Why does the truck slow down more on hills when it is loaded?

The acceleration model subtracts a grade penalty g·sin(theta) that is scaled by (1 + load/capacity), so a fully loaded truck feels a much larger slope penalty than an empty one climbing the same hill — matching how a real haul truck loses far more speed on a grade once loaded.

What does the traction slider actually change?

It scales the available turn rate in a traction-limited steering model: turn rate falls off as 1/(1+|speed|·k), so low traction makes the truck understeer and slide wide in fast corners while high traction keeps steering responsive at speed.

How does the fuel model work?

Fuel drains from a base idle burn plus a throttle-proportional term plus a load-proportional term, all divided by the fuel-efficiency slider. Hauling a heavy load at full throttle burns fuel far faster than idling empty, and the engine stalls at zero fuel until you refuel.

Home▸Build & Play▸Mining Dump Truck: Grade, Load & Traction (2D)

Mining Dump Truck: Grade, Load & Traction (2D)

2D top-down haul-road physics: engine power vs. rolling resistance and a load-weighted grade penalty, traction-limited steering, and a real fuel-burn model — haul ore from the loader zone to the crusher and tip the bed to unload.

Build & Play2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

This 2D companion drives the same haul-road mechanics as the 3D version from a top-down view: engine power fights rolling resistance and a load-weighted grade penalty that hits a fully loaded truck far harder on an incline than an empty one, traction-limited steering slips wide the faster you corner, and a real fuel-burn model empties the tank quicker the heavier you haul — load at the green zone, tip the bed at the orange crusher, and watch the readouts track every cycle.

⚙ Under the hood

2D top-down haul-truck lab with a load-weighted grade-penalty drive model, traction-limited steering, and a throttle-and-load-proportional fuel-burn model.

haul truckrolling resistancegrade penaltytraction-limited steeringfuel burn modelload cycle

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install