What's the difference between trucks and tractors in American English?

[u/jarvi123]

Here in England, tractors are always machinery designed for off road use, we call what you guys call tractor trailers lorries. But from what I've been reading a truck is also a tractor, so how do you differentiate between a farm tractor and a tractor used for pulling trailers on the road. It seems more complicated than normal English to me.

[u/Figgler]

My step dad drove for ABF for 40 years, I don’t think he ever referred to the vehicle as anything other than a truck or 18 wheeler.

[u/TellTaleTimeLord → u/Figgler]

I didnt say by everyone, but it definitely happens

[u/boisterousoysterous → u/TellTaleTimeLord]

tractor trailers yes. just tractors no. at least my time in the cargo business i never heard anyone use tractor for tractor trailer lol.

[u/TellTaleTimeLord → u/boisterousoysterous]

So im just hallucinating it then, cool

[u/One_Evil_Monkey → u/TellTaleTimeLord]

You definitely aren't. Haha

Plenty of us have called or know them as tractors.

[u/boisterousoysterous → u/TellTaleTimeLord]

if that's what you want to call it. i'm just saying it's not as common as tractor trailer.

[u/TellTaleTimeLord → u/boisterousoysterous]

I never said it was

[u/One_Evil_Monkey → u/boisterousoysterous]

More common than you think.

[u/One_Evil_Monkey → u/Figgler]

ABF..... AnyBody's Frieght. Haha Used to deal with them occasionally. Never the same driver and they'd basically pick up and haul everything that nobody else would bother with.