Originally posted by Parallax I saw a Kenworth cabover today. It was a gorgeous truck that appeared to be new, or nearly new. I can't remember the last time I saw a cabover. They were popular in the 60s and 70s, but then seemed to disappear.
What happened to them? I heard they were rough on the driver.
Originally posted by rod_grant Lot's of cabovers in Oz. (Mack, Kenworth, Mercedes, Iveco, - Ford, Scania & Volvo might run more conventional trucks)
The local trucking company are almost exclusively cabovers.
Cabover trucks in North America went the way of the dodo bird. Yes they were very rough on drivers. Ergonomics were never considered when designing them. Climbing in and out required monkey like climbing skills. The seat position was all wrong, something about sitting above and ahead of the steer axle that just doesn't work. The farther the seat is from the roll center of the chassis the more it moves up, down, sideways, etc. The sleeper usually was little more than a coffin like bunk, the driver could not stand up while getting dressed or undressed. Add to that the engine and transmission are right there, with all the noise and heat they make.
Any time the engine requires maintenance or repair, the cab must be jacked up. What a pain.
Cabovers were developed to maximize the amount of freight a tractor/trailer rig could carry. They also allowed for better maneuverability.
But as roads became wider and intersections larger things began to change. Also, the overall length of combination vehicles has increased.
Conventional tractors are well designed ergonomically, giving a ride that a cabover never even came close to. Coupled with an air ride seat, and air bag suspension a conventional tractor gives a ride that rivals the better high end cars.
So the conventional tractor has become the norm in North America.
In Europe roads are still narrow and tight, having been developed hundreds of years before heavy trucks came along. Considering that improving the infrastructure would be cost prohibitive, cabover trucks are the norm. Same for New Zealand.
Considering that road trains running the Outback in Australia are exclusively conventional cabs it gives me reason to wonder why cabover trucks are still in use there at all.
I have driven both types of tractor and would take a conventional over a cabover every time. Conventionals ride better, handle better, and are much easier to work on.