The truck has a large mass. Therefore, the static friction between the truck and the road is also very high. To move the car, one has to apply a force more than the static friction. Therefore, when someone pushes the truck and the truck does not move, then it can be said that the applied force in one direction is cancelled out by the frictional force of equal amount acting in the opposite direction.
Therefore, the student is right in justifying that the two opposite and equal cancel each other.