While I’m not exactly a heavy truck master, they do get tangled up with motorcycles often enough that I have to know a little something about them. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to work aside Eric Deyerl for some years, and he introduced me to some tricks of the truck trade.

A great resource for heavy truck specs

A lot goes into specing out a heavy truck, between literature review and, if the vehicle is still available, a detailed inspection. One great resource worth adding to the mix is the Truck Index. The company has been around since 1951 and offers a plethora of truck data. Here’s just a brief intro to some of the things contained within the pages:

  • VIN structure details

  • Engine specs

  • Curb weights (per axle)

  • Brake specs and options

  • Transmission ratios

  • Suspension specs

  • Basic dimensions

It’s wild how much information is jammed into the pages of each Index. The current digital versions (Diesel, Gasoline, and Import) are only $39 to $47 and back issues are $25. A serious bargain. You can also get printed versions if perusing the pages on your lunch break sounds appealing.

One more bonus tool, Gates VIN Decoder. Enter the VIN and click “Full Vehicle Details” to get some good info on your truck.

If you have any other standout heavy truck spec sources, please let me know! So much to learn.

Thanks for reading along, have a great weekend!

Lou Peck
​Lightpoint Data | Axiom