AutoTrader reports that black is the most popular choice for car interiors due to its timeless elegance and versatility. Black interiors are practical because they hide dirt better and match nearly all exterior colors. Car companies find it easy and cost-effective to make black interiors, as they can bulk order parts and fit them. Black interiors also give luxury cars an elegant look and feel.
One main reason car owners prefer black interiors is their optical illusion, which helps reflect unwanted heat energy. Out of 555 vehicles, only 53 had non-black interiors, which is not good odds for those looking for a light interior vehicle. An exclusive GM Authority report explains why the all-new GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado interiors have been criticized as being behind the Ram pickup.
Black interiors are easier to clean and are preferred by car buyers due to their ability to hide dirt better than light interiors. For cost reasons, automakers typically only offer three colors, with one always being black. Car buyers generally prefer dark interiors, just like cars in dull exterior colors like black and silver.
Black leather ages quickly due to its hotter in sunlight, making it easier to maintain. Black interiors are also more preferred over other factory interior colors, as most people park in the shade, have air conditioning, or have tinted windows. Manufacturers make everything black for the economy of manufacturing, as they only have to stock one color of each part.
📹 Why American and European Trucks Are So Different
Why American and European Trucks Are So Different American and European semi-trucks are very different, in America you see …
Why are black interiors so popular?
The selection of a black interior is advantageous in that it is less prone to displaying dirt and grime than a lighter hue. In contrast, interiors in gray, beige, or tan may demonstrate a greater propensity to retain such stains, making their removal a challenging endeavor.
Do black cars get hotter than white cars?
Black cars are known for their sleek appearance, but they can also get hotter when exposed to sunlight. This is due to thermodynamics, where black absorbs more sunlight than white, resulting in more heat being released. Conversely, white cars reflect sunlight, making them feel cooler to the touch. Cars are designed to absorb and hold heat, similar to greenhouses, which are ideal for cold, rainy days but not ideal for summer.
Black cars, on the other hand, absorb more sunlight than white cars, resulting in a higher heat output. Therefore, while black cars are generally cooler, they may not always feel as cool as white ones.
Does black interior get dirty?
Maintaining a clean black car interior is similar to any other vehicle, but light-colored debris can be easier to spot. This may not be ideal for frequent travelers with small children. To keep the interior looking its best, consider investing in heavy-duty seat covers and washing them when dirty. If vacuuming or lint brushing aren’t feasible, consider using a vacuum and a lint brush instead. This will help keep the interior looking its best and prevent light-colored debris from accumulating.
Does a black interior make a car hotter?
High-end luxury cars often feature unique paint colors, such as candy and pearl, which absorb more heat from the sun than lighter colors like white and light blue. This can make the interior of the car hotter on hot days, especially if parked in the sun. Luxury vehicles are often painted with expensive paint to give them a glossy finish, which also absorbs more heat. Low gloss car paint colors provide better protection against the elements due to their low reflectivity, allowing the car’s body to stay cooler in direct sunlight, reducing interior temperatures. However, these paints also absorb more heat, making the interior of the car warmer than usual.
Do black cars get dirtier?
The debate on the best car color has centered around white and black. White cars are the most common, and people often believe they show dirt and grime the fastest. However, black cars or darker colors are harder to keep spotless due to the occurrence of specks, watermarks, pollen, and bird droppings. Black cars absorb heat, while white deflects it, making them hotter and fading faster. Despite this, white cars tend to get dirty quickly, especially in areas with red clay or dirt roads.
Is black a bad color for a car?
Black cars are popular due to their sleek and sophisticated appearance, but they also have drawbacks such as displaying dirt and scratches more easily than lighter-colored cars and being hotter inside during summer months due to their increased sun absorption. To make an informed decision about owning a black car, it is essential to understand their history, care, and maintenance. Black cars offer several benefits, including improved fuel efficiency, reduced maintenance costs, and a more comfortable ride. However, it is crucial to consider these drawbacks when considering a black car for a new ride.
Why do American cars have a black interior?
Black or charcoal gray leather seats are more cost-effective than white leather seats, as they are less susceptible to the visible effects of scratches and wear.
Do black car seats get hotter?
Black car seats absorb more heat when exposed to direct sunlight, potentially leading to higher interior temperatures. This is due to the darker color’s ability to absorb more of the sun’s energy. However, the difference is not significant and the seat would need to sit in direct sunlight for a long time. Factors such as location, lifestyle, and car type may influence the choice of a black car seat. For a baby’s comfort and safety, it’s crucial to be mindful of the potential for overheating. Tips for keeping a baby comfortable in a car seat include:
- Use a car seat with a comfortable backrest and a supportive backrest.
- Avoid using the car seat in hot weather.
- Use a car seat with a removable backrest.
What is the rarest car color?
A new analysis conducted by iSeeCars indicates a notable decline in the chromatic diversity of automobiles over the past two decades. The analysis revealed that only 20% of the vehicles analyzed exhibited non-grayscale colors. The analysis, which examined over 20 million used cars from 2004 to 2023, revealed that 40 cars exhibited colors other than gray in 2004, and 20 of them retained these colors in 2023.
Why are black cars not popular?
