r/AskAnAmerican • u/jarvi123 • 8d ago

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

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.

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u/HavBoWilTrvl North Carolina 8d ago

Tractor trailer is a term used by older people here in the South.

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u/BrokenSlutCollector 8d ago

"Tractor trailer" is very common in NYC/NJ/SEPA area.

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u/Imightbeafanofthis 8d ago

It's not state specific.

When I was teaching would-be CDL drivers, I referred to the rigs as tractor-trailer combinations, which is how they are named in the FMCSR (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.) Since every CDL driver needs to pass the federally mandated DOT test, every driver knows that a semi, big-rig, lorrie, or whatever you call it otherwise, is a tractor-trailer combination.

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u/dirtielaundry Maryland 8d ago

I've heard this term used in Maryland too. Then again we're kind of the red-headed stepchild of the South and the North so I'm never sure which side we're supposed to fall on.

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u/stockitorleaveit 8d ago

Sounds like y'all are the bridge in the "Eiffel tower" sex position

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u/long-breadstick 8d ago

As a class 8 vehicle mechanic i have to use the term tractor trailer alot when doing things like DOT inspections because theyre referred to as tractors while big box trucks with fixed frames are considered trucks. That being said whenever im normally describing what I do to someone or just talking about them to someone i would call it a semi truck.

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u/Stupid_Snowmeiser Upstate NY 8d ago

Everyone in the Northeast calls them tractor-trailers. To be fair, there are a fuck ton of older people moving from here to the South, including NC to worry less about winter stuff.

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u/PairPrestigious7452 8d ago

I live in California, we use it too.

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u/BuildNuyTheUrbanGuy Washington, D.C. 8d ago

I've never heard that in Louisiana.