THIS Is Why America Stopped Making Cab-over Trucks
THIS Is Why America Stopped Making Cab-over Trucks
In this video, we dive into the fascinating history of American cab-over trucks and explore why they disappeared from the market in the 60s and 70s, while the rest of the world still produces them.
We cover the advantages and disadvantages of cab-overs versus long-nosed trucks and the reasons behind the switch.
Join us as we explore the rules and regulations that led to the decline of the cab-over and the rise of the long-nose truck. We also discuss the possibility of the cab-over making a comeback in America and what that would mean for the industry.
So, grab a seat and let's explore the world of cab-over trucks together! Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more great content.
▬▬▬ The video ▬▬▬
00:00 Start
00:43
Cab-overs
in America
02:20 Why long nosed trucks?
03:49 Why Cab Overs?
04:30 Will the cab-over
return to America?
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why do America use single trailers and not doubles, triples or quads like Australia?
For me, I like both. To have the option. If I was a truck driver I would probably keep using the same truck all my life due to the price and work privately. I don’t really have a preference per say, but when it comes to CRT screen versus LCD that is a very different story. I am hard core with CRT screens.
@@beyondcitylimits It depends on which state you're in. Some states allow double trailers and some even allow triples. California allows doubles. It used to be that you could only pull doubles in California if you were driving a cab-over tractor due to the total length. It appears that they changed that rule to allow conventional tractors. I never heard them called "long nose", but I guess that's more descriptive.
@@1969barnabas awesome mate, thanks for the explanation!
Bookmarked for payday! Has my truck on it and comes in navy blue. Thirty years driving OTR.
another reason for cabovers in Europe is that a lot of trucks have to use sea ferries. Shorter cabs mean more trucks can fit on a ferry.
That is not correct. I come from Germany. There is a law in Europe that limits the maximum length of trucks. If the driver's cab were longer, the trailer would have to be correspondingly shorter. If the truck gets shorter, the trailer is allowed to be longer, which is more lucrative because you can load more cargo - that's why.
@@Campingfan1 Yes that is the law. But why they don't change the law? Ferries is a one reason.
The Ferries have to allow for maximum weight of vehicles on board as well so its not just as simple as can get more trucks on. Possibly they can get more vehicles on as a whole (cars, vans and trucks). Cabovers are really determined by maximum length of truck and trailer, as well as maximum weight they can carry (unless special circumstances to go above the max weight limit). My dad was a truck driver in the UK and its 44tonne is max weight from what i remember him telling me. The more weight of the vehicle the more it will damage the road too. The EU are trying to get all its countries to adopt standard sizes so that everything is the same. For example they are in process of a 20 or 30year plan to link all roads up so you can travel by vehicle from one end to the other in just a few days rather than have to get a train or fly over. They have been putting infrastructure in so that broadband internet can reach all the countries. The sizes of the trucks is not actually something to do with the ferries or trains (like eurostar), its just getting a standard layout so one truck and trailer fits in every country. Its luck would have it they help get more on the ferries.
@@Campingfan1 yes, that’s the summary of the video. but not the point the comment above was making.
Another problem, for example for Germany, is the fact that most of the bridges and also roads are designed for 40 ton trucks. If the trucks were now simply made heavier, this could result in problems with the statics for bridges or the road surface of the roads. Especially since many motorway bridges are no longer in such good condition. Another problem is the length of the trucks. If trucks were now made heavier and also longer, many trucks would get stuck on freeway exits and freeway entrances because they were simply too long for the tight curves. The same applies to the inner cities. Some of the curves are simply too narrow for long-hood trucks. In Germany, for example, a truck can have a maximum total weight of 40 tons and a maximum length of 18.75 meters. That was it. There are also exceptions and special permits, but these only in individual cases, such as for heavy goods transport. And heavy-duty transport requires special permits and special tests to determine whether the roads and bridges along the planned route can withstand the weight at all. Otherwise, additional plates must be placed on the road to better distribute the weight, etc. So simply increasing the weight of a truck or increasing the length is not possible.
My father was a professional truck driver his entire working career, starting around 1949. After he retired, he and my mother visited us in Germany, where I was stationed in the US Air Force. While touring Cologne, we lost track of my father. We found him up the street, where he had stopped to do a detailed examination of a German truck. My mother sighed and said, "I guess you can take the driver out of the truck, but you can't take the truck out of the driver."
Great love affair of your dad. Congratulations
That would be me
I hope he wasn't wearing a white shirt. Anyone who has ever walked through a truck stop parking Parking lot will know what I am talking about
Haha dear Ole dad
Great story. Thanks for sharing.
Fun fact: Optimus Prime's original truck form was a cab over The Freightliner FL86. But Michael Bay wanted a larger truck for the movies so he went with a Peterbilt long nose.
I stopped watching when I saw they changed Optimus prime.
He was a freight liner in the 80s though 90s in the bee and beast prequels and bee was only a VW beetle in the bee movie. But was also a jeep as well. I really want to see them introduce octane soon maybe we could get a energon crisis at some point because never in the movie franchise has energon famin been spoken about the whole reason they left cybertron,
Yes, Optimus Prime first time with a long-nose truck alternate mode was the "Hero" Optimus in 1993 followed by the Laser Prime in 1994 Armada Prime in 2002 too was long-nosed as almost all post-Bay non-retro Optimus
Ur kidding? Thats actually interesting. Usually I hate these fun facts! Nice job! Lol
So that explains why the movie sucks.
My father who was truck driver both in EU and in US, always said that indeed its easier to drive cab-over, but nothing beats conventional in comfort - it's like a different world. And because drivers spend so much time in their trucks (including nights), he loved american trucks.
Which is strange because I've just seen another documentary where American truck drivers are blown away by the driver comforts of the European cabover.
@@impact0r It's fake. Euro trucks are for slaves. Drivers live like dogs in tiny dog houses.
@@impact0r yep, the US cab overs are not even on the same planet at the euro ones. And when I see long nose is more comfortable it makes me laugh ( they are equal at best but I can bet the new euro once will leap ahead )
@@cherniqhscab overs are good for short distances like EU but US is a big country and truck drivers are expected to drive all over. I'm not a truck driver nor expert but my brother was and now he's a truck mechanic. A long nose is more spacious and he claimed it was better than his cramped apartment in Chicago 😂
@impact0r 1:22 😅😅
Driving a truck seems like a very challenging but rewarding job. Thank you to all the truckers out there for delivering everything we use, and for driving safely.