Black car colors are easily prone to dirt, dust, pollen, and scratches, making them susceptible to clear coat scratches. Red cars, while visually stunning, also show dirt easily. When choosing a car color, consider the impact on safety, visibility, accident rates, psychological impact, and the best and worst car colors for safety. By balancing fashion-forwardness and astuteness, you can ensure both aesthetic satisfaction and practical benefits. Understanding these factors can help you make an informed decision about your next car acquisition.
What color car are girls most attracted to?
A study by iSeeCars, a used-car listing website, found that women have a stronger preference for silver cars than men, with a preference of 9. 2, brown cars by 9. 1, and gold cars by 7. 3. The study also revealed that red and black are the most popular colors for used sports cars, while white is the fourth most preferred hue for pickup trucks. The study highlights the importance of considering color preferences when shopping for a used car.
📹 How are aluminum ford trucks handling the salt belt and winter climate? 250000km, never undercoated.
If you are like me then you’ve asked yourself this question before, how are the aluminum for trucks surviving in the salt belt, are …
In Brazil most trucks are from the European breed and I finally understood why: we have really narrow roads and a lot of times trucks must drive inside small cities so it makes sense to have smaller trucks. If we had more room I bet American trucks would be more popular since Brazilian truckers usually live inside their trucks.
As an American who has spent a lot of time driving a lot in Portugal, Spain, and France I can say it took me a while to get used to mostly much narrower roads and this was in compact cars lol so if a large American truck was in Europe I can’t even imagine how often they’d basically get have to stop and navigate around a lot of different ways or at the very least feel constant anxiety of not being able to clear certain angles and turns.
What’s interesting is that Australia have a mix of this trucks. Over long distance travel from one major city to another you would normally see American styles trucks. But in cities and towns you would normally see European style trucks. Each design fills its own niche and not one is better than the other. Edit: I see some people talking about train network in Australia. Yes even though we do have train networks across the coast and country. They are of different sizes and width. Meaning some railways aren’t compatible with one another. Mostly because Australia used to be seperate penal colonies. Which meant each colony developed different style railways. This is why we mainly rely on road trains. Hope this helps.
First, thank you to all you truckers out there who get our stuff from here to there. Our economy doesn’t function without the extremely important work that you do. Big respect for all of you! I love how many truckers in the US own their trucks and live in them, and they take obvious pride in these machines which you can tell by the way they customize them. Some of these big beasts are absolutely gorgeous. Just search something like “customized tractor trailers” and you’ll see what I mean.
I used to be a truck driver here in Europe, and even in our “small trucks” we spend a lot of time not so much days but months on end, I went 3 months without going home but the normal being 1 month. the other part in Europe if you drive international you go to many countries and not all of them in Europe, or like other people sad ferry transport plays a role in it, France – England, Italy -turkey, Germany -sweden to name a few
I’m originally from the UK but now living in the US. I have a CDL class A. There are owner operators, company drivers, regional and over the road jobs. Driven the longer sleeper cabs with a 53 foot trailer, there is no way you could maneuver this on the smaller UK roads. However driving a truck in the UK, albeit a smaller one IMO is more challenging, here in the US there is a lot more space and far less congestion. If there are any UK truckers reading this there are plenty of vacancies for truck drivers right now, put in the hours and you can easily make over $100,000 a year and that is being a company driver.
While stationed in Germany while in the military, I HATED trying to drive our American 18-wheelers (specifically, the 915s and 920s) while maneuvering in German, Belgian and French towns. The streets of some of those villages were laid down a thousand years ago, and were completely incompatible with the wheelbase and long noses of our American semis. – Makes me break out in a sweat thinking about it.
In Europe the highways may be just as wide, but the cities and towns are much more congested. There are so many places a conventional truck with a sleeper would never fit. I went from driving a truck with a 52 inch sleeper (a full size bed right behind the driver’s seat) to a truck with a 72 inch sleeper (adds a closet/fridge on passenger side and a desk/microwave on the other). The extra 24 inches in wheelbase made it harder to turn around tight corners as well as made backing into tight loading docks much more difficult!
Some of our bridges are 500 years old or more, some of our roads 2000 years old. When these were load, nobody imagined heavy trucks, just horse drawn traffic. It’s also noticeable the difference between a US automobile and a European one. When the Asian auto industry grew, it also followed the European style. A Suburban is a very rare sight in Europe.
I’m a german truck driver and at first I want to thank Truck Tropia for this article, that explains the most important differences between US nosetrucks and EU COEs quite well. But maybe I got something wrong at the first part (drivers comfort) or there was something wrong in the explanation: The cabins of EU cabover trucks are quite smaller, yes, but the comfort is almost the same. We just don’t have the opportunity to have a toilet inside the cabin, but all the other things mentioned in the article are in it. And we have less truck owners because a) it’s not always senseable and b) we have way more regulations in the EU that make it quite difficult. And it is not unusual that owners, some companies or employees in the EU also modify their cabins to make them more comfortable or give ’em their own touch. We have to spend even more time to rest in these cabs because of working time regulations (max. 9h driving + 11h to rest and sleep). The manufacturers were able to gain space wherever it’s possible (flat floor cabs with up to 2m height for example) and to make everything highly comfortable. It just needed some smart ideas to make all that possible. So COE’s aren’t bad, they’re actually quite good, especially on our much smaller roads and cities.
