair of axles and associated suspension usually located close together. 

Team (Driver Team) Team of two drivers who alternative driving and resting.

TEU (Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit) Standardized unit for measuring container capacity on ships, railcars, etc.

TL (Truckload) The quantity of freight required to fill a trailer; usually more than 10,000 pounds.

TL Carrier Trucking company which dedicates trailers to a single shipper's cargo, as opposed to an LTL (Less Than Truckload) carrier which transports the consolidated cargo of several shippers and makes multiple deliveries.

Tractor Truck designed primarily to pull a semitrailer by means of a fifth wheel mounted over the rear axle(s). Sometimes called a truck tractor or highway tractor to differentiate from it from a farm tractor.

Tri-Axle Truck, tractor or trailer with three axles grouped together at the rear.

Tridem Group of three axles on a truck, tractor or trailer. Tridems are most common on European semi trailers.

Trip Leasing Leasing a company's vehicle to another transportation provider for a single trip.

Trip Recorder (On-Board Computer) Cab-mounted device which electronically or mechanically records data such as truck speed, engine
rpm, idle time and other information useful to trucking management.

Truck Vehicle which carries cargo in a body mounted to its chassis, rather than on a trailer towed by the vehicle.