Enter the force generated by the engine, the force of drag, and the mass of the truck into the calculator to determine the Truck Acceleration. 

Truck Acceleration Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Truck Acceleration.

TA = (FE - FD) / m
  • Where TA is the Truck Acceleration (m/s^2)
  • FE is the force generated by the engine (N)
  • FD is the force of drag (N)
  • m is the mass of the truck (kg)

To calculate the truck acceleration, subtract the drag force from the wheel force, then divide by the truck mass.

What are the units for Truck Acceleration?

The most common units for Truck Acceleration are m/s^2.

How to Calculate Truck Acceleration?

Example Problem:

The following example problem outlines the steps and information required to calculate the Truck Acceleration.

First, determine the force generated by the engine. In this example, the force generated by the engine is measured to be 5000 (N).

Next, determine the force of drag. For this problem, the force of drag is calculated to be 1000 (N).

Next, determine the mass of the truck. In this case, the mass of the truck is found to be 1000 (kg).

Finally, calculate the Truck Acceleration using the formula above: 

TA = (FE – FD) / m

Inserting the values from above and solving the equation gives us: 

TA = (5000 – 1000) / 1000 = 4 (m/s^2)