Accepted practice and tradition weigh heavily in commercial vehicle design and engineering in North America. Consider the continuing popularity of chrome-clad class 8 tractors, with broad flat-fronted radiator grilles, large fenders and exposed fuel tanks, many of which are almost indistinguishable from their 1950s predecessors. The poor aerodynamic performance of many of these trucks severely compromises fuel efficiency, something jeopardised even further in payload-productivity terms by a significant unladen weight penalty.
Admittedly, most US and Canadian tractor-trailer fleets, unlike owner-operators, now opt for more recently developed class 8 models with an altogether lower and less drag-resistant profile and more modest tare weight. But because almost all are of bonneted configuration, with a correspondingly long wheelbase, they remain a good deal heavier than their forward-control ‘cab-over’ counterparts favoured in most other parts of the world, most notably Europe.
The progressive refinement of European forward-control heavy trucks has reached the point where the ride, quietness and handling of many European-built tractors would now appeal strongly to many US truck drivers.
North American legislation imposes no overall length restriction on articulated rigs – only on their semi-trailers. So there is no incentive to reduce tractor length, hence the widespread attachment of what amounts to ‘living room’ rearward cab extensions.
To be fair, the more extensive use by US truck makers than their European counterparts of aluminium in place of steel for cab panels and even chassis rails, made economically feasible by the smaller cost differential between the two metals, can make some US trucks lighter than they look.
Yet the progressive refinement of European forward-control heavy trucks has reached the point where the ride, quietness and handling of many European-built tractors would now appeal strongly to many US truck drivers.
With that in mind, it’s worth considering whether North American heavy-duty truck buyers will, at some point in the not too distant future, begin to consider European-style ‘cab-over’ tractors. It used to be said that drivers of bonneted heavies liked the idea of a heavy chunk of engine ‘between them and the accident’. Without any engine hump intrusion, cab interiors were more spacious and quieter, as well as cooler in the summer. But today’s high-floored European flagship models suffer no engine intrusion into the cabspace.
North American legislation imposes no overall length restriction on articulated rigs – only on their semi-trailers.
That same increase in the refinement of European tractors has led to a situation where European truck drivers’ needs and demands would be unlikely to be met by many existing bonneted US trucks, even though they might be produced by one of the European-controlled manufacturers.
Given that scenario, it seems probable that sooner rather than later a class 8 truck builder in the US, most likely Daimler or Volvo, will attempt to introduce minimally-adapted variants of its advanced European market forward-control tractor models into North America, initially on a ‘seed’ or ‘free demonstrator’ basis via selected fleets. Apart from anything else, a heavy truck which was acceptable anywhere in the world, including the US and Canada, would be hugely attractive in R&D and production rationalisation terms.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Automotive World Ltd.
Alan Bunting has a background in engineering, and has been writing on commercial vehicle and powertrain related topics since the 1960s. He has been an Automotive World contributor since 1996.
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