Concerning the last part of your comment - "driving safely" ... yes, there are some "cowboys" on the road (every group has their 'bad apples') but I prefer being behind a semi because the chances of a trucker doing something asinine is far far far less than some putz in a car.
@@AFmedic Swift enters the chat
You're welcome. It is challenging but most of us are professionally trained drivers.
You are american aren't you?
@@MG-ko6jf a "swiftly" leaves the road.
I have a fond memory of cab-overs. When I was a kid my neighbor Joe drove a truck. When I was about 10 he took me with him on a load from Milwaukee WI to St Louis in his Freightliner cab-over truck. I still remember that trip, all these many years later. RIP Joe I miss you buddy, I think of you often.
My dad was an over the road trucker, I have fond memories too
Growing up my neighbor Jim (fresh into retirement) drove as well, but what I found interesting at the time was one of his sons would compete in semi truck skills competitions with some 1st place finishes too. I remember him showing me a trading card with himself on it along with whatever stats/info listed as well lol. always got a kick outta that.
@@ericwiese7479 My Dad had a truck Crane went a few 1 days with him .Was 6 Can't do that Today. HaHa🤗🤗🤗🤗
Lies again? Chubby Babies USD SGD
That sounds really weird.
I started driving in a cab-over. I used to joke that, in a cab-over, you're the first one at the accident scene. But, it was really good for a new driver since it was more maneuverable and backed easier. I delivered at a chocolate factory in Pa. and the warehouse was so close to the building across from it, every inch mattered. My first time in a conventional, I was shifting like a rookie. I hadn't had to move the shifter more than a couple inches before,,, now I had to move my whole arm... not just my wrist. Once I paid my dues, and didn't spend all my time on the east coast, the conventional was only way to go. I've been retired for 7 years now... and my last year, the last truck I drove was an 'automatic'. Things have really changed...
"Automatic"? As in a conventional fully automatic?
@@Dat-Mudkip Yes. You can get automated manuals or conventional "slushbox" automatics now.
The cabover truck in America was really never phased out instead we just stopped using them less for commercial transportation and started using them more in construction and First Response due to the fact that they were more maneuverable in urban areas and they would rarely be put in situations where they would be put on the highway often
He basically mentioned that in the video
CAFE standards actually
Wish they'd bring them back. With what the company I drive for does, it'd make our deliveries so much easier in the residential neighborhoods.
I'm surprised there's not an option to buy a European model from Volvo or anyone else that also sells in North America.
Would be nice in Atlanta .....
Peterbilt and Kenworth make cab overs still. I see them quite regularly, I just saw an old freightliner cab over the other day as well. They’re still very much around, not as common with tractors but still in use with their bobtails
It's better in cities but most of the time you're on highways and long nosed helps with fuel costs
Cabovers don't work as well in snow as a long nose, at least that has been my experience. Love backing into a dock with them, they make way better city trucks than long noses, but again, I'll take the longer wheel base and greater dispersion of weight in snow and ice. A cabovers can get downright dangerous bobtailing in the winter.
I'll always think of the cab-over design as the "Optimus Prime" truck, and I think most people my age would, too. For that reason alone, I'll always have a soft spot for the design.
Well, Teletran-1 only saw cab-overs when it scouted the area in 1984. Had they crash landed today, things would have been different. 🤣
Maybe in USA. In the rest of thr world they're just the normal lorries
optimus prime is a long nose
@@edidiongmoses2889 the original Optimus back in the 80’s wasn’t.
@@MobileTech296 Indeed: if it ain't Transfromers G1, it ain't "Transformers!" "The boss" should be quoting, if he doesn't now that.
My grandpa was a trucker. He used to do regular runs from Indiana to New York. I remember one time he let my brother and me ride with him on a run. We slept on his bunk in his cab. Fun memory. If you’re doing a long haul like that regularly, you want the extra space.
In Australia both are common. You see the bigger cabovers in the cities, but the road trains in the outback are all conventional (at least all the ones I've seen). When I was a kid, my favourite truck was the Kenworth Cabover Aerodyne. I thought it looked so cool, I wanted to get one and live in it. If I wasn't so bad at spatial awareness I'd be a truckie, but knowing me I'd be bumping into things all the time.
No one does BIG like Australia 🇦🇺, if people think Trucks & loads are Big in the USA, Go to Australia. A place where once you've left Perth it's 2500 km to the next CITY sized habitat. Land trains good name, just like the USA Trains but on the road 👍✌️
Lol, as soon as I watched another video about road trains I saw a bunch of cabovers pulling them. So disregard my comment about all road trains being conventional.
I liked the twin stick Mack from Mad Max 2. The best vehicle was definitely Max’s interceptor from the first movie.
I drive a cab over artic/semi here in the UK. On a recent trip to the US I was surprised by how few there are on the roads over there. True, we drive much shorter distances, and are away from home a lot less, but the modern European cab overs are extremely quiet and comfortable to drive. Almost all are automatics now, and come with as many driver aids and safety features as a modern car, and are extremely efficient and clean. They are ideally suited to our roads system where a long nose would be almost impossible to drive safely.
The UK sucks dude.
Well said @Johnps65 and indeed long nose trucks could not navigate many of our old and small UK streets!
@@EngineerLewis America appears to have redesigned it's cities to make way for bigger vehicles, there's no room for pedestrians or cyclists or children.
Because we are a big country 🤦🏿♂️ it makes sense
@@richardpeel6056It's not that big of a problem since the children don't normally play on the highways
This video is spot on about the pros & cons of Cab-Overs. Back in my younger days (I'm almost 73 now) I drove cross-country for several years. I loved their maneuverability but hated the noise and bouncing around. The absolute worse though was having to virtually empty the cab of your gear if you had an engine problem and then having to put EVERYTHING back in. What time waster.
"AF medic6871, no that video wasn't spot on it was so basis towards long nose trucks it was unbelievable, read my comments at the top, because some of what was said in the video about cabovers was complete BS.
I drove a Scania cabover and it were a smooth ride . The Scania cab are mounted on airbags . Here in South Africa we prefer cabovers because of space and we call some trailers superlinks , it's a 6/12 meter trailer . Overall length 22meters .
Cabovers are a lot quieter nowadays with quieter engines much better insulation than was the case in the 70s and 80s. I’m in the UK and drive them all the time. They’re streets ahead now compared to the past.
