American trucks are so much better than European trucks

Yup your an expert on Europe from the 2 countries you visited briefly, just as i thought. Were you one of the obnoxious tourists wondering why nobody speaks your language and complaining about the food cause the burgers were too small LOL. Must have been alright if you went back again. My wife's best friends daughters dog visited Guatemala and Bolivia and i have been to Mexico so that makes me an expert on South America right?

Man those Venetian sewers had a profound affect on you. Personally i think the beauty of Venice and the Danube far outweigh the sewer issue, but then I only visited and don't live there. I guess you personally had a hard time appreciating the history and culture on display there, well i suppose its not for everyone, best to stick to what you know and not get too adventurous.

Who said anyones country was better, (you were referring to a continent i believe in your arrogance).

Back to trucks, I love the way the Volvos look here but hear they are hard to keep on the road with repairs. Anywhere i look there seems to be lot of support for petes, why is that?

 

Because Paccar products are American O/O Best Friend. There were generations of truckers who could afford to stay in business because these trucks were born to rock thru the rocks surrounding the West Coast. Volvo needs to ship their prototypes to Colorado for high altitude tests. That is something Peterbilt trucks are doing since 1930 on everyday basis, just to leave California. Volvo has no tradition here, no qualified service, no parts avalailable on hand and not too many cases where these trucks would last decades like Pete/KW do. American truckers are very conservative and it takes many years before they would accept changes. Because, most of those changes are for worse. Thats right, every time truck is being complicated without real important reason, they know they will loose money at some point. Stupid engineers dont test drive their products for 20 years (I don't think they test drive anything anymore actually)

Beside of trucks, dont get too serious, Americans just love to talk and part of it is throwing heavy jokes at you. No offense intended, thats how they are making friends - and having good time altogether. Biggest mistake fresh immigrant can make is... keep his mouth shut, which is common and is causing real disasters. It makes friend-or-foe identification hard or impossible thus piss them (Americans) off

BTW, I used to know some Irish trucker, still working for Peterbilt dealership in Stockton at age 84. Started driving trucks in 40's. Tough guy.

 

Yes and they also have brakes, unlike US trucks. US trucks made for export have better brakes and stronger axles and frames, normal US axles and frames can't take heavier weights used in the rest of the world, especially Middle-East and Africa and brakes are too small for some european countries.

 

I have to agree with Irishtrucker again here -
As a tourist, its not possible to really "live" in a country or gain any real understanding of it.
So you know someone who lived in Greece and visited Italy? I'm happy for you.

And as I'm sure you already know, mainland Greece and the Islands are two totally different cultures and traditions. Just for clarity, which are you talking about?
And of course you already know that the Roman Civilization goes back thousands of years, and that much of the infrastructure of Italian cities has its origins then.

So what would tourists visiting the US see? The truckstops with their filthy toilets, and the pee bottles lined up in rest areas. Isn't that a lot more primitive and stinky that some 18th Italian plumbing that is in need of renovation?

So here's the question - flushing toilets designed 2000 years ago or pee bottles beside the road. Which is the most civlized? Go figure.

 

Must have different minimum standards for export. I know with every KW I've ordered I had at least 3 different frame thicknesses to choose from (also the double and triple frame options) and several different axle and brake options. Standard and "mountain" brakes which are just wider shoes. We just now have the option of rear disk through KW (front has been offered for a while). So we can get all the better options, most are just looking at the price so they go cheaper. (and cheaper seems to work for most applications) Personally I've never thought I had too strong of a truck or too much brake so I buy the better stuff.

Also on the "tourism" aspect, I don't have actually eat a "crap" sandwich to know I don't like them. And this argument has no end since If I lived in France for 5 years genius would say I would have had to live there for 6 to really know what it was like. And if I visited the south side of a country he's say you'd have to go to the north to really appreciate it. Also I don't go to truckstops but that's probably because I'm "arrogant".:smt002

 

Thanks for the answer on the trucks and i will admit that if you asked most European truckers they would say they wanted to drive a US rig, though as has been mentioned that wouldn't practical for some of the areas they drive in. Have seen a couple of KW and freightliner units in mainland Europe pulling bulk trailers (which are shorter so keeping total length within the limit), and they really stand out in a country of cabovers.

I am not totally fresh off the boat here and have made many friends here because i am a friendly guy and i make it a point of mine to show respect to everyone i meet, however i find most commentary on Europe is politically motivated and mostly comes without first hand experience and that is annoying. Having said that you have a point and I will tone it down.

I'm figuring you have some interesting stories from being in trucking that long

 

I would hazard a guess that your initial comments were more ideologically or politically motivated than experience based.

Both sides of the pond have certain opinions about the other, and if i had come here initially expecting the stereotype that is sometimes portrayed at home then i would have been wrong. Where i come from we see 2 types of US tourist, the first type are the older bus tour variety. They are sometimes loud and the word "quaint" gets used a lot along with complaints about how bad the service is (and it is), get a few ales in them however and they relax and come across as the friendly curious people they are and i have had some great times with US citizens in Ireland. The second type are traveling surfers, normally younger and looking for the secret spot waves on Irelands west coast, these guys and gals rock and quickly get into the groove and are pissed when they have to leave (if they don't get work and stay).

My friends and family have asked what it is like living in the US, i tell them i can really only speak for California and then not even with great accuracy.

 

Renault has disc brakes from 1983....Scania has an automated transmission from 1983

abs appeared in 1982
edc 1986-7?

for many years and is present esp,Volvo already offers esp for truck-full trailers combination and truck with more trailers


This topic has no meaning

the only correct answer is offered by the owner of this chanel

he said : american trucks are best in Us ,and european are best in europe .....

simply adapted to the conditions in which they are use.

if American trucks are so good as this topic says it, then why did we dont have it in Europe.... and vice versa.

I recommend everyone to see some movies with this Chanel,there are even worse places in Europe then this.engineers do not exist without reason.

http://www.youtube.com/user/saurer87

 

They've tried them forever here but they were never any good. I guess they finally got them working better since they're finally offering them as OEM. Who makes them for Renault, or do they make their own? Only asking because if it's a company like Bendix and they sell them there, there must be a reason they didn't here. Like maybe the US DOT wouldn't approve them, who knows.

 

Oh, no. Ive been trucking just 6 years, but had met the Tough Irish man in the middle of 2006 when we went on short road trip. He wasn't much of story teller but it still was totally amazing to hear (I had to pull it out of him) about big trucks crawling thru main streets of California towns full of people before Interstate system was built. About proud truckers wearing nice clothes and being offered help from anyone around broken down truck. Stories from ages ago. I mentioned him to you, because I kind of hope to hear from him again if he is still around. You being from Ireland could probably get his attention... We are talking some serious US trucking history for sure...