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> America sends five times more freight by truck than rail, so it's important to start making those trucks more fuel efficient and safer. If safety is really a

> America sends five times more freight by truck than rail, so it's important to start making those trucks more fuel efficient and safer. If safety is really a concern, why is it not a Cabover design? Aren't those supposed to be safer due to better visibility?

Hamuko 2y ago
Isn't the issue with cabovers that American truck drivers think they look dumb?
- moate 2y ago
  Optimus Prime would like to have a word with you in the other room…
  - Hamuko 2y ago
    I remember him being a conventional Peterbilt in the movie.
    - jonasdegendt 2y ago
      He's a cabover in the original comic and animated show, the first movie's twenty-something years later.
    - aidenn0 2y ago
      30s into the trailer you can see it's a cabover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_25RK5GbJIc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_25RK5GbJIc
- dghlsakjg 2y ago
  US Cabovers were designed around laws that limited the length of trucks + trailers. Those laws changed, and cabover trucks disappeared. They have a lot of disadvantages like serviceability and driver comfort. I don't think that looks really figure into it, since a lot of truck purchasing is driven by businesses which would gladly run an absolute pig of a truck if it saved them money.
moate 2y ago
Citation needed? 30 seconds of google with “cabover safety” found only the opposite in results. Maybe it’s a trade of “better visibility” vs a “battering-ram with no front crumple zone”?
- VBprogrammer 2y ago
  Many US trucks are of a design which has barely changed since the 1960s. I can't find any good references but I'd bet that the DAF CF of early 2000s design has a better survival rate than a similar vintage Peterbuilt 379.
ourmandave 2y ago
Cabovers have worse aerodynamics so bad for long haul. Short haul and in town they win with a tighter turn radius.
denimnerd42 2y ago
I think that's up for debate depending on application.. the longer wheelbase gives much more stability and comfort which is important on long drives. Vs a cabover might be a better design for a tight city.
vondur 2y ago
Cabover designs tend to be pretty bumpy due to the driver being on top of the wheels. Long distance truckers don't like that. Used to be more common in the past here in the US.
- dghlsakjg 2y ago
  Cabover's were popular because there used to be a different limit on total rig length. Those laws have changed which is why cabovers aren't popular anymore.
xeromal 2y ago
IRRC, cabover is safer for others, but not the driver and vice versa for the longnose design.
tibbydudeza 2y ago
Afaik the cab behind the engine design makes for a bigger cabin for sleeper space since US truckers are on the road so long.
MisterTea 2y ago
The old thinking was the driver of a cabover was the first to arrive at the scene of the crash. Truckers had a bad image of them and they wanted a hood with a big lump of iron between them and whatever they were plowing into. Old cab-overs were pretty much tin boxes and they were plentiful before the length laws in the USA were relaxed in the late 70's. After that happened the cabover in the USA died a pretty fast death and the only company to attempt a proper modern cabover design was Freightliner with their Argosy. Other than that maybe the Mack MH Ultraliner was decently modern introduced in the early 80's that replaced the F Model and WS series Cruiseliner.
Tor3 2y ago
As far as I know the reason for cabover is much simpler: In Europe the total length of the vehicle is covered by regulations. As total truck length is restricted you choose a cabover design, to maximize the transport capacity. When it comes to driving, cabover can turn in tighter places, but that's all.

Hamuko 2y ago

Isn't the issue with cabovers that American truck drivers think they look dumb?

moate 2y ago
Optimus Prime would like to have a word with you in the other room…
- Hamuko 2y ago
  I remember him being a conventional Peterbilt in the movie.
  - jonasdegendt 2y ago
    He's a cabover in the original comic and animated show, the first movie's twenty-something years later.
  - aidenn0 2y ago
    30s into the trailer you can see it's a cabover: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_25RK5GbJIc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_25RK5GbJIc
dghlsakjg 2y ago
US Cabovers were designed around laws that limited the length of trucks + trailers. Those laws changed, and cabover trucks disappeared. They have a lot of disadvantages like serviceability and driver comfort. I don't think that looks really figure into it, since a lot of truck purchasing is driven by businesses which would gladly run an absolute pig of a truck if it saved them money.

moate 2y ago

Citation needed? 30 seconds of google with “cabover safety” found only the opposite in results. Maybe it’s a trade of “better visibility” vs a “battering-ram with no front crumple zone”?

VBprogrammer 2y ago
Many US trucks are of a design which has barely changed since the 1960s. I can't find any good references but I'd bet that the DAF CF of early 2000s design has a better survival rate than a similar vintage Peterbuilt 379.

ourmandave 2y ago

Cabovers have worse aerodynamics so bad for long haul. Short haul and in town they win with a tighter turn radius.

denimnerd42 2y ago

I think that's up for debate depending on application.. the longer wheelbase gives much more stability and comfort which is important on long drives. Vs a cabover might be a better design for a tight city.

vondur 2y ago

Cabover designs tend to be pretty bumpy due to the driver being on top of the wheels. Long distance truckers don't like that. Used to be more common in the past here in the US.

dghlsakjg 2y ago
Cabover's were popular because there used to be a different limit on total rig length. Those laws have changed which is why cabovers aren't popular anymore.

xeromal 2y ago

IRRC, cabover is safer for others, but not the driver and vice versa for the longnose design.

tibbydudeza 2y ago

Afaik the cab behind the engine design makes for a bigger cabin for sleeper space since US truckers are on the road so long.

MisterTea 2y ago

The old thinking was the driver of a cabover was the first to arrive at the scene of the crash. Truckers had a bad image of them and they wanted a hood with a big lump of iron between them and whatever they were plowing into. Old cab-overs were pretty much tin boxes and they were plentiful before the length laws in the USA were relaxed in the late 70's. After that happened the cabover in the USA died a pretty fast death and the only company to attempt a proper modern cabover design was Freightliner with their Argosy. Other than that maybe the Mack MH Ultraliner was decently modern introduced in the early 80's that replaced the F Model and WS series Cruiseliner.

Tor3 2y ago

As far as I know the reason for cabover is much simpler: In Europe the total length of the vehicle is covered by regulations. As total truck length is restricted you choose a cabover design, to maximize the transport capacity. When it comes to driving, cabover can turn in tighter places, but that's all.