Cabovers

who cares if they made any money..GREG EVIGAN LOOKED GOOD!!! LOL..(giggles post)

 

Cabovers I think will make a comeback for a few reasons,but first lets hit the Wayback Button and go back say just a lil over 10 years ago

Schneider and JB were getting rid of the last remaining COE's on big fleets because just like the rest of the company's out here they were advertising you to come to "OUR" company and look what you get to drive,"WE" have (you fill in the blank here) and we got the room,the chrome,wheel base,etc,,,,

What they didnt change was they pay,,

OH but see we here at(again fill in the blank trucking) we give you this new shiny truck, a "CONDO" you know so you can have ALL the room to stretch out between loads(cause hey,we want you to be comfy now)

Yes the trucking industry went to great strides to get prospective drivers to work for them,but the real reason(In MY opinion mind you) the whole supposive "Drivers Shortage is that so many driivers would get fed up with sitting and being away from home for weeks at a time the chance of making a 1cpm more over at XYZ trucking was even sweeter ,cause HEY MAN WE DRIVE THESE BIG TRUCKS

That was then,,,fuel was $1.25-$1.60,,,now as your reading you look up at that sign in the truckstop??? $3.60-$4+ a gallon,,,
Freight is STILL slow and now company's are clamouring on you to get better fuel mileage,or they are cutting your MPH down below 65,,,and your sitting in that BIG shiny truck

Now look at a cabover just in the basic scheme: Typical Conventional today weighs between 15,000 to 18000+(depending on application) and a Cabover weighed 12,000 and 14,000 lbs had much smaller engines,smaller footprint
Synopsis is this:
Up front cost :Advantage COE
Get rid of cost:Advantage COE
Gross weight :Advantage COE
Net weight :Advantage COE
Fuel mileage :Advantage CONV(barely)
Ride :Advantage CONV
Livability :Advantage CONV

Their are more,but those are the "HighLights" of the points made on thread so far

I will add this,the last COE's made by International&Freightliner were "flat Floor and thus the dog house was removed so it was rather more easy to get around
Freightliner Argosey,had the EXACT same cab from the windsheild back as the columbia so they were actually same truck in essence .

I also see a trend beginning to where companys are downsizing their trucks(look at Prime and their new company trucks"Microliners" as i like to call them) and Walmart of coarse has run these 51 inch sleepers for quite a while,
As the upfront operating cost keeps going up everyday out here company's will be forced to downsize the truck,change their operating tempo(more regional) and thus the trucks will get smaller and or the eventual return of the "BE-Loved" COE

One last thing,I drive for Conway Truckload(CFI LOL) and we have had years of "above avg trucks" and we are starting to see our trucks not having as much the "bells&whistles" as they once had(albeit they are nice rides) The "Corporate Trucks"(all KW660's&Prostars) now are tag rides and are bought with 13 liter's,and we have given up on APU's(still nice tho),but like i have said here,in the future I see where company' will have to "Downsize" the truck do to the economic conditions that are perceived in the future

 

WALMARTS just added a pile of T660 KWS with big bunks , that MINI sized FREIGHTLINER from PRIME would make a nice local / regional truck.

 

Let me disagree.

Net weight of US Conv trucks and EU COE is the same, becouse of deign EU trucks have made of steel (for safety) heavy cabines. So gross veight with the same trailers is the same too.

Ride: EU truck runs smoother, becouse cabine is heavier and installed on four air bags.

About fuel milage. It is different at higher 50MPH speed, EU trucks are usually 55 mph governed, so with the same engines EU truck burns not more fuel, as US truck. I used to compare Mercedes Axor and Columbia with Mercedes engine. No difference. But driving Conv. truck you may get the same fuel milage at higher speed.

 

I cannot comment on EU trucks as i have no 1st hand knowledge of them,my post is of US COE's only to which I have a intimate knowledge of
Lighter truck,thats all

 

differences between scania R and T cab was 170kg

 

There is no question that with the amount carriers are trying to haul--in the never ending(especially dry freight battle)to get as much business as possible--no matter how low they have to make the rate--that using lighter cabovers would make more sense--as a matter of fact the Argosy--was introduced with just that in mind--about the same time the 90k idea(w/3axle trailer) was being floated. IMHO IF weight limits are raised you probably will see more--but for now--the biggest drawback--for the majors--is resale--and considering many of the majors don't really buy trucks at all--they just have an automatic tradeback deal with the manufacturer@a set monthly cost per unit--Binder started this--freightliner soon followed(can you say select truck)
But until Cabovers are once again more formally accepted in the resale market--you won't see them in great numbers--and yes it is a chicken and egg thing--but the minute one of the mega carriers--gets their ignorant weight increase--you probably will--so they convince-mega business--they can now haul 55k loads--for the same rate they are using now
Which of course is the CRUX of the problem--Bigger load--heavier loads--same rates--happened when we went from 42'-45'-48'-53'--hauling the same product for the same shipper--hauling less loads per year(week-etc)by adding volume per trailer and not raising rates--never has made sense--never will--
But I am sure the trend will continue...........

 

Yep gr8t post,,,in the 10 years here at CFI/Conway I probably has "volumed out a 53 maybe 10 times,i never let shippers load past the 48 ft mark so I like you are thinkin,,jeez 48's are fine,as for the COE "tradin" value not to sure in my scenario theyre will be a market for them(much like daycabs in the LTL carriers,most of them are scrapped out for parts as there value is more in parts than in whole)

Funny side note on COE's,I was with Builders when we were aquired by schneider and so in their infinite wisdom we had to give up whatever we were driving and then re-assigned something else,I went from a 97 Classic to driving a 9 year old cabover(with 892,000 on the clikr),I think they might have got their money out of that particular unit

 

I hear ya--and dont get me started on volume LOL--that is for the LTL freight guys!
Course with very few exceptions--ain't seen many loads on 53'ft reefer couldn't load on a 45--course I grew up in the produce on the floor days--Come to think of it--used to load 1350 bushels of sweet corn on a 45x96+ice--course was a little over--not much tho
Today--palletts only-24 pallets=1008 bushels=35,280+ice
GO Figure--sure glad I got this long ##### sumb***h!
LMAO

 

Oh and just in the spirit of complete disclosure I do LTL--therefore the 53' can behoove me--BUT--only if I'm willing to go heavy--otherwise especially my outbound--same 17-19 palletts WTF??
LMAO