lorry

A lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport goods. In British and Irish English, the term is standard, while in North American English the equivalent is typically called a truck or a semi-trailer. Lorries are generally larger and heavier than passenger cars and are built to carry payloads over varying distances.

Most lorries are either rigid or articulated. A rigid lorry has a single chassis with both the cab and cargo area as a single unit, suitable for local deliveries and shorter trips. An articulated lorry consists of a tractor unit that pulls a separate trailer, enabling higher payloads and longer-range operation. Cab configurations vary, including bonneted designs with the engine in front of the cab and cab-over-engine designs where the engine sits under the cab.

Cargo bodies come in various forms, such as box vans, flatbeds, curtainsiders, tankers, and dumpers. Some lorries are specialized for particular tasks, including refrigerated units for perishable goods, refuse collection bodies, or timber, construction, and hazardous-material configurations.

Lorries are used across freight distribution, construction, manufacturing supply chains, waste management, and service industries. Their operation is governed by regional regulations on vehicle size and weight, licensing requirements for drivers, hours-of-service rules, and safety standards designed to reduce accidents and protect other road users.

The origin of the term lorry is uncertain, but it has long been used in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries to describe motor vehicles designed to haul freight, contrasting with the term truck used in American English.