Sean,
Bryce is correct, without the mass the wheels/ tyres would just lock up with a good braking system, and just destroy the tyres, regardless of how good their grip.
One of our heavy trucks can have a mass of over 200 tonnes loaded.
However they can have 36 sets of brakes with exceptionally big tyres keeping it all in contact with the road.
Truck brakes, are very similar to cars, they can either be disc or drum.
On the other hand we can compare a Boeing 737-800 which only has 6 sets of wheels/brakes, but has a weight of roughly 90 tones on take off
However the brakes are vastly different to cope with the weight, and the stopping distances required for the ground speed involved.
Sean, you will recognise these brakes as they are identical in construction to auto transmission clutch packs, except the are open during normal conditions not closed as they would be in an auto.
What is important here, is the multiplication of surface area, over so many friction plates and discs compared with a single set of shoes or a single disc per wheel on a truck.