Dad was a truck driver here in Sweden, he always drove the typical 24m truck and trailer. In the really tight spots he (as would anyone driing this combo) would park the trailer outside of town and just bring the truck in so the packing would have to take this in to consideration of course. He always had a sleeper cap since he spent one night in the truck and the next at home for his work weeks.
I’m Australian and pretty new to truck-driving, but I’ve found that it’s far easier to reverse a double in a cab-over Volvo than in a Mack. The tighter turning circle makes it a lot more forgiving, especially if you’re reversing around corners without much clearance either side. You can still do it in a Mack, but you have to react quicker to avoid jack-knifing. It probably doesn’t make much difference though if you’re doing it every day.
My grandpa owned his own truck, was a trucker most his life. I would actually see that blue beast parked out in my grandparents big driveway sometimes. He was a gruff guy but loved his snacks, had plenty of storage to take them on the road haha. Died of skin cancer a few years back and I can say without a doubt it was from all the sun on his arms. Fellow truckers, please wear sunscreen when you can! <3
I’m an American and my company had some logging units mounted on some cab over Fodens from Europe and I loved driving them way better then our stuff. Sure they were a little sluggish on the Highway but when I was on the back roads, city’s or oilfield locations they maneuvered and shifted like a car. I slept well in them and would the built in mini fridge between the seats quite nice too.
Here in Tanzania (Africa) you can see BOTH types of trucks, but the rigid body Scania and Mercredes-Benz Axor are most common, also the Mitsubishi Fuso. But Scania, Volvo, DAF, FAW, HOWO, Mercedes-Benz prime movers are also commonly seen in towns, cities, etc. It’s not that common to see a Mack, Peterbilt, Kenworth prime mover, but there is atleast 20 of them in the WHOLE country. Very informative article, Thanks.
Here in Finland, in the far north, there is plenty of space like in North America, but still only the short nose trucks are used. Today most trucks in domestic routes are really big, often up to 76 metric tons and 34,5 metres. On some regular routes permissions have even been granted to 97 ton trucks. So length is not really an issue here inside the country, but because many trucks may sometimes be used in international routes too, it’s better to have the cabin as short as elsewhere. It’s also a big saving in ferries which almost always are needed to and from Finland.
I was just in South of France where I lived a number of years ago and with the massively increased traffic I had to ponder how difficult it would be to drive a truck there. The heavy traffic and the constant roundabouts and the tiny side streets would make truck driving a real challenge there, it seemed to me.
I was in the UK and Ireland a few years ago and spent a month driving around both major islands… The rental car I was driving was a VW Golf or Polo, so fairly small and it worked well on the roads over there… My vehicle back home though was a full size 4-door 4WD pickup and although it would have given me greater visibility on the smaller roads because it would have sat up above the hedgerows, I would have hated driving it on some of 2-way, but one-lane roads that I encountered… Occasionally, I would see a tour bus trying to negotiate those tight roads around the Lake District… Those tour buses looked noticeably narrower than what we see in the US though… I don’t think it would be a very pleasant experience driving a European (much less an American) tractor-trailer rig over there…
The short version of the answer is America is big and spread out so you need a truck that is good for long hauls at high speed, whereas Europe is dense and comparatively small, which favors a truck that is more maneuverable. As a kid, I remember when about half of American trucks were cabovers. I loved the big rigs and miss the diversity we had in those days.
Trucks are different because of different roads, geography and laws. Pretending ones are “far superior” to the others is usually a way of showing prejudice, ignorance or an inferiority complex. Does anyone think companies like Volvo, Paccar or Daimler simply forget what they know when crossing the Atlantic Ocean?
I honestly miss the old school American Cabover trucks that were everywhere during and before the 1980s. Hell, Cabovers I remember were used also in the 90s and up until as recently as the early 2000s. Every time I see a Cabover truck on the roads here in the US, I get really excited and ALWAYS point it out lol. It honestly gives me a weird feeling of nostalgia, especially due to the fact that it totally reminds me of older 80’s and 90’s movies haha.
You also have to consider for US trucks the sheer distances traveled. I mean our short haul trucks while still typically not cab overs like Euro trucks are significantly shorter than the big long haul trucks that make coast to coast runs. That’s roughly 4800km from Boston to LA, or a more common run would be 4200km from the Coachella valley, CA to NYC delivering fresh produce. That’s the equivalent of driving from the western coast of France to the Russian border with Ukraine. These long hauls are often with a driver team where one drives while the other sleeps in the back of the cab, often switching without bothering to stop.
In Europe you can drive 9 hours in the day, but twice in week you can prolong driving up to 10 hours per day. After work the resting should be 11 hours, but three days in a week you can short the resting to only 9 hours. If you had pause during the working day 3 hours without interrupting, then you can short the resting up to 9 hours and this will count as the normal 11 hours resting.