Imagine if truck builders were smart enough to put the engine behind the cab. You wouldn't even have to tilt the cab. You could put it in-between the frame rails all the way back by the 5th wheel and you would never even have to hear it.
@@SCARFACE69247 How would you hook up your air lines with a bloody great engine in the way? Also it’d be in the turning area of the front of the trailer. Back to the drawing board I think. 😀
My father in law still drives a cab over. He is 80 years old. Been driving truck since he was 18. Has owned his trucking company for 40 years now. Stay safe out there.
What's the name of the company?
@@YabblerDabblerDo Brinks and Son trucking. McBain Michigan. I just figured out the other day that he is 85. Not 80. Still drives 3 days a week.
My first driving job in 1992 was in an International 9670 cab over. Rough, loud, hot in summer and cold in winter. No room for storage and no real privacy. I don’t miss the cab over and do miss my 2019 Mack Anthem hood.
I started out on a cabover and can Honestly say I don't miss them, The roads beat you up enough in a conventional, can't imagine it in a cabover now, also I was a lot younger and could take more abuse😃
:)
If you have a head on collision you are the first one there in a cab over truck. Plus our roads the way they are nowadays would beat you to death in a cabover. Or at least the roads here in Texas would. Louisiana roads are even worse.
@@JohnDavis-yz9nq New Orleans has the worst roads I've ever been on. They even beat Philly.
@@counterfit5 oh yes I can only imagine. Been many a year since I have been to New Orleans. I stay out of Louisiana because of the roads.
The 3 we had a Fedex. They sucked getting out of the truck, air wipers failed a lot and pm parts weren't available by the time I was driving them. They were comfortable for what we were using them for. But if you know riding on the axles. They bounce alot!!! I definitely don't miss them. But I loved that feeling of driving a fire truck. Lol
Tip of the hat to all you truckers! Thanks for all you put up with so we can get the things that keep us going!
Excellent comment thanks for saying that 😊
You said it all with that comment! My hats off to you. Truckers move America, therefore they help move the world. A dangerous job that never gets the appreciation that it deserves. Anybody can 'drive' a truck, but it takes real experience,skill, focus, and a steady hand to be a TRUCK DRIVER.
Thank you for the kind words. : )
It ain't easy... But we appreciate your comment
Thank you Nice to be appreciated 😊
As a retire, truck, driver, doing long-haul’s, it makes a much more comfortable day and more enjoyable. If your truck is running 24/7 with two drivers, it takes a lot getting used to sleeping in a cab over. Also…. Because I’m a woman, 5’4” , 125# and my partner/husband 6’1”, 185#, I I could go under an access to the motor, fuel filters, etc. without lifting the cab. It was my job to make sure all the bolts were tight, hoses were not developing holes, and changing the fuel filter. In those days there was so much vibration bolts with loosen. Also, we did not have wiring harnesses. I would use tape to make my own and try to keep them out of the way from rubbing. I would not give up my long nose for a cab over on long halls. Mind you, this was my place of work, and my home. After a long day of work, I could not leave. In a marriage, you can’t go to another room, you’re always close and together. When you’re off duty, in a cab over, you cannot stretch your legs unless you’re prone. In a conventional you can stand up and stretch your legs. This makes a difference. In Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and a number of other very large old cities, the Cabover makes a great deal of sense. Also, they’re not long-haul. It is true they’re more maneuverable, and also you can see so much more. In fact, if I would have absolutely no problem with a truck, such as a cab over for city, delivery, and short halls, where when you’re off duty, after your 8-10 hours you go to a house/apartment rather than having to stay right there. Not 24 hours every day for 10 to 30 days… or even longer when it is just you and your life mate, and the home base is empty. The only time we were out of the truck is when we took time off in a motel, usually for 32 hours and because we both ran out of hours.
Wow I'm in awe of truckers. Love and respect ❤
My Dad was a truck driver for over 20 years...I often rode on trips with him, and saw how it was not easy being a truck driver...long roads, boring, staying awake...watching out for smokeys...But my Dad always drove a long nose truck...he didn't like cabovers...he never told me why...Edwin Hillers, Truck Driver from Fort Worth, Texas...may he rest in peace...
we had one driver who stuck with our last cabover until it wore out. He did alot of short haul city deliveries and liked the visibility and shorter design. The other 50 guys all love their conventionals.
O course they were pussies the same kind that you find today don't want to work for a living. I I'm 55 years old an still drive a cab over best thing that could have happen in my life.
I've driven both at one time or another. For long distance over the road, the conventional is definitely superior. However, for local route delivery in urban and suburban settings, the cabovers' inherent advantages make it more competitive.
With the convex mirror in front of the passenger side windshield, I could see my bumper, got into many extremely tight spots a conventional would never get into
Except for having to climb up the side of the thing instead of stepping into it! 😆
Exactly, they're both good but have different use cases.
@@PD-yd3frlong noses are simply unadapted in Europe...
Here in Australia it's often long haul, or shorter inner city haulage. I see both on the roads, but going on more than a days ride, like sparser states are like, the Cabover seems to rule. TBH though, the 5 ton trucks outnumber them a *LOT* for closer city to city stuff.
my neighbor's uncle got into an accident in a cab over and the cab tilted forward when he had the accident. left him paralyzed from mid chest down. one thing I like about cabovers is that they turn real nice...
Yes cabovers for school buses are much better, I drive one and so much easier to fit the bus on smaller roads and pick up kids, I wouldn’t want a long nose but we have some. For an American semi truck then maybe long nose over cab over because
For short, local road routes, the cabover makes it so much easier to get around and being able to SEE so much more of your frontal area is very helpful. So for smaller box trucks on local/back roads and such I feel the cabover is superior
For a school bus a cab over is far superior too, easier to see kids if they get in front of the bus or taking right corners with cars everywhere
My dad drove for Schneider. He had a cabover. Us kids went to school wearing orange coats and orange hats that said Pumpkin Power. Back when I was teen, my first job was servicing trucks. It was a mix back then, late 80's and early 90's. One big thing I remember is that you have to jack the cab to tilt it to get to the engine. If the truck in good shape all is well but some trucks so messed up just the tilting of the cab was a chore. Let alone climbing under the cab to work on said engine.
