4 ms·

Do European trucks make less noise too? I'm from Spain but moved to Mexico 13 years ago. Here it's somewhat common to hear truck noises like when doing engine

• consp 5y ago
  Maybe automatic vs manual gearboxes?
• bsedlm 5y ago
  As far as I'm aware, in the mexican transport industry is a common practice to overload the trucks as much as possible. This is so widespread that any company which doesn't do it is likely less profitable than all the rest which do overload hence they have to overload to be competitive. I like to frame this in terms of an overruling pragmatism in mexican culture, as long as the truck still goes everything is just fine. I suppose overloaded trucks (under more stress) are louder.
  • xenonite 5y ago
    It would be interesting to factor in the higher maintenance costs, including road maintenance.
• mschuster91 5y ago
  Europe has strict noise regulations that even regular trucks have a hard time meeting, much less a jake brake [1]. In the US these are no problem since such large swaths of the country are unpopulated, but here in Europe you got small villages next to highways all the time. Here, the more expensive hydraulic retarders are the most common brakes (additional to the standard brakes on the wheels, of course). [1]: https://www.verkehrsrundschau.de/nachrichten/nfz-fuhrpark/neue-laermgrenzwerte-sind-eine-herausforderung-fuer-lkw-hersteller-3001163 https://www.verkehrsrundschau.de/nachrichten/nfz-fuhrpark/ne...
  • nixass 5y ago
    Do truck in Europe even use jake brake? I cannot remember I've ever heard one, while in few days in the USA/CA I've heard one every single day on highway
    • mschuster91 5y ago
      It isn't even allowed to put jake brakes on trucks here, the model would not be certified as the noise emission limits have to be adhered at all times during the operation of the vehicle.
      • rootusrootus 5y ago
        Is that true, or just unmuffled jake brakes? It's pretty common in the US for unmuffled jake brakes to be prohibited in populated areas.
  • crottypeter 5y ago
    Another source on the "Jake brake" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_release_engine_brake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compression_release_engine_bra...
    • spookthesunset 5y ago
      And to quote the important part: "Most diesel engines do not have a throttle body, so regardless of throttle setting a full charge of air is always drawn into the cylinders (excluding the valve fitted to certain diesels, such as fire appliances and generators on oil and gas platforms, to prevent diesel engine runaway). Compressed air generated during the compression stroke acts as an air spring to push the piston back down. As such, even with fuel supply cut off and no power strokes taking place, a portion of the energy absorbed by the compression stroke within each cylinder is returned to the crankshaft. This results in very little engine braking being applied to the vehicle. The typical compression brake consists of a hydraulic system using engine oil which transfers the motion of the fuel injector rocker arm to the engine's exhaust valve(s). When activated, the exhaust valve opens very briefly near the engine's top dead center, and releases the compressed air in the cylinder so that the energy is not returned to the crankshaft. If used properly, a compression release brake can assist a vehicle to maintain or even reduce speed with minimal use of the service brakes. The power of this type can be around the same as the engine power." Basically, jake brakes vent the compressed air in the cylinders at the top of the cycle.
• hunterb123 5y ago
  Most of the time engine braking is banned within US city limits, there are signs posted outside of towns "No engine braking".
  • rootusrootus 5y ago
    It varies by region, I'm sure, but every sign I've ever seen prohibiting engine braking has been specific that only unmuffled engine braking is prohibited.
    • hunterb123 5y ago
      No they aren't allowed whether they are muffled or not if it says "no engine breaking".
• ysangkok 5y ago
  Seems like Mexicans are not punished for taking off the muffler or generally just using 'unsafe' vehicles.
  • reaperducer 5y ago
    Seems like Mexicans are not punished for taking off the muffler or generally just using 'unsafe' vehicles. When I visit Juarez, I'm always surprised to see all of the used school buses that are no longer considered road-worthy in America that area used for all kinds of things. Very often they leave the names of the American schools on the side.