rahtiautojen

Rahtiautojen is the genitive plural form of rahtiauto, a Finnish term used for a road vehicle designed to transport goods. In everyday Finnish, the more common term for such vehicles is kuorma-auto. Rahtiautojen is therefore primarily found in historical, technical, or specialized writing, where the old terminology is retained or contrasted with contemporary usage.

Rahtiauto originates from rahti, meaning cargo or freight, combined with auto, short for automobile. The compound appeared with the rise of motorized road transport in the early 20th century and was used to distinguish freight delivery vehicles from passenger cars. Over time, kuorma-auto became the standard everyday term, while rahtiauto retained its place mainly in archival texts or technical descriptions.

Historically, rahtiautoja referred to trucks or lorries used by businesses for transporting goods. As Finnish terminology evolved, the word kuorma-auto increasingly replaced rahtiauto in common speech, though rahtiautojen may still appear in older documents, catalogs, or discussions about the history of road transport.

Legally and technically, Finland classifies heavy vehicles by load capacity and purpose, with modern regulations focusing on categories such as kuorma-auto and raskas ajoneuvo. The related term rahtivaunu refers to freight wagons in rail transport, illustrating the contrast between road and rail freight terminology.

See also: kuorma-auto, rekka, rahtivaunu, raskas ajoneuvo.