So your dad was one of the many many CAUTION CONES That I have passed. The saying was if you see an orange box ( As far as you were able to see) get over as soon as you can. Them and JB Hunt were in a war of fuel mileage and who could run slower. I don’t know how the drivers did it. My hats off to them. I worked for D.M. Bowman for about a month and could not take it. (They ran TRIP MASTER 54mph. They had the rail pressure turned down so bad it took us 56 minutes to climb Fancy Gap pulling 21000 Lbs (it is 6 miles) I love the visibility and maneuverability of a cab over, but at 63 with 2 fake knees Back& neck surgeries ( some of it from cab over SPRING RIDE ) trucks. I now like the hoods for comfort.. Air ride technology has come a long way sense 1976 when I started driving.
@@marshallcollins8634 My dad never complained about that with Pumpkin Power. His Tractor did ok with them. I do recall a company he worked for later on where they put a governor on his truck. Jay-Don I think the name was. He bitched about that truck so much. lol When I serviced trucks at Yoder oil they had an area for conventional due to wider turning circle. Me myself I have arthritis in my lower back and hips from turning wrench all my life. They do not make lifts for tall people.
@@marshallcollins8634 European cab overs are more comfortable than American style bonneted trucks I find, but we have limited chassis length in Australia.
lol.."said engine"
Love it! When I drove truck we used to have a code word for road construction barrels. We would holler over the CB "you got some Schneider eggs coming up a mile ahead" 😁
One thing you forgot to mention is that European COE trucks have been implementing and installing extra suspension systems just for the cabins, so those are pretty comfortable for international long haul deliveries too, not just short hops inbetween cities.
Thanks for sharing
It is a good example of innovation driven by need. In the end you get the best of booth worlds: Better visibility and agility, and the same comfort.
Ummm...guess you don't know much about trucks then. ALL cabs have their own suspension now. I just replaced a set of shocks and bags on a 2015. Kenworth on Friday.
@@57thorns still not as aerodynamic though
US trucks absolutely do have cab suspension
i had 3 used cabover tippers in my short stint as a owner operator in Australia. I loved their compactness for maneuverability and ease of servicing. So much easier to work around the engine and gearbox. I did clutch replacements in my suburban driveway.
As a kid growing up in the 70's, I use to call them cat nose and dog nose.
Dang that makes a lot of sense. 😅
The saddest part is that the cabovers still exist, but you never see them on the road. The old men that loved the things refuse to sell them, and they slowly sink into the ground behind their house or in their field.
Come to europe then
@@piotrcholewa3382 ew no
@Piotr Cholewa I like my guns how they are
@Aaron Savage Have you ever considered trying viagra instead?
Just have one that is over 25 years old imported from Europe.
I learned to drive in a cab over in the mid 90’s with CRST , Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A year later I left and bought a 1986 KW Cabover K100E…put 1,700,000 miles on it …I got it parked in my barn out back. I caught my teen age son getting lucky in it the other day with his high school girlfriend….❤❤❤
I'm not a trucker (or lorry driver as I'd prefer to call it) and I'm not American but I've asked myself this question. This explained it thoroughly so thank you ... these long nose artics look REALLY comfortable. That's basically a small hotel room on wheels ! 😊
Ever since America saved UK from becoming a part of Germany, American English is the standard.
The longer wheelbase of the conventional also gives better stability, especially in windy conditions.
J.B. Hunt had cabovers in their fleet until the late 1990s at least. The last ones were the "flat floor" Internationals, which had the engine very low so as to have a very minimal doghouse. You could pivot your seat 45 degrees and walk through the curtain into the sleeper, not have to crawl. They also had a set back front axle that made the suspension less harsh than being directly on top of it. I prefer a conventional but those were pretty decent trucks as far as cabovers go.
Ive seen a electric cabover not long agoo 😊
JB Hunt. Decade in Richmond. Ran with a Hunt in our crew. Always seemed like a top notch trucking company. Had a pretty solid review in a town that believes common is the opposite of extraordinary and that excellence is a minimum standard often. No names but he knows me as Danger. Earned it from my late night 3-on-me incident at the VCU convenience store on a stormy Friday night. Copa. Lol. Don’t F with me. Maggie & me didn’t make it. But finally went with my previously shut out competition. But I’m even happier. My soulmate changed me for life.
Garbage trucks in America are still cabover.
The longer trucks that accommodate living space pretty much destroyed the highway lodging that they would stay at, which brought jobs to the area.
Yup I drove a cab over from '91 to '93 when the company went to Freightshakers. It was an International Eagle.
Back in the 80’s, my then boyfriend had a coworker die in a cab over incident. Either the lock failed or it wasn’t properly secured after a recent engine check that same day. He was out driving, making city deliveries, and the thing popped and flipped over, killing him. My boyfriend had just had lunch with the poor guy and was nearby when it happened. Traumatized him and he couldn’t drive those trucks again. Switched to representative and drove a company car after that.
liar
@@jeffb3487 lol….What a comment. If that’s what you want to think, that’s on you.
@@jjones9395 you are a liar. your statement that you made it never happened.
@@jjones9395 I live in the UK where we have cabovers, on the new trucks there is a sensor with a light that comes on the dashboard if the cab tilt lock isn't locked. Basically stops the cab from coming up when you would brake, for example.
@@jeffb3487 Anheuser-Busch beer delivery truck. Accident in Dallas, Texas. Mid to late 1980’s. To the best of my memory. By the way, you have absolutely no way of knowing whether or not I’m lying. So the reason for your comments is suspicious, at best. At worst, you’re a bored, angry a##hole looking for a fight. I’m not interested.
My grandpa drove a cabover, and at the time the only long-nose trucks were old, coal trucks. I don't even remember them being phased out, I just one day realized I didn't see them anymore. The fascination with trucking was when the cabovers were popular--CB radio, "Convoy," "Smokey and the Bandit," Red Sovine, 1973 trucker strike, and a lot of songs about trucking. I remember seeing where Grandpa worked, and was really shocked to see the cabover flipped to expose the engine. I imagined that happening by accident, flipping the driver onto the pavement.
I'm no trucking enthusiast, but I did recently notice that the cab-over trucks that I remember being fairly common in the 80's when I was a kid are now pretty rare, and up pops this video suggestion on KZhead. Spooky how it knew I wanted to know about this but didn't know what to ask! Very convenient, though, LOL. Thanks for the explanation!
