gmc248: If it were the same HP it would pull as well AND as quickly. As you guessed, it probably wouldn't last as long. Since OTR trucks have lots of engine torque, most assume that it is necessary to move a load. The only place you need torque is at the rear wheels. You can get that torque by having a low rpm engine (which to get reasonable horsepower at low rpm HAS to have high torque) with little gear reduction in the rear, or use a higher rpm engine with proportionately greater gear reduction. The military uses gas turbines because they have the horsepower and are light in weight. They just use a lot more gear reduction. Either way it is the same thing for the same HP. But, horsepower is what moves the load and gives you acceleration. Torque is just a force. You can take a torque wrench, clamp it in a vise, and see that you can have torque and do no work. Strap a rock to the end of the wrench if you want to take a step back. Unless you can apply that torque through rotation, no work is done (your sweat doesn't count!). If there is rotation, work is being done, a truck is moving. The important note is that whenever you have revolutions and torque (any physically realizable system) you have horsepower.
