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> He shows other truckers his one and they are all so surprised about the quality of this European truck, them getting the feeling that the US truck industry ha
by LeonM 1y ago
> He shows other truckers his one and they are all so surprised about the quality of this European truck, them getting the feeling that the US truck industry has been sleeping for decades in terms of evolution.
As a European visiting US/Canada I once struck a conversation with a truck driver who had a really cool vintage semi, with lots of chrome and flare. I told him that I really liked the look of his truck, but that vintage trucks of that age would never be allowed on the road again in Europe, at least not for commercial jobs.
He then told me his truck was basically brand new...
Besides me making a fool of myself, I really grew an appreciation for the EU having rules about semis, especially in the noise department. Yeah, US domestic semi trucks are cool in their own way, but the constant noise of clutch fans, air brakes, 'jake' brakes, 'stack' exhaust with no of mufflers, etc. would drive me insane.
In (most of) Europe, all vehicles are subject to strict noise and emission rules, and many larger cities are now congestion zones which prohibits larger/older diesel powered vehicles from entering the city. Same for my city, where most trucks and busses are now electric. Since it happened gradually the change wasn't all that noticeable, that is until you go somewhere else and hear (and smell!) a diesel powered bus/semi drive by... We like to complain about all the 'stupid' government rules, but when you go to a place without those laws you really start to appreciate them, it truly feels like taking a step 'back' for the worse.
- porphyra 1y agoFor some reason, from a purely aesthetic standpoint, even brand new electric trucks in the US look very vintage, with their giant chrome grill and fender flares, compared to European and Asian trucks. [1] [1] https://www.peterbilt.com/trucks/zero-emission/567EV https://www.peterbilt.com/trucks/zero-emission/567EV
- mradek 1y agoDo you think it’s because they’re using diesel? In my layman pov… A diesel engine can take the least aerodynamically shaped body and move it at 60 mph for 1k miles no problem. As an American, I guess it’s just natural to me that if it can move, then it should move with glory!! Edit: my bad I didn’t properly read your post
- porphyra 1y agoThe one I linked is all electric.
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- mradek 1y agoWowza!! Ok I checked out the link. My bad for not reading ur post properly. Yikes 100-250 mile range. Probably fine for what it is.
- Qwertious 1y agoThe range only needs to cover the period between mandated brakes. Everything over that is wasted weight, as the weight of the cargo and the weight of the truck share a weight budget.
- BrentOzar 1y ago> The range only needs to cover the period between mandated brakes. I was confused there for a second until I realized you meant "breaks."
- jtbayly 1y agoThat’s technically true, I suppose, but dishonest since you imply that those numbers are large enough to max out driving time. You wouldn’t be able to drive to your first mandatory 30 minute break with that range.
- Xss3 1y agoIf youre doing 56mph, as you would be in the EU, then you can drive for 4.5hrs and cover 250miles before your first mandated break. So it almost seems optimised for the mandated break timing. On average truck journeys in europe are only 72 miles anyway so...
- Xenoamorphous 1y agoUS trucks are much cooler looking, although I don’t doubt European ones are more efficient and practical. Even firetrucks, the ones I saw in SF looked so cool compred to the ones I see over here.
- stevage 1y agoMaybe everyone in this thread knows this, but it hasn't been mentioned: US trucks are all cab-behind-engine, and European trucks are all cab-over-engine. That's why they look so different. The US style supposedly has some benefits in maintenance and maybe efficiency, but the European style works much better in cities with narrow streets and tight turns.
- _mitterpach 1y agoThis might be completely wrong, since my understanding is based very much off of Truck Simulator games, but isn’t one of the reasons aerodynamics as well? The US is huge, and trips can take several days at high speeds, so aerodynamic improvements can save quite a bit of money, whereas EU is smaller, the trucks do not go at large speeds for as long and have to navigate tiny city streets, thus being more compact is an advantage there.
- Symbiote 1y agoIt's more that the EU regulations on the total length of the articulated lorry include the tractor, but American regulations limit the length of each part.
- Gare 1y agoTrue, but that EU regulation is based on the ground truth of much less spacious roads and cities.
- gmueckl 1y agoNot quite. Originally, the tighter length limits were intended to give trucks a disadvantage compared to freight trains. But engine technology caught up and more efficient smaller engines negated that limitation.
- crote 1y agoNot really. A regular truck & trailer is way too big to fit in space-constrained city centers. When it gets really tight they'll just send a box truck, often with a trailer they can leave behind outside the city center for some extra capacity when it's a multi-stop trip [0]. The fancy ones even have doors in the front of the trailer, making it quite easy to move freight from the trailer into the box truck itself. On the other hand, the highway infrastructure has plenty of space for large trucks. If the roads to & from the main highway network can handle it, some countries will give you permits for all sorts of fancy combinations[1] up to 83 ft long. Considering that it'll still be pulled with a regular cab-over truck, that's a lot of space for freight. They are now even trialing the "Super EcoCombi", which is essentially two full semi-trailers[2], for a total of 105 ft! [0]: https://assets-global.website-files.com/6424195493a93d7e7fe40175/6448d30957947a31caa97bdc_IMG_7488.jpg https://assets-global.website-files.com/6424195493a93d7e7fe4... [1]: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langere_en_Zwaardere_Vrachtautocombinatie#/media/Bestand:Alle_Varianten_LZV.jpg https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langere_en_Zwaardere_Vrachtaut... [2]: https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/sec.jpg?ssl=1 https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads...