That's because *_they_* can read your brain!! 😱👽🧠
@@randygonzalez6250LOL
I'm 68 now, and a Brit. Ever since I was a kid I always preferred the long nose to a cab over. They always looked like a real truck to my young eyes. And still do, to my old eyes
Work at a international dealer. And one company has 5 COE each with over 3 million miles on them. But has kept them in such nice condition you would think they were new trucks. He since retired the trucks. But isn't selling them. Just keeps them under an awning. And now only takes them out for truck shows. Beautiful trucks.
In Europe, the average road isn't as wide, there are A LOT more one-way roads, tighter streets making the cab-over a more practical option, though in America where wide roads are common, especially roads connected to the Interstate.
As an RVer pulling a trailer on the highway-ways, the difference between an aerodynamic long nose truck and a flat nose delivery truck is insane. I often don’t even feel the hi-way hauler trucks whereas the delivery trucks and even smaller vans/big suvs move me around a lot. Like getting slammed.
Ever since I moved to America, I always wondered why truck designs here are so different from Europe and Asia. This video explains this very well.
Because Americans are becoming bloody soft.
Main reasons: driver comfort, ease of maintenance, and fuel economy. Cab over trucks cannot be as fuel efficient due to aerodynamic losses vs long nose. It's just not possible. Like for like equipment will always be more efficient with a long nose configuration.
I have Mercedes CabOver, drive in Europe, cca 20-22l/100km.
Everything is better here.
@@scythelord You must missunderstand everything.
I was a kid in the 60s and remember that most trucks back then were cabovers. They got phased out so gradually that I don't think too many people even noticed. It was a time when not all big trucks had power steering and you could tell which ones didn't by the size of the driver's forearms.
I tried out a few truck driving lessons and was disappointed when it wasn't a huge steering wheel like I remembered, it was just like a regular size wheel attached to a giant truck.
@@jason19twofour Over the years I had several instances of loosing my power steering while driving due to blown hoses. As difficult as it was to keep the trucks on the road around corners, I can't imagine how one could possibly wrestle the steering without the leverage of the big steering wheels; unless of course the steering ratio is lower (on the trucks with car sized steering wheels) to compensate, but that would make the steering slow and unresponsive???
@@jason19twofour We can thank power steering for that
@@markpospichal1309 Thats how it worked. A truck with power steering is half the ratio of a truck with manual steering. It took over two complete turns from straight wheels to either right or left. When you let the wheel go and accelerated if you had a spinner you had to be careful. The steering wheel was moving back fast and you could could break a knuckle if it hit you.
Was Popeye a truck driver or were his arms so big from the can opener ?
3:15 - i always love the "ooh, a Penny!" expression that 'opened' COE's look like...
There’s a couple of mistakes you made at 2:18. The front discharge concrete mixer is a rear engine design and most fire trucks like the one you have pictured are a cab-forward design meaning the driver sits in front of the front wheels.
@Truck Tropia Hi, thank you for the like. Sorry I forgot to mention that I loved your video.
I'm a forklift driver and deal with loading-unloading, locking & unlocking trucks and wondered why I never see cabovers anymore. This video gave me the answer. Thanks!
SAME HERE
here's my two cents: I've been driving trucks for just about 60 years - mostly US but a lot of Canada. Yes, I'm in my 80's and still at it. Back in the bad old days, when the length rules limited the overall length, we had no choice. 55 feet max left only 10 feet for the tractor. Now it's limited by the trailer with no consideration for the tractor. A conventional tractor with a 230 inch wheelbase will ride so much better than a cab over with 150 inch wheelbase. The biggest plus for the conventional tractor is just pure physics: In a cabover, when you run over a bump, you get the up and down movement with the front wheels, but then the rear wheels hit the bump and, because you are sitting right over the front wheels, you are subjected to a fore and aft movement, as the rear wheels cross the bump, rather than vertical. It's called back slap. Our bodies simply do not absorb back slap as well as vertical movement so it is noticeably more tiring. Especially to the neck! With a conventional tractor, you are sitting much further back and lower, so back slap is very much reduced. Another thing is leg room. In a cab over, it's quite limited because the front of the cab is right there. In a conventional, there is much more leg room. The shift lever in a cab over is a long complicated mess where as in a conventional it's right into the transmission (Don't even get me started on automatic transmissions). When you are driving 400 miles without stopping, get out to eat and do other things, then get back in for another 300 miles, day after day, these things add up! Yes, a cab over is more maneuverable, but mainly because of the wheel base. You can, and quickly will, learn exactly where the ends of your bumper are. Bottom line, I'd much rather drive a conventional.
Nice info. Glad you're not allowed to drive for 14 hours hopped up on god-knows-what anymore!
You are the only one here with a clue. It's amazing all the "experts" blowing smoke on here. You also said "conventional," which is the word used in the industry. That shorter limit of 55' didn't apply in all states. I think OK for one was only 53. The 45' box was the long one then. Now 53' is common. Nice hot engine under that Transtar as well.
@@smgdfcmfahtruck drivers get random drug screens. That should apply to all.
@@stevek8829 It does. Police setup RIDE programs all the time and often give DUI roadside tests when they suspect people. If you're talking about staying clean all the time even when not driving, that's a different issue all together. I'm referring to the old days when truckers, long haul truckers, were so hopped up on various forms of speed - often over the counter stuff - it'd make your head spin (literally and figuratively).
Thank you for your story and your service. You folks keep our world running! 🚚
Every time I see an old cab-over driving these days, I get a sense of nostalgia and try to snap a pic when I can.
I am not a truck driver. But when I saw cab over in the title, I immediately remembered the Blue Mule driven by Jan Michael Vincent. Cool to see that "tough" cab over truck in some clips here. I thinks thats the first movie I ever hear the line "Take this job and Shove it " :-)))
As a teenager in 1990, I spent the summer in a Volvo White cabover. I worked as a mover with my mom's boyfriend. We did coast to coast runs that summer. I will always love cabovers.
Cab-overs have the ability to drive anywhere short & long distance in cities on highways in EU or US because trucks are owned by companies but drivers sleep on motels, conventional long nose struggle in EU that is why we don't see long nose in EU only on US or Australia because some are owned by drivers and on longer distances they have comfort inside the bigger cabin ..
@@poplaurentiu4148Drivers sleep in motels? At least in Germany parking spaces around the Autobahn are stuffed at night with drivers sleeping in their cabs.
