Why American and European Trucks Are So Different

Why American and European Trucks Are So Different - In this video, Dave talks about the differences in design, size and functionality of the cabover style trucks in Europe vs the 'hood trucks' found on our North American highways.... and Why they are so different.

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[SmartTrucking]

Hey there Driver. So glad you could take the time to drop by to watch today's video. How about you? Anything to add that I missed in the video? Love to hear from you.

[chris-]

I think people like conventional trucks more because it's easier to Pre-trip and your junk doesn't end up all over the place after tilting up the cab.

[scaniabeast]

I drive a Scania, those trucks are so comfortable the axle's, cab and chair its all air supspension auto gearbox its really smooth just a nice truck to drive with.
Greeting's from The Netherlands.

[Skusty]

Some small pointers from a northern european truckers.

We do have setups with several trailers, such as the B-train, especially up here in the north. It is also very common with rigids pulling drawbar trailers up here in the north, it both gives maneuverability and the ability to deliver LTL-loads to tight spots without bringing a trailer, LTL-loads are pretty much the norm up here.

When it comes to the tagaxle vs the tandem drive like you have it in the states, it's to allow both lower mileage when running empty or with a light load, and better traction in harsh weather since most trucks up here in the north are setup to being able to both transfer weight from the tag-axle to the drive aswell as simply lifting the tag-axle for maximun drive axle pressure. Tandem drives are pretty common amongst trucks running on soft soil, such as gravel and timber trucks, so they still exist here; Sisu was the first to offer a liftable tandem-drive axle (you can lift the rear axle in a tandem drive, which also dis-engages it from the drive), but now in the recent years Volvo are also providing this option.

[mixermanbear.]

I’ve been a trucker since I was 18 and I’m 53 now. I loved everything about trucks since my conception. I drive a 2001 Peterbilt 379 long hood with a C15 cat set at 550 HP. I absolutely love it and want no part of an aero style or any thing with DEF. they have literally done everything they can do to take the fun out of trucking. I’ve driven a 2022 Cummins 565 HP in a Peterbilt 389 and didn’t like it at all. Sure it still looks cool but when ya step on the fuel and ya can barely here the motor really takes away from what I love about big Diesel engines. Also my old mechanical CAT 425 HP had so much more usable power than a modern Cummins 565 that it’s unbelievable. In my opinion CAT made the best Diesel engine ever produced in terms of drivability reliability and real world power and drivability and now they won’t even make road engines because the guidelines are so ridiculous that they just said screw it. It is a damn shame what has happened in the last 15 or so years to the industry. I still love trucking but I’ll stick to the old engines as long as I possibly can. I appreciate your channel and the work you put into it.😎👍

[rickardmartinsson]

I love our trucks we drive here in Sweden, truck and trailer configuration, we load and unload them ourselfs too, the big ones we have on the company i drive for takes 18 pallets on the floor and then we use beams above so the truck itself has place for 36 pallets, and the trailer takes 30 or 33 pallets on the floor and beams on that too, the total lenght of it is 79 feet (24 meter) and the maximum weight is 128 000 pounds (64 tons)

[showmemoblues]

Cabovers for truckers working in big cities, tight roads also tighter delivery areas, make sense. They should have cabovers just for cities deliveries.

[chriswilson]

Best explanation of the differences I've heard so far, thanks!

[russellhorn]

We used to have that overall length law in the states. In Europe you don't have the wide streets in those old cities, and you would have a very hard time with a stretched out Pete and one of these 53 ft. 102 wide trying to get around, yet alone back into a dock somewhere.

[larryfazen]

Dave, why do we romanticize the days of cabovers?.... I too, often think, "man would I like to restore an old "Binder", to her former glory, and hit the road for a few years in her to finish out my I remember the flank pain, the climb up into the clouds to get in the seat, the heat, the cold, the pain crawling over the sharp edge of steel to get in bed, GETTING DRESSED IN THE SLEEPER !!!....lol, our brains have an amazing way of filtering out all of the uncomfortable things in life, and embellishing the always, awesome ill never forget the feeling I had, the 1st time I drove a intimidating, but that soon faded.

[rosswieloch]

I also wish Cabovers would make a comeback in the States. I never got to drive one, they had been all but phased out when started driving. But I always liked the looks of them. And I've been in a number of places over the years where backing in to a spot would be so much easier if I didn't have several feet of hood in front of me.

[aviatortrucker]

The first company I work for out of high school I actually was a mechanic there. This was back in 1980. When I started there they had the 1979 white Freightliner cab over with cat 3406 engines and Fuller RT0-12513 which was a 13 speed transmission. The company did have two conventional’s for the top dog drivers that had the cat 3408 and I believe both were Peterbilt 379’s. Eventually in 1981 they replace the fleet with Peterbilt Cabover that had three windshield wipers. It had the same drivetrain set up. That was the first rig that I learned how to drive. We also had 45’ trailers. The 53 footers hadn’t come on the scene for another decade.

[LittleBear]

I've seen some nice cabovers here recently, and I love to get the stories behind each one. Most of the driver's are old-school and willing to teach us younguns when we listen.

[alcinovargas]

Thank you so much for the Educational video of them all

[tuleralph]

Started with a cabover in the 70's couldn't wait to have a hood!
Still driving 1 now!

[MikeBrown-iipt]

Another thing I've noticed watching videos featuring European trucks is that many of their trailers have 3 axles rather than the tandems seen here. I'm assuming it's because many of their tractors are single drive.

I used to drive a cabover quite a bit but only for about 100 miles round trip during harvest season. A friend of mine still runs an old K-100 cabover with 8v92 TA Detroit power and a 15 speed as his farm truck and, he occasionally calls on me to help out. I don't mind driving the old KW in situations like that but, I'll keep my Classic XL for OTR work. I wouldn't mind getting a shot at one of those Scanias you mentioned but, I wonder if it would even pass U.S. emissions regulations.

[williamcarey]

I was a EU trucker for years before I returned to the United States in 2011. One point about European trucking that I would like to make is that unless the EU driving statutes is the every other weekend a European driver is required to do a 45 hour weekend break plus making up any time that the driver used for reduced weekend breaks. It is complicated to explain it all in writing here but I would love to share my Euro Trucker experience and explain the laws in detail. How could I contact you in this case?

[charlesbolin]

Dave, Speed limit in Nevada, Utah and Wyoming is 80 MPH away from the towns.

[jamiemcdole]

Yes I would love to own one of those KW 's from Australia now that's a great looking cabover.I drove K100 's Every Mack cabover plus Freighter. Loved the Mack ultra liner

[jholzer]

Now compare the North American truck to the Australian truck. They have some pretty cool looking rigs down under.