- algo_trader 1y agoWhy are e-trucks like this getting 1/100th of the not-yet-in-mass-production Tesla Semi? Can i go in and order 100 of these? Are they custom/super-expensive?
- rsynnott 1y agoApparently so: https://electrek.co/2024/06/01/einride-orders-150-peterbilt-579ev-electric-semi-trucks-for-us-fleet/ https://electrek.co/2024/06/01/einride-orders-150-peterbilt-...
- 93po 1y agoVolvo: 600km range, 82k lb capacity, 60% charge in 40 minutes, $350k Tesla: 800km range, 82k lb capacity, 70% charge in 30 minutes (with a much higher capacity battery), $250k Telsa would also probably have better dealer network, better software (self driving), better charger network Why would anyone buy Volvo?
- rasz 1y agoBecause you _can_ but Volvo right now, its a real product.
- gamblor956 1y agoThe Tesla battery is almost twice the size of the Volvo VNR Electric battery but only gets slightly more range than the comparably specced Volvo VNR Electric when fully loaded. But the Volvo VNR Electric can be self-serviced. Tesla Semis can't. And given Tesla's abysmal service history, that's a deal breaker. And it's why no company has actually used Tesla Semis beyond the token trial Semi they purchased using government grants.
- beAbU 1y agoBecause the volvo truck exists and tesla does not? Also, have you learned nothing when it comes to announced specs of a new tesla vs real world specs when it lands?
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- vladgur 1y agoSpeaking of “complaining about stupid government rules”, I’m currently waiting to board a flight back to SFO from Europe and one thing that I have missed through my southern Europe vacation are the rules prohibiting smoking in or around the restaurant. This is what I got used to in California but unfortunately should you find a fantastic outdoor restaurant table to enjoy the European sunset, chances are somebody will be smoking right next to you and your kid.
- neom 1y agofwiw and not to diminish your point, semi trucks in Canada are rarely heard, they mostly drive along our massive highways, they are generally not allowed in cities, and you can drive from one end of Canada to the other (east <> west) on Highway 1 without entering cities/big towns, the most populated area you have to drive through is at the Ontario/Manitoba border. (Source, I've driven Canada fully, end to end e->w)
- knotimpressed 1y agoI mean, they’re rarely heard by people, but they’re certainly heard by everything else trying to live near the highway that as you said, cuts across the entire country. Now, not to say you don’t make a good point, but noise pollution is pollution, and reducing it does have benefits. I severely underestimated how loud a single semi was until I was camping 5km from a highway and couldn’t hear the cars, but could certainly hear the trucks.
- mensetmanusman 1y agoUS semis travel 2-3x further per haul on average.
- NietTim 1y agoWhich means very little; european trucks are allowed to haul 10~15% more weight per axle. Being allowed to drive faster and or for longer has little to do with 'hardware' beyond different gearing and more to do with road safety and labor laws.
- mensetmanusman 1y agoFor the same amount of time, US semis travel further requiring more power consumption following a cubic power law.
- WillAdams 1y agoReasons behind this: - many U.S. truckers are owner-operators --- the rig has to appeal to them, and is in many ways, an extension of their self-perception - bring up a map of the U.S. and plot occupations on it, removing "school teacher" and "farmer" --- for many rural counties, the most common (and one of the best-paying) is long-haul trucker --- I can still vividly recall the elaborate drawings and plans which many of my classmates in a rural school would draw up of elaborate 18-wheelers (that this situation was brought about by the county board of supervisors being comprised of large land owners who wanted an essentially captive population to work their farms is a different discussion)
- alpineman 1y agoIt's fine for it to be an extension of their self-perception, but when said extension reaches into my bedroom when I'm sleeping then I am 100% in the pro-regulation camp.
- newsclues 1y agoHow about the government regulating housing so that you have to upgrade your insulation and windows to keep the noise out? Oh wait, you want government regulating (with massive costs) to apply to other people for your comfort!!! I wonder why people hate the government and excessive regulation?
- user_7832 1y agoReducing the externality in the first place can be more efficient than trying to work around ways once it already exists. Property rights as described by Ronald Coase would help find a near optimum solution.
- ericyd 1y agoBased on this response I have to assume you spend 100% of your time in your house and can't understand why diesel trucks would ever impact someone in another setting.
- m463 1y agoFrom what I understand "US Domestic semi trucks" are not homogenous. For example, I think trucks in california are usually almost new due to regulations.