In Northern Europe (finland), where long distances the maximum weight allowed for a semi is 64tons(140t lbs) The combined mass of the truck and trailer is 76tons (167t lbs) and the main road network 108tons (238t lbs) without a special permit. When driving in the snow in winter, it requires a bit of understanding from the driver 🙂
I need to correct something here: European semi-trucks are normally limited to 16.5 metres. A truck and trailer (or wagon and drag as we call them in the UK) can be 18.75, and a low-loader can be 18 metres, but normal semis are limited to 16.5. And we do have fridges and microwaves in our trucks, I’ve got them in mine. One thing that is worth noting is that our cabovers are very tall, so there’s lots of vertical space. I virtual lived out of a Volvo FH when I was on Euro work, and it could swallow a huge amount of personal kit. The packaging and storage is very clever.
Two points about American trucks, first the cab over design was quite popular here in the US in the 70’s and 80’s then the preference went back to the conventional design. Also, not all American Semi Tractors are long wheelbase. There are many short haul Semi Tractors used for intercity deliveries that have a short wheelbase in in some cases less rear axles.
As someone who drove a truck for nearly 25 years, if you are an OTR (over the road) driver in the U.S., whether you are an owner/operator, or work for a trucking company, you still live in your truck. You don’t go home at the end of every day. You do everything in your truck. You have to cook and eat in your truck. You have to have a refrigerator to store food that has to be kept cold. No trucker can afford to eat at restaurants or truckstops or stay in motels. I don’t know how much European drivers make, but in the U.S. it’s not very much. So you have to cut corners everywhere you can. Another issue with cabover trucks is that they will literally beat you to death. You sit right over the front wheels, and every bump in the road pounds your back bad. And we have some BAD roads in the U.S.
While they are not forbidden from being on highways, there are the shorter semi trucks in America. They are not cab overs, but they have single rear axles and a day cab. They don’t have a bed. They are similar to a large moving truck, but towing a trailer instead of a being a large box truck. These I have seen are very common in cites. Often, they are owned by the company that uses them, such as Publix and UPS.
Actually in Northern Europe the maximum length is 34,5 m (or about 113 ft). These are known as HCT, or High Capacity Transport trucks. Maximum weight is 76 metric tons (or about 168,000 lbs) and you don´t get a ticket if you are less than 10% over that. Weights up to 104 tons have been allowed with special permits. Over long distances it makes sense to use big trucks. For some reason the US can only understand semi´s.
Some of the very long variants of the US truck cabs have enough space for a standing shower and a toilet in addition to a mini-fridge, multi-role bed/desk/passenger bench seat, sink, microwave, and TV. Basically a miniature RV packed behind the driver’s seat. Some of those use the space above the cab, behind the fairing, to hold the water tanks.
In Mexico you can buy both types of trucks, not all brands or all models but both styles, although it is well known that trucks of US brands are used more, firstly because of the logical proximity and free trade agreements with the US and second, because Mexico is also a large country, so many truckers spend days in the truck and need models like the ones in the US.
pointy = better aerodynamics. check out the DAF XG+ it currently has the most aerodynamic cab in the industry. 10% better fuel efficiency compared to the next closest in the industry. 6.5% of that 10% comes from the shape of the cab alone. im gonna give you a spoiler. its not a pointy conventional layout truck. because pointy does not actually translate to aerodynamic. DAF actually did a study with shapes similar to the TESLA Semi and found that it only had a 1 to 2% increase in drag reduction compared to a regular flat nose European semi. the new DAF cabin is very Airliner like. if i had to put a word to it. its very bulbous up front. and that makes sense. the rounder you can make an object the more aerodynamic it becomes.
In summary American and European trucks are different due to a variety of factors, including regulations, infrastructure, and market demands. In the United States, regulations tend to be less restrictive and the roads are generally wider and more open, allowing for larger and more powerful trucks. In Europe, regulations are stricter, with a focus on fuel efficiency and emissions, and the roads are often narrower and more densely populated, requiring smaller and more maneuverable vehicles. Additionally, the market demands for goods transportation vary between continents, leading to different designs and features being prioritized in the development of trucks.
The length requirements in Europe has changed a bit the last few years too, we allow longer trucks on certain roads. In Norway we almost only see European trucks in service, but American trucks are popular with hobbyists and enthusiasts. Just like old American cars. There’s a certain charm and nostalgia with them.
I am European, but I have always been facinated by the American trucks. I am a person who is a fan of the design, and American trucks looks way more comfortable and luxurious than Eurpoean ones. I see the practical use of it, dont get me wrong. European trucks can also be quite luxurative if the money is generously spent.
I have driven both types in my 29 year career so far and I like both for different reasons. The maneuverability of a cabover is unmatched for both backing and getting around town. However, the ride sucks when you encounter bad roads. Some of the old cabovers had doghouses that I had to climb over to get into the bunk but I think that’s been resolved with flat floor CO’s. I had a few of those and they were great but the ride was still harsh. I have a 2022 Pete 579 now and I LOVE it. Comfort, fuel economy, tech, it’s all there. It’s the first truck I’ve driven with disk brakes and the thing can stop on a dime and pick it up. Auto braking with adaptive cruise, lane monitoring, and my first automatic 12 speed. The next big thing coming down the pike is electric. I’m not sure if I will get one before I retire within the next 15 or so years but I love new tech and think they will be game changers if they can work out the lengthy charging times. The pulling power of electric is crazy. One thing is for sure, the future for trucking looks great as long as governments don’t get too nuts with regulations, especially for us owner operators here in the U.S. If anybody can screw things up, it’s the government. Great article and I love hearing the experiences of my fellow brother truck drivers from overseas. God bless.
