Glossary of Truck Accidents Terms
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P&D: Pickup and delivery.
Payload: Weight of the cargo being hauled.
Peddle Run: Truck route with frequent
delivery stops.
Pigtail: Cable used to transmit electrical
power from the tractor to the trailer. So named
because it is coiled like a pig's tail.
Piggyback: Semitrailer built with
reinforcements to withstand transport by a railroad
flatcar.
Pintle Hook: Coupling device used in double
trailer, triple trailer and truck-trailer
combinations. It has a curved, fixed towing horn and
an upper latch that opens to accept the drawbar eye
of a trailer or dolly.
Ply Rating (PR): Relative measure of tire
casing strength. (see Load Range)
Private Carrier: Business which operates
trucks primarily for the purpose of transporting its
own products and raw materials. The principle
business activity of a private carrier is not
transportation. (see For-Hire Carrier)
PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch): In trucking,
unit of measurement for tire air pressure, air brake
system pressure and turbocharger boost.
PTO (Power Takeoff): Device used to transmit
engine power to auxiliary equipment. A PTO often
drives a hydraulic pump, which can power a dump
body, concrete mixer or refuse packer. Some designs
mount to a standard opening on the transmission,
while others attach at the front or rear of the
engine.
Pull Trailer: Short, full trailer (supported
by axles front and rear) with an extended tongue.
Pup Trailer: Short semitrailer, usually
between 26 and 32 feet long, with a single axle.
