Question

there are four semi trailer trucks parked in a line at the rest stop after the first truck each truck in the line weighs 2 tons more than the truck before it the trucks weigh a total of 32 tons how many pounds does each truck weigh

Answer 1

Call the weght of the first truck "$w_{1}$". We then know that the truck after that is 2 tons more, and the next and the next. i.e:
$w_{2} = w_{1} + 2$
$w_{3} = (w_{2} + 2) = (w_{1}+4)$
$w_{4} = (w_{3} + 2) = (w_{1}+6)$

We also know that total is 32 tons. 
$w_{total} = 32 = (w_{1}) + (w_{2}) + (w_{3}) + (w_{4})$
$32 = (w_{1})+(w_{1}+2)+(w_{1}+4)+(w_{1}+6)$
$32= 4(w_{1})+12$
$20=4(w_{1})$
$w_{1} = 5 tons$

Therefore the trukcs weigh 5,7,9 and 11 tons for a total of 32 tons.

Converting to pounds, the trucks weigh 10,000, 14,0000, 18,0000 and 22,000 pounds.