truckload

IPA/ˈtrʌkləʊd/
KK[trˈʌklˌod]IPA/ˈtrʌkləʊd/

truckload — noun

  • truckloadsingular
  • truckloadsplural

1. the quantity of items or material that fills a whole truck; also used informally

1.nounB1
Definition

the quantity of items or material that fills a whole truck; also used informally to describe a very large amount of something.

Example

Vinícius ordered a truckload of bricks delivered to the building site on Monday.

a truckload of [physical goods]

Each truckload of gravel weighs roughly twelve tons before the driver heads to the quarry.

each truckload + weight specification

Common collocations
  • a truckload of + noun
  • a whole truckload
  • truckload after truckload
  • a full truckload
  • multiple truckloads
Synonyms
  • lorryload

    British English equivalent; means the same thing but is far less common

  • boatload

    also used literally and figuratively, but associated with ships rather than trucks

  • ton

    figurative only; "a ton of work" is more idiomatic than "a truckload of work" in most contexts

Grammar Patterns

a truckload of + noun

Usage Note

In informal speech and writing, "a truckload of" is used figuratively with uncountable nouns (e.g., "a truckload of trouble") or plural nouns (e.g., "a truckload of emails") to mean "a very large amount." The figurative sense is common in everyday conversation but less frequent in formal writing.

Common Mistakes

We ordered truckload of sand.
We ordered a truckload of sand.
truckload is a countable noun and needs a determiner such as 'a,' 'one,' or 'each.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Truckload, boatload, shipload, and ton all describe large quantities. Truckload and boatload are similar in that they both pair literal transport meanings with casual figurative uses ("a truckload of homework"; "a boatload of complaints"). Shipload suggests an even larger quantity suited to cross-ocean shipping and sounds more dramatic. Ton is the most common choice in everyday figurative speech ("a ton of emails") and is neutral in register — truckload and boatload retain a slightly more vivid, image-driven feel. For formal writing, "a large amount of" or "a great deal of" are safer than any of these. A concrete usage difference: "The yard received three truckloads of mulch" is factual; "I have a ton of laundry to fold" is casual exaggeration; "A shipload of refugees arrived" is literary-scale.

truckload ↗boatload ↗ton ↗shipload

Etymology

GreekLatinOld EnglishEnglish

Formed by combining the noun 'truck' (referring to a large road vehicle for carrying goods, from Latin 'trochus' meaning iron hoop, later Greek 'trokhos' meaning wheel) with 'load' (from Old English 'lad' meaning a carrying or journey). The compound has been in use since the early 19th century, with the figurative 'large amount' meaning appearing in informal American English by the early 1900s.