See also: European and North American fire engines. Most European fire engines are smaller than their North American counterparts, due to smaller streets, which limit pumping and water storage capacity by having smaller pumps and tanks. A story told by a US Air Force firefighter who assisted German firefighters trying to put out a building fire near his base; the German fire engines just couldn’t put enough water on the fire with their smaller pumps and hose lines limiting the water they could get on the fire. The base fire engine that responded had the added pumping/volume capacity the Germans needed. The airman said the German firefighters were very organized and professional; they just couldn’t put enough of “the blue stuff on the hot stuff” with their smaller engines and equipment.
Just piping in to say that most trucks in Asia are also usually more similar to their European counterparts as well; Australian trucks meanwhile are more similar to those in America. Reasons are pretty much similar to what has been outlined here. In addition, Asian cities are generally more densely-built – Hong Kong, many major cities in Japan, and Singapore come to mind – and European-style trucks, being smaller in size, are more nimble and more able to effectively navigate the tight roads in these cities.
Different rules in different European countries. For example here in Finland the maximum lenght for vehicle combinations (tandem truck and separate trailer) is 25.25 meters (82.8 ft). So called HCT (High Capacity Transport) vehicles can be up to 34.5 meters (113.2 ft) meters without special permission. For Semi-trucks the maximum lenght increased from 16.5 to 22.5 meters (73.8 ft) in 2019.
In Sweden, it is common to have a long nose on timber trucks and milk trucks. As I understand it, they prefer the buffer in case they drive in the ditch, often drive on small forest roads and poorly plowed in the winter. Gravel trucks also often have long noses, they still cannot have a maximum length due to the load weight.
Two things wrong here. First there is an interstate length limit of 100 ft.. second, the reason we no longer use cabover trucks in America is because of injury law suites. Freightliner tried to mitigate this with the Argosy by placing steps to get into the cab but the legal actions continued so they discontinued production.
I drove Army trucks in Iraq for a year and one thing I noticed was that the axle sticking out in the middle of the rear wheels were massive compared to the ones you see in the USA. They were easily double (or more) the size of an American truck. With how bad roads are in that country I can only imagine that was to handle the weight in very rough road conditions. Anyone can verify?
I’m in New Zealand, and Cab-over trucks are much more popular here. Drivers are not allowed to live in their trucks, so that eliminates one reason for large cabs. Also, our distances are much shorter, so driving time is less. I have been driving on and off since 1972, and I definitely prefer the cab-over design, mainly due to the better visibility, and bonneted trucks are not common here. I did enjoy the movie “Convoy”, however, and I have driven in a convoy here, which is only allowed in the Military, where I got my first Truck licence.
I drove for a few years and you definitely need the comfort for long hauls. My cabins were never as nice though, I never took the O/O plunge and glad I never did. I am in Mexico right now and I have seen both styles but American style is the main one I see. Tons of open space compared to Europe so of course the trucks will be different. I would have preferred one of those Euro trucks when I was being sent to Los Angeles often though.
there’s a QT gas station near my house that is directly off the highway and it’s interesting to see how different it is from normal gas stations because it was built with the big American semi-trucks in mind. it has special parking lot exits for the semis that are super wide and has a second set of special gas pumps apart from the normal ones that are super wide and tall as well as a bunch of open space to maneuver the trailers around.
The American 12 hour really only applied to short SHORT haul locals, until recently in texas. Now its permissible to drive 14 hours if you meet certain shorthaul statutes. The longer haul interstates are limited to 11 hours driving, 14 hours on duty which includes drive time, and a 10 hour rest daily, with a 34 hour rest at the end of your 70 hours. A good number will drive 6 days, then the halfday of the 6th day plus the 7th off all day equates to the 34 hour rest.
I like the adaptability of european trucks on any kind of road, making them a bit more versatile in usage, but I absolutely adore the aesthetic and ring of power the American trucks have. I don’t know, there’s something really cool with that long nose. And the amount of custom stuff they do in US to these trucks is amazing as well.
As a lumberjack back in the late 80’s in NM, at over 2800 meters above Cowles, NM, our drivers regularly hit 45 metric tons. Driving conventional cabs on single track roads that we made in winter. We had to stop when the snow got over a meter in depth because the skidders and dozers finally couldn’t haul the 3600+kg logs out anymore, good times. My boss said “You put the Fu&&&ng work truck in the F##ng ditch or start Fu*&%ng backing up because they can’t stop.” I also drove trucks OTR decades later.
I obtained my Commercial Drivers License in 1991 and the first two road companies I drove for had Freightliner and White/GMC cab-overs. That White/GMC had the best riding seat I ever had even in a conventional tractor. Besides the aforementioned I also drove Peterbilt, Kenworth, Ford, Sterling, International trucks.
