While a pickup truck could tow a semi-trailer, it’s not recommended, as they lack the heavy-duty gear and functionality necessary to safely support big loads.
Asking a lot of «what ifs» is what drives motor and truck enthusiasts to achieve extraordinary technological leaps that keep the industry moving forward. Little of that, however, is likely to come to mind when questioning if you can hitch a semi trailer to a pickup truck. Before wondering who on Earth would attempt this, could it even be done at all? And what would the result be, should someone manage it?
In short, yes, it can be done, though it goes without saying that it’s a terrible idea, assuming the trailer is fully-loaded. Sure, some modified pickups boast greater horsepower than even large semis like the ubiquitous Kenworth W900, which only delivers around 500 to 600 horsepower. Consumer upgrades for Cummins engines can add loads of power for relatively little.
But that discounts the fundamental issues of physics at-play — it’s not about how much raw power and torque the truck can exert. Yes, a pickup with sufficient power figures can move a trailer just fine under its own momentum, but that same element is at the heart of the problem. There’s good reason why heavy-duty big rigs have multiple wheels, reduction gearboxes, massive air brakes, and so on. Let’s explore how such a setup actually functions and what happens at a physics-level.