@@jan_777 Ok but that is only in some emergency cases and only in safe places not in all countries of EU.. Usually the international truck drivers those that transit Europe from East to West somewhere they eventually get robbed, threat, beaten, smuggled by thefts or even killed in the parking spaces (Italy, France..) So a motel/hotel is a bit more nicer & safer choice at least than sleeping inside the truck cabin in the middle of no-where waiting to get robbed don't you think ? Specially if the company who owns the truck pays truckers for sleeping hours at motels/hotels..
@@poplaurentiu4148 That’s why I said „at least in Germany“. Italy and especially the sieht south of France are very dangerous places for all travelers. Just check the camper vlogs that have been burgled.
My parents did 1 million miles in a GMC cabover. It was a great view of the road.
First one at the accident too lol.
@@hazmathauler4536 Check ✔️ Volvo truck ... Renault... From Europe 🌍... Safety is excellent... USA don't know how to make things.. all production is in Chinese hands know.. ( innovations) ... 😂. Don't say bad things to you fired .. help him and enjoy his part off history.. and make bether in future 🎉❤
@@shhs6127 you are right Americans don't know how to build things
@@shhs6127 wow typical European arrogance. Can’t even spell properly.
Maximum Overdrive is an underrated classic
They need to bring back the old rules for overall length. If you live outside of the Northeast you probably don't see the big deal, but this is an older part of the country with narrow roads and city streets. I can't tell you how many times that out of state drivers have either tried to beat taking the toll road or used a consumer GPS unit and got routed through our downtown and took out the retro gas lamp street lights and kept on going.
There is an example of these American COE trucks in my country. International 9800. It is very old. And a large number entered Iran. These trucks are still loading on the roads. Every time I look at it, I enjoy it, it is very heartwarming. Even if I want to say about American trucks with a nose that is in Iran, it is the Mack R series. (R600) This truck was imported during the Pahlavi period before the revolution and had a factory in the country itself. People still love these trucks and they rule the roads. Despite the passage of 50 years, they still have the symbol of authenticity and grandeur. Even different nicknames have been given to the R series here. Thanks for your great content 👍
I started in a 9700 and loved it when the 9800 came out.
I drove 5 spd R Models for one company that I worked for. They were rough & crude, but reliable work horses. They were rough riding, heavy, no air suspension to assist getting under a low-dropped trailer, and the rear axles couldn't be locked the way other trucks that I drove so it was very easy to get stuck in winter snow. It was surprising to me the broad power range of the engine could pull heavy loads with only the five gears. Funny thing about them- if you lugged the motor hard enough it would start running backwards! The exhaust would start blowing out of the air cleaner and STINK! HAHA. I seen a couple guys do it and freak out not knowing what in heck was going on! Oh, that was funny.
I own both here in the states. My conventional is far more comfortable to drive long distances. I am however, one of those rare breeds who absolutely loves his cabover and prefers to drive it over my conventional.
😢 Gimme truck driver job in USA. Me from india 🇮🇳
Here in America we say PLEASE
I also thought that maybe why no more Cab-Overs (to add to Safety), if the Long-Nose had to make a sudden stop, it would skid on the road, whereas the Cab-Over had to make a sudden stop, the truck would flip because all the weight of the truck is pretty much right under the driver.
I can see cabovers being kept more in large cities or to close towns. Needing the maneuverability in especially small roads and streets. With long nose being for more longhaul jobs, cross state and interstate jobs, where you know you’ll need a comfortable ride and possibly a place to rest up after driving for 24hrs straight to get it done fast.
In the 70's my dad had 2 cab overs. One was a 73 GMC and the other was a 77 Peterbuilt which he bought brand new in 77. It was an absolutely beautiful truck and had every option available at the time. I'd so love to have it now. I think there is a realistic chance day cab cabovers could make a come back. They are perfect for city deliveries, because of the visibility.
Love Peterbuilt anything, always good lookin trucks !
@@darkone9572 old truckers never die. They just get a new… Got a pocket knife with pearl inlay handles held by a metal frame. On its side it says the above mine. -Matt’s dad
Peterbilt...
@@fljetgator1833 probably their autoDissect bit them.
I could see beverage trucks employing cabovers. Some already use coe box trucks.
My experience with cab=over trucks was that on either side of the Rocky Mountains trailers would be transferred from long-nose to cab-over because the mountain passes might require a tighter turning radius, which the cab-over had over the long-nose. As road systems improved, it became less of an issue.
I love the looks of the long nose trucks instead of the flat nose ones cause it’s like dogs having normal faces instead those ugly flat faced ones
If you ever drove a 60s or 70s stub you know how brutal they were on your back, insides, and the fall hurts
I got my CDL 26 years ago. JB Hunt was the only company with an all cabover fleet.
Correction: Cab over engine (COE) tractors, or "Cabovers" for short, were NOT phased out in USA in 1960s and 1970s for semi tractor-trailers as your video's opening segment states. In the late 1990s, I worked for J.B. Hunt, one of America's biggest commercial truck carriers. J.B. Hunt's long-haul, over-the-road fleet was known for exclusively operating cabovers until around 1997, still taking delivery of new cabovers until around that time. Between 1997 and 2000, the company gradually switched over its long-haul fleet to "hoods" - the long-nose conventional tractors that we see pulling freight across America's highways today. - from Thomas Lincoln Pilling
True that. I worked for Freightliner and we sold a lot of trucks to J.B. Hunt. Still do.
CRST was also exclusively (at least as far as I saw) until at least 2000.
very true, I was a owner operator in the 1990s and only drove cabovers until I changed occupations Jan,1 2000
Yeah they still made plenty of cabovers. Freightliner Argosy was the common one I remember seeing last. But they were extremely rare aside from a few companies. Fuel efficiency needs largely drove them out as the alternative trucks like the Freightliner Century which is basically the same truck in long nose form had better gas mileage. I've seen fuel tracking websites that track fuel mileage of users of their truck model and the Freightliner Argosy users were between 3.6-4.4 MPG whereas the Century users were between 5.4-6.7 MPG. Granted it tells nothing of the loads or whether they operate in more hilly terrain, but none of the long noses lose out to cab overs for MPG.
yes it was the 90s you started seeing less cabover
They SHOULD bring back the COE tractors. Many drivers still appreciate the extra maneuverability of a short wheelbase Cab over. The ability to scale loads and aerodynamics of a conventional style are a big benefit. They BOTH could still work well in the US! A company I drove for had both, the coe for local delivery, and the conventional for the out of town runs. Sometimes a road truck would bring a load into the yard to be delivered by the local truck and vise versa! Was a win win for all of us drivers!
