Why do so many Americans hate European trucks?

That is a bit too easy, at least over here it is. Normal maximum driving time over here is 9 hours per day, but two days per week you're allowed 10 hours, as you can read in article 6 sub 1 (page 6) of the attached EU regulation. In article 7 you can read that after 4.5 hours of driving, you must take a 45 minute break. So suppose you have such a 10 hour day, then you would need two 45 minute breaks. Now, how in your opinion should the driver take these breaks? Stay seated behind the steering wheel? Find a truck stop with a restaurant? That is why EU tractors have these sleeper cabs, the driver can lay down and take a nap, listen to some music, or do anything else to relax. These power naps by the way are very good for restoring your concentration for when you're driving. So there is a safety aspect as well.

The cabs are often equipped with stand heaters, stand airco (over here no one in his right mind would let the engine idle for 45 minutes to keep the cab warm or cool, if it was only for the waste of fuel), refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave, all kind of things to make the driver's working place comfortable.

And if you were a driver over here, and you had to choose between a company offering you a Spartan day cab, or a company offering you comfortable sleeper cab, which would you choose? Remember, we need thousands of truck drivers that are nowhere to be found.

Or perhaps we are ahead of you with these developments, and you will see them in the US as well, just as with disc brakes, automated transmissions etc. happened.

Of course not, but they are standard over here in these tractors, they're not an extra.

 

This is the cab of the Volvo FH 16, that can have a even far more powerful 16 litre 750HP engine. It's also used in Australia:



I get the impression, but I'm not sure, that with US trucks (conventional and COE) the engine is mounted higher up in the chassis.

No, they seem to like the MX, and why not.

 

So in a 10 hour of driving day after the second 45 minute break the driver can drive a whole 15 minutes.......

Something is retarded here and it ain’t me......

 

No, the 10 hour is pure driving time, the breaks not included. See article 4 (j).

 

So 1 hour....... like I said.

 

Not necessarily. According to the second paragraph of article 7 you can use another distribution of the break times, but a minimum break time of 30 minutes in one piece is required. So it seems to me you could also divide the 10 hours in 4 x 2.5 hours, with three 30 minute breaks in between.

 

I get your point, but look closely at the photograph:



The part on the floor is far bigger as the actual dashboard.

Take a look at this prototype Australian Kenworth with a DAF cab:



This is how the same cab looks at a DAF chassis:



The cab is much lower to the ground.

Is it the height of the engine, the way the engine is mounted in the chassis, the placement of the front axle?

 

We had this same discussion a couple of months ago. The DAF cab on the Kenworth looks a lot higher, but in reality it is not that much, maybe 2 inches?

If you remove the plastic door extensions and fenders off of the DAF cab, it looks a lot higher on the frame as well, as you can see in the picture below, of a DAF getting it's cab extended:



I'm not sure if the Kenworth with DAF cab really exists, or if it was photoshopped. I don't know.
This is what (judging by the logo next to his name) a DAF fan writes:


If it does (did) really exist, being a one-off prototype, I'm sure there were some compromises, and the cab could maybe installed lower with more engineering time/money.
The ISX is probably a bit higher than an MX (due to the larger displacement, and overhead cam), but the reason the cab is sitting higher may just as well be the fold-out steps, which have to fit below the doors.

 

We Did..& a few months prior to that, & a few months prior to that...

And

AND..........

But a certain Member here, has a somewhat Obsessive Fetish about the #### thing..

Exactly, if you compare the Brake cooling vent under the headlight in Both Pics. .2-3 inchs would be My estimate.

It Did exist, But Not now...
I know of a couple of People who have Seen It, & An uncle of My Wife Drove It. He has since Died so I can't ask him about it.

There's is a couple of Red Flags that make me think that the Pic Caeser put up has been Photoshopped, Though.

I believe the main reason for the extra height was. To fit the Australian Cooling system. Cooling a 15 litre 600hp Engine at 90Tonne (198,000lbs) is far different to cooling 13 litre 510hp Motor at 70Tonne(154,000 lbs) 70 tonne is the GCM limit paccar apply to the MX engine here in Australia. If you need more that 90Tonne GCM in a KW you have t go to Conventional & their Larger Cooling System..

A very valid point..

 

Such as....?