TruckSim is a software tool for simulating and analyzing the dynamic behavior of medium to heavy trucks, buses and articulated vehicles. It operates just like CarSim with a few important differences.

Current version: 8.1

Truck Models

Trucks and buses use a different steering system than cars. They can also have dual tires, multiple axle configurations and a wide range of tractor-trailer combinations. TruckSim includes 16 common configurations, in two forms each: (1) with rigid sprung masses, and (2) with suspended cabs and frame torsional flexibility. The frame torsional flexibility is an option available (at extra cost) that can give more realistic predictions when the associated frame data are available. Additonal configurations can be obtained at a reasonable price, and work in the same TruckSim environment.

TruckSim comes with example trucks and buses that cover most of the vehicles found around the world. Examples come from North America, Europe and Japan.

Results

TruckSim is built on decades of research in characterizing vehicles and reproducing their behavior with mathematical models.

Graphical Database

Data screens serve as your primary interface to TruckSim. They contain vehicle model parameters, control inputs and other run-time settings. The data screens are part of an extensive database that maintains libraries of linked data sets.

Many Example Datasets and Animator Shapes

TruckSim comes with many example vehicles: trucks, utility vehicles, construction vehicles, military vehicles, tractors with two to four axles (five-axle tractors are availabe in custom models), semitrailers with one to three axles (four-axle semitrailers are available in custom models), and one-axle dollies (two- and three-axle dollies are available in custom models). There are many example test procedures, and over 20 3D vehicle shape files for quality animations. Each 3D vehicle shape is automatically resized as needed to match the dimensions set for the vehicle unit (lead unit, dolly, semitrailer), and the overall color can be reset at run time to help distinguish between overlays of vehicle from different simulated tests.

 

TruckSim Information