Why do so many Americans hate European trucks?

Oops, those axle limits are very low indeed. The maximum load on a twin steering axle in Australia is the same as on a single axle in the EU. So those road trains may look extremely heavy, but in reality they are far lighter then we think.

The US has federal regulations as well, but individual states can increase weight limits etc. The same applies to Europe, a normal truck can have a weight of 40 tonne according to EU regulations, but in the Netherlands it can be 50 tonne. That's why we have 5 axle tippers, and the rest of Europe will usually have 4 axle tippers as maximum seize.

 

Yep. Nothing easier and cheaper to fix than an n14 cummins or a detroit series 60.

 

We responded the first time. That is not a big sleeper. It might be just as big as what swift and Werner give their drivers but i don't work for swift and werner.

Everything else about the truck set aside, before you can even talk about a euro sleeper with me you need to find one with all hardwood floors and cabinets. A sink a toilet and a shower. Plus a convection oven and minimum 6 cubic foot built in fridge and freezer. and a table to sit down at to eat dinner, play cards, goof off on my laptop or watch tv. Anything less is to small and not suitable for an otr operation in North America.

 

Such a sleeper is not a standard one you can order from the truck manufacturer. You are describing a kind of small camper. Is that possible on an EU truck? Yes sure, even with marble on the floor and a golden toilet if you like that. Seems these toilets are quite popular in the US these days, at least that is what I found on the internet.

 

one thing that took my attention is way how they produce your trucks, i am master of mechanical engineering in field of simulation and design, also mechatronic enginer ( undergraduate 3.5years), so i may look at thigs different than some of you.

your trucks are produced using too much manual labor- some of you will say this is good to keep americans employed.

but this means non optimised production process ( production process had to be taken in consideration when developing product - and it is equally complicated work as designing itself), which is no wonder since base of many of those trucks are 30-40year old so it is now almost impossible to introduce more advanced technique. also your trucks got many differences in products with same or similar result, too many product ranges for same purpouse. all that significantly raise price of production , i would say at least 50%. if i remember good in last 20years scania increased number of made truck per worker by 2.5x. i have no idea how many employers does your manufacturers have each, but each of emploee cost alot , and i claim they can reduce amount of them by half.

as everywhere in economics they have: raw matterials, components they have to buy, cost of employers, energy, development, testing, ..... and they need to earn something.....
total income - all costs = profit

everyone wants to increase its profit, so you need optimisation, this means more or less in all fields..... but since your production is still involving too many manual labor, with slow process and this is extremly expensive. this means this field is not effective and they have squise other costs more to increase profit. i find that in development, and quality, and maybe they charge you trucks way more than they could cost.
i dont want to offend someone but impression i get every time i see US truck is poor. in 90% of details they are made worst, way how they seal doors, windows, tolerances and clearances between components, way how they attach things together, starting from simple things like air vent possition, cold zones, dashboard, visability, mirrors....
i find terrific that your trucks cannot adjust suspension height, here they could do that 50years ago. i have no idea how is to use low gear on landing gear but if you guys refuse to adopt technology you will do that forever. we have ecas since 1986 as option, some 25years is normal to have it. i find pintle hook as apsourd and unsafe device that should be banned, many other examples.

here disc brakes are standard on all trucks(indluding heavy haulage and construction), except AWD, nobody takes drum anymore(available as option on steel spring),disc last longer cost less, brakes better. many of construction trucks have them on VA already 20years and no bigger problems. since new range lanunched in 2011/2013 we sold only one truck with manual gearbox in whole country.

our trucks worked together with kenworth T800 and T800W back in 2002-3-4 and 2011 during highway construction projects those were Bechtel trucks. they had terrible traction, like twice worst, they had suspension with steel beam instead of springs, and rubber blocks together virtually they could not drive anywhere else than on flat straight unpaved road.

 

Spoken like a true bean counter.
Working people buy fuel ,food and other goods that contribute to the local economy.
Investigate Marysville Ohio and look what Honda built.
The whole community benefits.
Wonder if any Honda products were sold to the residents..

 

About 50 years ago George Jetson designed a flying car,which folded into a briefcsse..
See if you might improve the design.

 

https://www.nhvr.gov.au/files/201707-0577-common-heavy-freight-vehicles-combinations.pdf

 

Spoken like a true socialist if that means that these people are working inefficiently, and that was what 98989 meant. European truck factories need lees workers for the same production.

I'm not trying to start a political discussion, but having lots of people working inefficiently, just to keep them working, is a very socialist way of keeping people at work. And it will fail in the end.

Americans work many hours, and are very proud of that. Yet they don't produce more than European workers do in less hours.

 

These so called engineers can't think on their own,their designs suck.
Simulation?
Works great,just look at all the new trucks that are junk at 500k mileage.