Hi Ilya, That's a great question. The best explanation I've come across is this one: "A lorry is a large, flatbed truck, covered or open, for carrying goods. The word was in use for certain kinds of freight-carrying rail cars long before motor vehicles were invented and it has been around since the early 19th century. Some dictionaries suggest it is related to the English dialect word "lurry" that means to pull, drag or lug - and that's been around since 1571!. To add to the confusion, all lorries are trucks...but not all trucks are lorries. Other kinds of vehicles that North Americans might call trucks have their own special names in British English. To be classed as a lorry, the cab pulling the goods carrying part of the vehicle is always physically distinct and usually separate. If the cab can be physically separated from the rest of the vehicle, that vehicle is called an articulated lorry. The very large North American truck, often called a "semi", that pulls shipping containers or other large dry cargo containers on a flatbed fitted with wheels is an articulated lorry or sometimes, a juggernaut. If the part of the vehicle that contains the driver and the engine is all one with the goods carrying part, it would be called a van. And if it carries liquid - like gasoline or milk - it's a tanker (not a tanker truck)." -- https://www.tripsavvy.com/uk-driving-terms-explained-4114591 In her comment Sania had a slightly different take on the word, so it's possible that views on whether "lorry" is the right word to use may differ from one English speaking country to another.

If you want to know what a lorry is, take a look at this: https://www.staveleyhead.co.uk/commercial-vehicle/hgv-insurance/how-to-insure-a-7-5-tonne-lorry As James has said, this term is only used in British English. It is never used by speakers of American English. The word 'truck' can refer to a number of things, and I'd say the BrE/AmE difference isn't actually as great as people assume. If you were to show a set of photos of vehicles to a group of BrE speakers and AmE speakers and asked them all the question "Which of these could be classed as trucks?", I think that everyone would click on pretty well the same images - everything from a Hilux pickup to a military troop carrier. The only difference is that AmE speakers use 'truck' in more contexts than BrE speakers do ( eg 'fire truck') and BrE speakers have an additional term 'lorry' to refer specifically to a large, heavy duty, commercial haulage vehicle. While Sania's assertion that native speakers "don't use 'lorry'" is completely wrong, her advice is reasonable. Of course, native speakers use 'lorry' - it's one of the first few dozen words which 60 million or so British English speakers learn ( small boys in particular). Search any BBC broadcast and you'll find hundreds of examples of 'lorry' in daily use. Learners at B1 level are expected to know it. But, of course, you don't have to use it. For active use, "truck" is a far more useful word that can refer to far more things. Say 'lorry' to an American and you'll sound 'weird and British'; say 'truck' to a British person and they'll know what you mean.

If you google 'lorry racing in the UK', it comes up with British Truck Racing, which just confuses things even more! Lorries are also sometimes referred to as heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). If they weigh over 7.5 tonnes, you need HGV licence to drive one. Overall, I agree with Jimmy.

First, "lorry" is British English. So you'd never hear an American say it. Second, the way I (an American) understand it, a lorry is a specific kind of vehicle specifically designed for commercial hauling or moving. In America, we call these by a lot of different names, like 18-wheeler, tractor trailer, big rig, and others. When we in America say truck, we are almost certainly referring to a pickup truck unless otherwise noted. So, if you say "truck" to an American, what they have in mind is probably not the same as when you say "lorry" to a Brit.

Speaking as an English person, the difference between lorry and truck in 'pure' British English is very simple: they are both large goods vehicles. A lorry goes on the road, whereas a truck goes on the railway - forming part of a goods train. As with many simple things, this is confused by the fact that many English people nowadays learn about the world from TV programmes, streaming videos and internet sites which use American vocabulary, so many contemporary Brits will refer to a lorry as a truck, and to a truck as a freight car.