American trucks are so much better than European trucks

You just described the typical NAFTA rig....

 

And those years of mechanical engines I'm talking about, probably 90's were the best years for affordable trucking. Then Volvo started to push hard with electronic - oh, so advanced, futuristic trucks they build...

Lenny, I'm not defending USA ways, since last years are nothing but copycat of Euro solutions. Its just a bit harder for government, since Americans are way more sensitive on personal freedom. Any sort of freedom actually... there is not much of that in Euro World, is it? It makes me sick to see how you following your Evil leaders who suited you with kolchoz

 

I had a new Volvo in 94 it was mechanical, the USA was well on the way with there electronic engines.

I thought the US was the first to push electronics in engines????

 

Its not the electronic engines what makes cost of upkeep skyrocketing. I am talking about stupid gizmos like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_bwiVF63QE

Europeans are led to believe, that all those extras are for quality of life, when indeed all this crap will cause actually opposite effect - make them unqualified slaves working for cheap, since computers will eliminate any need for professionalism of any sort. Look at the video, these trucks are about to relieve drivers from paying attention to keep the truck in line.

This is where we are going. As soon as they eliminate single O/O (which I think pretty much already happened in EU) - megacorporations will dominate to the point, everything will be centralized by government. Thats the goal of those "safety" devices as well as "emmision' devices

Exactly like under Communist rule. Because Communism is higher form of Capitalism, where bunch of scumbags run whole continents as it was their own company

 

What I understand is only freedom in USA is the freedom to sue someone in court. You should travel the world more.

 

Lenny, travel is travel - just that, you learn a lot but dont experience much of a everyday living.

I was born twice, once in each World.
The difference is perception of freedom.

Have you been living outside of Austria?

 

IIRC...was not the Series 60 the first ECMed engine?

 

Yes, and Cat next.. Eaton was the first to make automated gearbox.

 

Here is European vision of future truck. Notice, there is no regard to cost of such a truck, all what matters is to make sure that some idiot-driver will not crash it. Because they apparently assume, that whole EU kolchoz will be full of sissies who can't drive. I'm not making this up, its coming from official Volvo website:

http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/9F15AC0D-206E-4CF3-8B18-AB89F36B339B/0/SafetyFACTSHEET.pdf


Future Development: Tomorrow's Safety Systems

There is no such thing as a perfectly safe truck. Mobility in essence implies moving. And transportation business means moving heavy loads. This combination will always create potentially dangerous situations - and new safety challenges. At Volvo Truck Corporation improving truck safety is an ongoing process.

The Volvo truck of tomorrow will be able to brake by itself and warn the driver when he is becoming tired or inattentive.The technology already exists and Volvo Trucks estimates that technical aids of this kind will lead to a clear reduction in the number of accidents involving heavy vehicles.

The truck drivers of tomorrow will increasingly be aided by technology. At Volvo Trucks, an intensive development drive is underway to identify technical solutions within various areas of safety associated with accidents involving heavy trucks.

These solutions include systems for measuring the driver's alertness and systems that brake automatically when obstacles appear ahead or that warn the driver when vehicles or people appear in the truck's blind spots.

One of these systems is Drowsy Driver Alert, an alarm that uses cameras directed at the driver's eyes to constantly measure the driver's level of alertness. "A tired driver blinks more slowly and closes his eyes more than an alert and rested driver and the camera sees this", says Petter Larsson from Volvo Technology, one of the developers of Drowsy Driver Alert. "The system can then warn the driver and urge him to take a break."

The Drowsy Driver Alert can be combined with the existing system, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). ACC uses a radar to measure the distance to the vehicle in front and applies the truck's brakes if it gets too close. Further development of ACC aims to design an emergency braking device that assists the driver to brake in the shortest distance possible in the event of an obstacle suddenly appearing in front of the truck.

Every year, accidents involving trucks occur as a result of the driver not seeing vehicles or people in the blind spot of the rear-view mirrors. Less protected road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, are especially affected. Consequently, Volvo is now developing two different systems to improve the driver's view around the truck. Blind Spot Support uses cameras to monitor blind spots around the truck and displays the views in the cab.

The second function, Lane Change Support, uses radar sensors to warn the driver of other vehicles in blind spots, for example when changing lanes.

Lane Departure Warning is a system that senses if the vehicle unintentionally alters its course - a sign that the driver has lost concentration or fallen asleep at the wheel - and warns the driver. The alarm system has to be designed so that it ensures that the driver remains alert, but for that sake not put him under undue stress.

 

As already stated you would really struggle with US rigs in Europe, the roads are a lot smaller and some of the delivery areas are places hard to imagine if you have only driven in the US. Trailer length in Europe is max 45 foot. European trucks have exhaust brakes and some have a separate trailer brake.