Abstract
The ultimate goal of the work described here is to improve the safety quality of the transportation of goods on highways. Even though the transportation missions of heavy freight vehicles have led to a variety of axle configura- tions, suspensions, dolly types, and articulation joints, this paper provides a condensed summary of fundamental mechanical properties that can be used to make first- order estimates of the braking and steering performances of these vehicles. Specialized analysis procedures, based on basic properties of tires, suspensions, brakes, and steering systems, are discussed.