It used to be pretty common up until the early 00s to still see a lot of cab-overs in the US; I would assume these we’re probably manufactured in the late 80s and were already at the end of their lifespans due to EPA emission standards. I saw one recently, having not seen one since I was probably 10, and did a double-take. It’s funny, I never noticed they went anywhere when the slowly phased out, but immediately recognized the anachronism when I saw one for the first time in ~ 20 years.
In my previous job, I was responsible for the management of the parking lot of trucks for the loading and unloading of very large events and I received between 10 and 50 trucks per day that I had to position in a certain order according to the orders of arrival, the contents and for which scenes they were there! I always had European trucks and never had an American truck for a simple reason, the space! If I had only one American truck, I could not have made it fit because of its long “nose”! The infrastructure had been made for European truck standards, quite simply!
1:55: “European truck are lighter…” Also not true. Your average American truck is limited to 40 tons (80,000 lbs), but most European trucks can weigh 44 METRIC tons (44,000 Kg, or about 97,000 lbs). Even in places where a single drive axle rig is limited to 40 metric tons, that’s still 88,000 lbs.
Great comparison. Allowed semi length is usually 16.5 meters, sometimes extended to 17.2 (which still makes it hard to fit in with a 3-axle truck plus 45′ container). Some crazy Vikings or Dutch can drive 25 m long monsters, not welcome in most countries. Also, European trucks are in general heavier (40-44 tons limit, while on NL or nordic countries you can go up to 60+ on a special trailers). For heavy intermodal service, high-torque legendary Scania V8s are widely used.
19 m is the max length in Australia including the cab, similar to the pre 86 trucks in the US. So the US trucks with the really big cabs (and that new Volvo) are effectively banned unfortunately. We can drive for 12 hours straight on the standard licence, then upgrade to 14 and then 16 hours after doing a couple of courses, which makes no sense to me. We have 7 hour breaks. I just realised we get the worst of everything.
1: for semi trucks the max lengh is 16.5m nit 18.75m 2: the maximum weight in Europe for trucks is 40 tons while in the US its ~38 Tons 3: Trucks in Europe are much mire modern and have electronical systems for years that us trucks are just starting to use, for examole radar guided cruise control that holds the distance between you and the truck in front of you, thats a thing in European trucks for over 15 Years now
My favorite was the Volvo-White CabOver I got to drive coast to coast USA, for a couple of years. We only had 3 tractors. The other two were newer Freightliners. The first time I drove one of the conventional’s my co-driver had to tell me I needed to re-orient my position to the right. My body was used to being next to the white line. The Cabover was a rougher ride but I liked it more. The view was great!!
This article kinda made me wanna be an American truck driver. Those cabins look so cozy 😃 Driving on the vast American landscape at high speed seems like an enjoyable experience too I’m curious if American truck drivers enjoy their work. Of course in every profession there are downsides but I think it looks perfect for people who love driving, travelling from place to place, and living on the road.
I drive a Scania truck in Australia, but i have driven Mack, Kenworth and Freightliner, the Scania has all the essential controls on the steering column and the instruments (gauges) on a screen in front of you at a seconds glance and it only shows you what is necessary at the time, you don’t have to scan across 25 different individual gauges every 5 “effing” minutes to see what’s what, plus you don’t have to look for the windscreen wipers button “somewhere” on the dash when it starts raining. All this crap may have been cool in the ’70’s but it is “2022” for gods sake, it’s about time the American truck’s got with the times.
Ive always thought its weird the US doesn’t build modern EU style cab overs with just a longer wheel base for a bigger cabin as you’d reclaim so much more forward space. You could have more living space, a wheel base somewhere in the middle of the two designs for maneuverability but also stability, and visibility etc.
In a number of ways it boils down to distances. America has a robust freight rail system (not passenger, which needs work, freight) but is still very spaced out. The entirety of Western Europe could fit in the eastern third of the Continental US. That means our trucks must be designed to travel for long distance in comfort.
I think that better aerodynamics is needed for trucks in the USA than in Europe is an often repeated misunderstanding. There is a lot done for the aerodynamics for the European capovers. Some truckers drive at 80 km/h instead of 90 to cut fuel consumption. Also the 9 hours driving versus the 12 hours has nothing to do with trip length, but only the regulation how long one driver can drive. There are truckers that drive from north Norway down to the middle east, hardly short trips. Some of this trips are done with two drivers, one sleeping one driving. One of the big differences is, in Europe there are few regulations, that ban truckers from driving in the next country.
What’s even more interesting is that Australia is a mix of both European and American trucks. It is probably the only place in the world where one can see both types of trucks side by side on a daily basis. Personally, I wish there were more European trucks in the US, because they look much more modern and sleek compared to many American trucks. Also, I think there is a niche market for them in large cities, especially NYC (which has strict limits on truck length like Europe).
Australia has the European design, but highway speed limits here can go as high as 110 km/h. On inclines however, it’s no more than 90 to accommodate trucks, which I’ve notice has been recently added in the highway going into Launceston Tasmania, as that is on an incline and trucks usually go slow on that road.
