This list is intended to classify trucks and to provide links to articles on the various types. The three main classifications for road truck by weight are light trucks, medium trucks, and heavy trucks. Above this there are specialised very heavy trucks and transporters such as heavy haulers for moving oversized loads, and off-road heavy trucks used in construction and mining which are too large for highway use without escorts and special permits.
In the UK, trucks (lorries) are defined by the driving licence required. Heavy Goods Vehicles is a term normally applied to vehicles greater than 7½ tonnes. Drivers who passed their car test before 1997 can drive vehicles up to 7½ tonnes (8¼ tonnes combined with trailer), whereas car drivers who passed their test on or after 1 January 1997 are limited by EU Directive 91/439/EEC to "Category B" vehicles (having a Maximum Authorised Mass of 3½ tonnes).
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Some of the truck types listed under heavy trucks may also come in medium sizes. In North America, a medium duty truck is larger than a heavy-duty pickup truck or full-size van.
The following are not types of trucks but types of use of the trucks listed above:
Except for semi-trailer trucks and, generally, mobile cranes, the following types may also come in medium sizes.
Vehicles in this category are too large for highway use without escorts and special permits.