It would work well also with Walmart's new 60-foot trailers.
Have you ever been in one let alone live in one
@@Ray-ho8dw yes ma'am I have driven the 4070 b ( international) k-100 (Kenworth) 352 (Peterbilt) I own a 379 ( Peterbilt ) I would rather drive a coe. I am old school not one of y'all side walk sissies that lives in a truck
@@dannyrichardson6319 old school right I have driven can overs hell my first truck was a b model mack then a 74 cl 9000 ford then a77 international and then a 81 ford 9000 old hell I was in trucks when you were still shiten yellow old school my ass go park buy crub at a truck stop old school
Us daycab guys would love a cab over for parking lot deliveries. OTR doesn’t make any sense, but the foodservice and retail final LTL could benefit from them.
I've been a truck driver for many years. There are pros and cons on both type of trucks. It depends where you drive and what you carry. According to your needs, there is the right truck for you. And it is also a personal preference. Cheers.
When I was a boy growing up in the 1960's, we had three fairly busy city streets near my house. I saw lots of trucks, and personally, I liked the cab-over trucks better - I felt they were better looking. Years later, I grow up, get my drivers license, learn how to maintain my motor vehicles, and so on. After a while I noticed that cab-over trucks were disappearing. I thought about it, and I thought, "The long-nose trucks must be easier to work on - they don't have to lift that big cab to work on the truck." But after watching this video, I learned "reasons new to me" on why the cab-overs became fewer. Thank you for posting it.
There’s still a federal tractor maximum length in the US but it’s measured separately from the trailer. Ive done work with “stretching” semi frames and we set them 1/2” under the legal limit. It actually helps maneuvering because it allows the semi to turn farther backing up before hitting the trailer
Ever ask yourself who's making all the rules, their motivations? If you think it's for the public's safety, well, sadly, you're wrong. The Controller's don't give two shit's about your safety! ...best guess, extortion of money.
@@grandpa7278 You're very dumb.
I think the cabovers would be easier to drive in downtown traffic. Although I know of someone that died in an accident driving one of those back in the 1970s. Another vehicle ran a stop sign. He hit them traveling around 50mph. Somehow it all caught on fire and exploded before he got out. He was the father of my sister's best friend. In the 1970s he left behind a wife and three young children.
From my under standing (feom family and freind who have been driving from a range of 20-45 years cab overs are much harder to drive i dont rember the reasoning but theu have all told me they are just way harder to drive
@@lypsohgameing2859 Several factors: 1. you sit high, so every bump that is parallel to the axles causes the cab to pitch forward and back. 2. More complex shift linkage that can wear and need adjustment to keep it precise..3. Climbing in and out if you are on short runs gets old very quickly. Add that to the maintenance issues because of limited access to the engine and accessories means the European drivers can have them. I drove GMC Astro 95's and ford C types for many years, later drove Pete and KW long nose types and would never go back to a COE.
As a heavy duty diesel mechanic , long nosed truck designs are safe enough that they don’t even have air bags . Don’t need one when you have an engine infront of you that weighs more than most cars and trucks lol
In cab overs you are basically sitting on top of the engine. My uncle drove one for many years in the 70s. Summer was the worst with no air conditioning.
The best truck I ever drove was a cab over truck when I was stationed in England. They were Man trucks and absolutely impossible to grind gears in them. And despite being 6'3" I was able to stand in them without any difficulty.
The Europe ones are considered better than the American ones For some reason
"Man trucks" I like that. You're right. I missed the time when man trucks had two shifters. One for the high/low, and the other for the 10 gears where you double clutched every gear.
@John Jay MAN in this case is an acronym for Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg AG, which is the company that makes them. And you didn't double clutch these trucks, there was a button on the shifter you pressed to bypass the clutch to shift gears. The only time you pressed the clutch was when you were beginning to drive
@@AFMountaineer2000 that's awesomely different
@@AFMountaineer2000 yes, MAN together with Scania is considered premium in truck world
Cab over was and still is my favourite truck. I used to and still do call them "flat engine"
My uncle Dave drove an old Kenworth COE. He told me that "... in the event of an accident, he'd be the first one on scene.".
My dad was a long haul truck driver for decades, he always said a cabover would beat you to death and he never felt safe in one.
I worked on the assembly lines at both Mack (Hayward,CA) and Freightliner (Portland, OR). The Mack cabovers were "F" models while the conventional cabs were "R" models. The relative ease of maintenance of the R models is an important factor, but keep in mind that the system required for jacking the F model cab up and tipping it forward HAS to be maintained as well. I watched a brand new, custom-ordered Mack F model cab fail to be restrained just as it went over center during the tipping process on the assembly line in Hayward. Custom paint, tricked out interior-beautiful cab completely destroyed as it crashed all the way over into the shop floor in the Mack factory. Had to build the customer a new one.
I drove over the road for many years as a owner-operator and I prefer a Cabover to the long nose. The Noise can be reduced with proper insulation and My old Mack was very comfortable. It had a sleeper so I seldom used a motel, just stopping for fuel and food. BTW I wore out 6 DC powered coffee pots. SAfety wise, my cabover was a lot safer try due to my installing reinforcements I did to the truck. I Easily ran it over 4 million miles, using 6 engines. I sold it to settle down and raise a family. The truck is current STILL on the road as a coal hauler.
I went on an overnight in a cab over, it was the most uncomfortable ride I had since I was a teen and sent in a dump truck with my older brother with only a turned upside down milk crate to sit on.
My dad drove a truck for a flour/feed mill for 53 years. When I was a kid I used to ride along to help unload flour bags. He used to have a Kenworth Aerodyne with a big sleeper and the windows above the cab. I loved that truck. I never had to drive it, though, so I can see how conventional would be better for the driver.
It was my long-haul experience in the early seventies that cabover beat the drivers half to death, because you were sitting directly on top of the front wheels. I was so relieved the first time I drove a long-nosed semi... I can see them being more practical in local driving, because of the better maneuverability.
I think Scania should bring their cabovers here for shorter intercity runs. Ive seen long nosed trucks struggle making turns on streets in urban or city areas.
So can Volvo the FH & FM series would do good in North America
Yes, cabovers make so much sense for urban haulage.