Another thing not mentioned is ease of entry. As farmers in our area started moving to semis they bought a lot of old cabovers. Most traded to engine forward types as soon as it was feasible. Getting in and out of a cab over maybe hundreds of times a day takes it out of you. Some are getting on the road again as kind of an old school cool, having cameras while loading would help a lot.
As a South African, we only have the short nose trucks. Don’t think I’ve ever seen the American version in SA. A former executive at a Transport company said it also has to do with laws around maximum length and wheelbase in the EU and SA. The long nose looks much safer though cause you have a bit of a barrier in a collision.
I live in Scotland and have my HGV license, I can carry 44T gross! I would like to try a US truck however I do think it would be wildly different. Some of the roads local to me ( in and around the Cairngorms ) are really narrow with old walls and trees on both sides of the road, sometimes I felt like I was to wide for certain roads or just on the limit, driving a US truck over here would be a huge problem and a none starter. I was in Canada at the start of the year (Banff) for a snowboarding holiday, on our way from Calgary airport to Banff, our minibus was being overtaken by all of the huge trucks, some pulling 2 trailers, I couldn’t imagine going that fast in a truck + being on snow…..it’s just a normal day at the office for those drivers I’m guessing
🚚There are also “small trucks” up to 3.5t in Europe. Just 2 seats and the bed is over the roof of a cabin. It’s very small but I’m able to live in it for a few weeks. Because it’s just little longer than a pick up truck I can easily find a parking spot so I can explore places I went to Venice, Florence, a beach in Spain, hiked Dolomites in Italian Alps and more all while getting paid 😉
when you consider the size of Europe as a whole vs the size of the USA. Realize that for “long hauls” rail is far more common. That “port shipping” is more common and cheaper. The end result is, trucks fill an “end of chain” roll. What this means is, goods will be shipped by ship and rail to supply hubs. Then distributed over much shorter distances by the trucks. Trucks will operate out of “home bases” and rarely travel more then 4 hours from each base.
Standard trailer length in the USA is 53’. You still see a lot of 40’ trailers because it is the standard shipping container length. You can see a seam where many 40’ containers were extended to 53’ for use as a trailer. Look at the corrugated trailers you see over the road in the USA and it will not take long to spot one. 😉
With the insane amount of roundabout in France, I cannot imagine how a long noise American truck could manage to survive outside of the highways… Even cab overs drivers get anxious arriving in those roundabouts. And having driven in 8 European countries, Spain and Slovenia are not far from France in term of roundabout.
The geographical realities and roads are vastly different on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. That’s another reason why you see different styles of trucks. So many nations closer together, more mountains, more people, less open roads. Also, 11 hours is the limit in the US. 13 is the maximum in Canada except for the high latitudes where 15 hours is permitted (because places are so much further apart up north).
Euro trucks could serve a niche market in North America. The shorter wheelbase would quite helpful with the routes I routinely run. I don’t see much time on the highway, and I spend half of my driving maneuvering through yards. Yes the day cab I drive is short by North American standards, but cabover day cab is shorter yet. Times is money, well less time in the yard…
As I’m living in Australia, where you can buy both styles of trucks, the difference between American trucks and European trucks is not so unambiguous. The European truck cab can be larger, although it can’t be as huge as the largest size of American trucks, but it does help and fit most drivers’ demands. It is not too hard to understand why the nose head truck is not popular in Europe, but the European truck not selling in North America is probably because of some legal, business and free-trade issues. The American automotive market is not as open and free as someone may be thought. In conclusion, there is no hardcore barrier to stopping a European truck from driving on the American freeway, but some businessmen are selfish. In Australia (and New Zealand), there is no law to prevent European trucks or American trucks from entering the market, so both styles can be bought in the market. Whether to buy a Volvo FH or a Mack truck (owned by Volvo) is completely up to the customer. For now, European trucks have occupied most of the semi and heavy-duty truck market while the nose head truck is only left on the road-train market. The truck market in North America is lack of competition which causes them to be less competitive in the driver cab, their only advantage is the large cab and large fuel tank. Previously, American trucks used were popular in Australia because they offered large cabs earlier than European competitors, and the front-positioned engine bay was convenient to maintain in the age when the mechanical parts were not so reliable.
But most importantly, the longer distances in the US. In Europe, a trucker hardly needs more than 3 hours to cross a country from birder to border. Thereby he needs to step out of the tfuck quite frequently (for customs vlearznces etc.). Do a Europian trucker can have frequent rest intetvals out of his driver seat. While a US trucker knce on the road is committed to a LONG haul in the absence of copuldory reasons to stop and step out. Thats why US trucks need to be more comfortable.
I think a major feature is missing in this article. I would prefer the American design for safety purposes. Both in instances of crashes or engine fires. The American engine has an engine which is practically distant from the cabin while the European one has an engine just below the driver. Am I missing something?
Here in Mexico you can see american and european trucks everywhere, 90% of time hauling double trailer, not so many opressive rules like EEUU or another countries, here we still trucking like 20 or 30 years ago, truckers help another truckers by the CB (or insulting us each other lol) no log books,no DEF, no weigth restrictions, no weigth scales, etc. You can drive all day long or all nigth long. The only problem we face here is some dangerous roads and others in very bad shape in some places, police corruption and insecurity in some places of the country like robberies, kidnaps, extortion and more expensive tolls. Personally i despise euro trucks, they are ugly and small, nothing like a american truck by far.
