Which statement best describes how loads travel in a truss?

• A. Only through the central member
• B. Through the joints to the supports
• C. Only through the outer frame
• D. Along individual diagonal members only

Answer: (B)

Loads in a truss travel from the point of application through the joints to the supports. Each member acts as an axial element (tension or compression), so when a load is applied at a joint, that joint distributes the force into the connected members. Those axial forces pass from joint to joint through the truss network and are carried to the supports, where reactions balance the external load. Because joints are assumed pinned, bending moments aren’t carried by the members; everything is resolved into forces along the lengths of the members. So the load path runs through the joints and the members to the supports, not just through a single central member, nor only along the outer frame or only along diagonals.