Ford had some European cabs for sale in the states a while ago, called the cargo here in England, think it was just c series there. The brewery truck on final destination! looks like they went back to bonnets after ford dropped it's euro trucks. They made some pretty good looking trucks on your side, still think their aeromax is one of the best looking cabs. I had an H series toy as a kid too, that was a 60's American ford coe. Either way, it's been tried repeatedly on urban and long distance and it seems the only operator who want forward control trucks is the army as much as I agree with your thinking.
I’ve been saying this for years. Cabovers would make life easier here, in LA. We start seeing them again, but they are electric. No so popular right now
Those things sound like a wet fart
American here I can really see the Cab-Overs be mainly used for urban freight with its more compact design and how easy they are to manufacture And the Long-Noses be utilized for long distance hauls, like from Chicago to L.A.
Cabovers would be easier to park at Truck stops, but probably harder to see your Blindspot at the loading docks. If that makes sense. I always wanted to drive one, just to feel how it is.
I always wondered why "flat nose" (what the drivers I knew called them) trucks were not prevalent anymore. The first 10 years of my life were spent at an import export trucking yard in Niagara Falls called Freeport Transport which had many cab over and long nose trucks. My father managed the place so we lived in the apartment above the offices. Living in this trucking compound (basically farmland surrounding us) was normal for me so I really enjoyed this video.
I learned to drive in a '76' White Freightliner. My buddy still owns it. He rebuilt the 350 Cummins to a 400 and uses it for his own personal hay hauling every year. It is an awesome rig!
I live in a city where there are hundreds of semi trailers doing spot to spot deliveries in the city every day. The roads here are not meant for trailers and I've lost count of how many traffic light poles and signs have been run over by conventional trucks because they cannot make the tight turns.
During elementary school I would spend my entire summer break on the road with my uncle who owned a 1985 GMC Astro cabover. Would have to climb on the center counsel to get into the sleeper.. gear shifter was at a weird angle on the same center console. I remember the whole cab would lift forward to access the engine.
I had a cab over 1985 Freightliner big cam 4 Cummins full 400 , I loved mine. Can't beat old school.pulled a 45' spread axle flat bed
I drove a COE 1985 Freightliner with about 230 ' wheelbase ,Cummins big cam 300 turned up to about 350 ,pulled a 45' flat . I thought it was a good riding truck, I loved it driving it everywhere.
The greatest aspect of cab over driving is that you have such insane visibility and spatial awareness. Its basically impossible to not know / see what you're doing.
sounds like a downside they say the same thing about SUV's but as it turns out having a bigger dead zone in front and to the side of the vehicul is a bigger risk than being able to see further ahead tought i guess it's not as big of an issue for trucs since unlike regular cars the are awfull in thet departement by default
Just won't get around in the UK with a conventional cab, scania do a T CAB, or a conventional, though they look smart, they are just not practical on our small roads, all though given the chance, we would love to have a large sleeper cab.
@@thefrenchbastard1646 cab over trucks have a lot shorter blind spot in front than conventional ones.
I used to drive a beer delivery truck in New England had a Volvo cab over could park it any where very maneuverable also drove long nose Freight liner and internationals worked great but had longer turning radiuses
In the 80's I was driving a Pete COE bobtail and it started to sprinkle. I tapped the brakes in a long corner and it just about swapped ends on me. Learning experience.
It’s amazing the difference a longer wheelbase makes on ride quality. The truck I have the most experience in is a kenworth t660 with a fairly long wheelbase (unsure of exact specs) and it rides phenomenal compared to our shorter wheelbase international 9200i and Volvo (unsure of model). The kenworth also has a different suspension design which probably helps too. I am really impressed with the quality of trucks that kenworth makes.
I drive a T800 with a 210 inch wheelbase and it rides like a dream. Wheelbase does make a difference, but AG400 is the smoothest riding suspension I’ve experienced. That T800 rides better than our long wheelbase W900 with 4 bag air
I remember riding in cabovers when I was a kid. I still remember the bumpy ride.
What engine?
They ride great on the interstate but if you get on an old northern state road that has freeze cracks it can be pretty rough. Depending on how close the freeze cracks are it can really get rough.
They ride great on the interstate but if you get on an old northern state road that has freeze cracks it can be pretty rough. Depending on how close the freeze cracks are it can really get rough.
Not a truck driver but I grew up in the 1980s where COE was in middle of the phase out. But one nostalgic reason why I loved the COE was due to the Transformers cartoon during that time, namely Optimus Prime. That's where my appreciation started, the two seemed very prefectly merged to be recognized as American symbols in that era.
Outside of a pickup, I never drove a truck, but I rode with my father on a few interstate travels during the years he owned and drove rigs... Always a COE with him... I remember the first GMC Crackerbox Sleeper I rode in with him (Loud, Proud, Confined, and Bumpy) to the Astro Sleeper (a bit more refined, but not much) after that, to the International Transtar...The latter was his "road ship" having additional sound deadening and some extra goodies installed under the cab for bumps and vibration... I always liked riding in the shotgun with him... Almost like being in the front of a Greyhound bus... Tall and high up in the saddle you were, and I always liked the sensation of the road being swallowed up underneath me when I looked down... I'll always remember those years...
I wish I had had a cabover when I was backing up within snow-encumbered warehouses in Montreal.
I drove both. True. Over the road, a conventional is preferred. As a Postal Service TTO, I drove a cab over Mac. In city, my Mac had great agility, especially in backing in difficult docks. But! Sitting over the engine and steering axle produced several herniated disc's in my back. So, there's that....
I had an Isuzu 1 tonner cabover pickup truck. I could flip the cab up wash it all down, change oil easy, work on the engine standing next to it. Bad part was if you ever got into a head-on crash, you would be the 1st one there dead. It finally wore out.
Its just like driving a 40 ft bus your sitting over the steering axle.
I'm from Brazil, here we have cab-overs for long distance hauls and they are pretty comfortable inside, specially the Volvo models. We also have some long noses here, but they are a rare sight (at least the newer ones).
I saw a long nose on the autobahn outside of Frankfurt. My Opa said that was the first one he’d ever seen, and he’s a cabbie.
I was a trucker for 20 years, long haul. My favorite truck was a Freightliner cab over. A little rougher riding but could get into tight spaces and your view was better. Never cared much for a long nose although I drove many of those too.
My dad is a truck driver and I’ve rode with him before and believe me, conventionals are MUCH more comfortable
Trucks in the USA need to be slowed down for safety and efficiency reasons. High speed is not just dangerous for the trucks, but also for cars they share the road with.