Another thing to consider is distance driven on a single trip. I work for a company that regularly receives shipping containers full of product direct from some overseas manufacturers. One of the most common ones ships them to South Carolina, where they are loaded onto a truck which drives it to us in Missouri. A 1000 mile (1600 km) drive that we receive at least once a week. There isn’t a single place in the EU that is that far from a major port. Less frequently but with some regularity we also get shipments from the West Coast, a 1700 mile (2700 km) drive. And that’s just us. Imagine an east coast company getting containers from a west coast port or an east coast manufacturer shipping to a west coast retailer. That’s between 2000 and 3000 miles (3200 to 4800 km), one way.
Another point to put up, is that oversize loads and heavy hauls are waaaaaaaaaaaay more common in America than Europe. This is because of how sparsely populated most of the country is, so massive loads are able to be transported through the vast wilderness of America. Europe is more densely populated, so the massive loads that Americans can haul don’t always fit through the tight streets of most European cities. The tight streets of Europe also make it so that more pilot cars are required to block off streets to properly make way for an oversize load. High torque trucks with 10 wheels are common in America, while 6 wheeled trucks with regular torque specs (maybe high horsepower) do just fine in Europe. Also Americans are torque fanatics for obvious reasons.
In general Long nose trucks are better. Better looking Better speed Better interior space. Now, this is highly subjective and depends on your home country. But let’s remember only one country in the world has the most sophisticated and longest roads in the world, that is the U.S. I must say, leaving out the obvious, America being so massive land wise. Our Government for saw the revelation that is automobile’s and it’s future dependency on the world. No one has ever over-taken the US might in transportation from automobiles to the rail roads to date. Before anyone who’s feelings Iv hurt argue….. “in China or Europe has over-taken the U.S. in railway transportation.” That is CORRECT. But transportation for humans not goods, resources and equipment etc…..
In Mexico there are both: if you are traveling in highways long nose trucks are almost the rule. But within cities cab overs are more common, especially two axle COE, I suppose it’s got to do with the average street size in downtowns in any given city (other than Mexico City being a notable exception with big downtowns’ streets).
So…. Europe simply has more safety regulations and healthier work hours (which is safer but, it does look far more comfortable to live in the US cabins) I always feel intimidated by US trucks on the road, due to the speed and blind spots while EU trucks are way more pleasant to drive past. I used to join my dad in the weekends as a kid driving through Europe and always loved the long nose trucks, now that I’m in the States I still think they’re visually beautiful.. They honestly scare me..
As a European, I don’t think any type of truck is better than the other as they are both optimized for their respective continent, but I do like the American trucks a lot more. They seem to have a lot more flair and style, while the European trucks seem just hyper optimized for the job and nothing more. I also like the extra living space the American truck offers.
When I was 16 my stepfather, a lifelong driver told me that I should never follow him into that trade. Just about the only time I listened to him. I do recall, back in the 70s there were still a lot of COEs on the road, but American truckers felt they were too dangerous with nothing in front of you in a collision.
North American trucks have a long nose to increase aerodynamics since the speed limit is usually higher than the speed limit in Europe, and roads are more suitable to use the aerodynamic design’s fullness and lower fuel costs. Therefore, European trucks have a cabover design that looks like a cube. Source: LinkedIn But Autobahn has higher speed limits tho, still German trucks look nothing like American. Maybe because they also sell their trucks in other European countries
One thing I particularly would like to see in America, is the pollution laws are much stricter in Europe, thus European trucks are cleaner. I can’t tell you how many times I have been sitting at a stop light next to an American truck and have to either roll all of my windows up or turn off air intake vents if the air conditioner is on. Massive air pollution…
In my career of driving I was right next to a cab over truck when it was struck from behind so hard that I hit the truck in front of it. And the trailer that it ran into cause the cab over to collapse forward and the driver was impaled on the steering wheel and blood one everywhere it actually see. Someone getting paled by a steering wheel and it’s got splatter out. It’s not a good memory.
Another thing to consider is that not only roads are way bigger in the USA, everything else is bigger, too. Parking lots, freight loading areas, etc. Space is abundant in the US while it’s scarce in Europe. You simply wouldn’t be able to maneuver around with American trucks in Europe. Again, not just roads or cities or towns, all the infrastructure is tighter because space/land is generally more expensive.
in my job i’ve driven trucks in the UK, Jordan, Korea and Japan. Both Cabover and Long Nosed trucks in all of those countries. I can say that with the exception of Jordan, all those other countries I would take the Cabover. Trucking in the US however, I couldn’t say that I have ever had a time when I thought a cabover would make a difference or be a benefit. I guess it all comes down to the way the roads were built and how congested the cities are, but I will say that Cabovers are less comfortable and much louder.
Except for aerodynamics, all other features of USonian trucks could be maintained even without such “nose”, by moving the cabin on the engine as in Europe, and having a lot of additional space, easier driving with even a shorter head. The saved weight can compensate the aerodynamics. It’s like, for some primitive instinct, in USA everyone wants to use as much space as possible, just to be more visible.