this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2025
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cabovers are almost exclusively used throughout europe and asia. it's only america and australia that tends to use the big bonnet american style trucks.
there no real reason for it
To be fair the regulations on vehicle length and older infrastructure makes the cabover popular.
American style trucks(long nose) get better mileage on longer hauls than the blunt nose design. They also provide more cabin room. As a final note American audiences are conditioned for the long nose design and it's difficult to find the imports here.
Having driven both I think they both have merit. In Europe an American truck would be impossible to maneuver in towns.
So that's the "real reason for it".
Simple solution there is to replace long-haul trucks with rail freight and use cabovers, box trucks, and sprinter vans to connect train depots to retailers and "last mile" delivery hubs. We could do with broad re-zoning to allow smaller shops rather than centralize everything into giant all-in-one grocery stores and mini malls as well but that's not an entirely connected issue.
That would be great. I don't know if the aging American rail infrastructure that is already being utilized would be able to handle it. It would be a big ticket item that Congress would need to pass... Oh well that was a fun though experiment.
Yeah, "simple" does not mean "easy" or even "doable" in this case.
A lot of trucking is long-range. America is fucking big and not everywhere is served by ports, railroads, and tributaries.
Those roof-scoops and curvaceous hoods aren't just for being sexy. They greatly increase aerodynamics and with it, range.
The important thing is that it requires specialized training and a license to drive something with such poor visibility. The pickups, any 16yo kid can legally drive.
There is a reason for it: Regulations that limit the overall vehicle length. The EU has a lower maximum than the U.S., so it favors the cabover design, which allows a longer trailer. The U.S. had lots of cabover trucks on its roads until it increased the allowed length, when truckers took advantage of the easier maintenance and better ergonomics of the bonnet design.
I think there is a legal reason for no cabovers in the USA. Maybe something based on crash safety (for just the occupants of course).
No the reason was already mentioned earlier. Europe mandates a relatively short overall maximum vehicle length whereas the US mandates a maximum trailer length. So European trucks are almost always cab over design to maximize trailer length.
There is a reason in Australia, the distances travelled and the enormous loads they haul require far more powerful trucks. Look up road trains. They are significantly more efficient than using multiple trucks.
Trains would be more efficient but Australia is too large and too sparsely populated to do everything with trains.
They are also safer for the driver than the Cab over style.
Power is not the issue. Cabovers can have just as much power as long-hood tractors.
I'd imagine most road trains to run between cities, or mines, ports, industry, and cities. Building railways between them would certainly make sense, but it'd have to be the state, no single actor alone would make that investment.
What I mean to say is that trains are better and you could have them if you just chose to.
No, you don’t have the first inkling of how much that would cost. Not only would it not be cost effective due to how sparsely populated most of Australia is but no Australian Government could afford it to start with.
Road trains service extremely remote and tiny communities across Australia, as well as supporting many industries. They go off road to reach some of these communities.
You really can’t fathom how remote until you’ve been into the Outback.
Also we do have trains in many places where it makes sense. Not as many as we could have but they’re hardly ignored as an option.
You misunderstand. The trains aren't for the supply of tiny settlements. It's fine to use road vehicles for this. I am specifically talking about industry, cities, ports, mines.
You think Australia doesn’t have any trains?
Of course not. I think Australia could have more. If the Australians wanted to.
I would kill for a 4x4 cab over in the states to replace my 2500. The offerings here don’t compare.
2500 Desiel - 21000lb towing // Isuzu NPR desiel - 14500lb towing
Both are the same price at around $68000