In a historical documentary that I have been watching, there is constant mention of the idea that the spoked wheel faciliated advances in trade, warfare, and travel. However, the documentary does not explain why the spoked wheel did this. It's not the first time that I have heard a historian talk about the significance of the spoked wheel, so it would be great to get some clarification.
The spoked wheel was an important improvement in technology. Before the spoked wheel there was a solid wheel in use. The first significant advancement was that the spoked wheel drastically pulled down the weight of the wheel itself without losing much strength. Less weight of the wheels meant that now the transport carriage itself could be holding more cargo in weight. War chariots got a lot lighter and quicker without the weight of a full solid wheel. Travel got a lot quicker too with lighter chariots/carriages.