Truck

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Trucks, Lorry, Lorries, Semi-trailer Truck, Articulate Truck, Goods Vehicles, Heavy Vehicles

Category

Transportation, Transport Facilities, Transport Modes

Message / Function

For notice in general and to indicate a facility specifically designed (or intended) for trucks or to indicate a reference to a truck

	Source	Description
	Argentina MSV	Silhouette of side view of truck
	StVO A	Silhouette of side view of truck
	France IISR	Side view of truck
	Parks Canada	Side view of truck
	UKDT	Side view of truck with several details
	UN 1968	Side view of truck
	W-RSN	Side view of truck
a)	Tern	Side view of truck (Cat. C1)
	Kapitzki	Side view of truck
	StVO D	Side view of truck
	SVI	Side view of truck
	SWISSTRAFFIC	Side view of truck with several details
	Iceland 2024	Side view of truck with several details
	PMP RI	Side view of truck with several details
b)	HARTAC ARS	Side view of truck
	DER	Side view of truck with three axes
	Tern	Side view of truck with three axes (Cat. C)
	RVV 1990	Side view of truck with three axes
	SADC	Side view of semi-trailer like truck, three axes displayed
	MUTCD	Side view of semi-trailer truck, three axes displayed
	Tern	Side view of semi-trailer truck (Cat. CE), four axes displayed
	StVO D	Side view of semi-trailer truck (Cat. CE), four axes displayed
	SWISSTRAFFIC	Side view of semi-trailer or articulate truck, four axes displayed
	MDLP 77	Side view of semi-trailer or articulate truck, four axes displayed
	Pierce	Front view of truck
	OCHA	Front view of truck, radiator grill shown
	Berkah Icon	Front view of truck with additional details like radiator grill and exhaust pipes
	W-RSF	Rear view of truck
	StVO A	Rear view of truck
	MUTCD	Rear view of truck with twin tires
	W-RSN	Rear view of truck with twin tires and lights
	RVV 1990	Rear view of truck, rear axle with differential displayed
	Tern	Rear view of truck, rear axle with differential displayed
	StVO D	Rear view of truck with twin tires, rear axle with differential displayed
	W-RSS	Rear view of truck with twin tires plus several details

Note: Some of the examples shown above were mirrored horizontally to contrast differences.

Discussion

A multitude of renderings of trucks are available as pictograms all over the world, displaying trucks especially as side views. Rear views and particularly front views are found less often. Many renderings show signs of their times, but the trucks displayed still can be recognized as such. While some images just show the silhouette of a truck, others present more details, like fenders, bumpers, or even the rear axle with differential and twin tires in rear views, as examples. Besides pictograms just showing a truck, there are several specific messages where trucks are an element of the image used, especially in road signs. The rear views for example all are details of the renderings used to signal No overtaking by lorries.
Note: We did not include pictograms specifically designed to indicate messages concerning dangerous or hazardous loads.

In our research we discovered that test data available is rather insufficient, as the focus generally is on very specific road signs. We just discuss three of them:

In a project concerning the comprehensibility of graphical symbols used on highways using a Comprehensibility Judgment Test (identical with the Comprehensibility Estimation procedure), five pictograms were examined in four countries regarding their suitability to convey the message Dedicated lanes for lorries (Brugger, 2006). All variants were displayed in low resolution as this research was focused on symbols to be used on Variable Message Signs (VMS). A pixeled version of the truck marked a) above reached median value of 86.3 while the score for a pixeled version of the variant labeled StVO A was 53.1, only. Images where elements like wheels or the covered loading space were clearly separated from the chassis or truck body were judged more positively than images were many components were merged into a single silhouette.

In a Comprehension Test (Siebenhandl et.al., 2006) focused on traffic environments only persons holding a driving license participated. In this study a pictogram for Truck to rail terminal, displaying a freight car with a truck similar to the Tern variant marked a) as load, was examined. With an overall score of 65 this variant was far from perfect. But a look at the wrong responses shows that most of the were related to trucks or trucking, indicating that the track was correctly identified as such by most of the respondents.

In a paper by Ben-Bassat & Shinar (2006) an Australian traffic sign indicating Truck Crossing, showing a diamond-shaped sign with the pictogram marked b) on orange background, was part of the study. Not surprisingly, only 27.5 % of the answers could be classified as correct, as neither the message nor the sign are in use in the region where the test was conducted, and no part of the image could elicit an association to the message element Crossing. Another 25 % of the responses were classified as partially correct, and no information is available how far or how often the truck displayed was correctly identified.

Recommendations

Regarding research results mentioned above and also from Skone (1977) for Bus we recommend using a pictogram similar to Tern Pictogram TS1670, as it clearly represents a truck, has no superfluous details, and also is optimized concerning legibility.

Tests of pictograms of referent Truck

Ben-Bassat, T. & Shinar, D. (2006): Ergonomic Guidelines for Traffic Sign Design Increase Sign Comprehension. Human factors. 48. 182-95. 10.1518/001872006776412298.

Brugger Ch. (2006): Comprehensibility Judgment Test. Report In-Safety, Contract No 506716.

Siebenhandl, K., Brugger, Ch., Simlinger, P., Egger, S., Hollo, P., Weinberger, J., Vasek, J. (2007 b): Results of the 2^nd Comprehension Tests on pictograms conducted in Austria and the Czech Republic; Report In-Safety, 506716.