Why do so many Americans hate European trucks?

How many Americans really know European trucks?
To me it is more about the functionality than the looks.
We operate both as well as Japanese.
If you don't like the looks of a truck so be it , that is a matter of taste.
To hate European trucks because you hate the way they look?
That is Truckist as in Racist.

As a business owner the bottom line is important to me.
Factors like driver satisfaction affect bottom line so it plays a roll.

On certain of our routs (Southern Africa) drivers get paid per trip.
A round trip takes anything from 14 to 21 days.

The drivers like the space of the Imported from America American trucks but nearly all choose the European style Volvo and Scania trucks supplied locally.

Reason is that they ride better and are more reliable on these rough roads.

This has a lot to do with the imported American trucks being specked incorrectly.
Rather than a quality issue.
The locally supplied American trucks do better because of the heavier specification.
They still are not quite up to their European competitors.
They are however a lot cheaper to start with and simpler to maintain.

On this route the majority of trucks are 2nd hand import from America as these cost a fraction of what locally built trucks do.

 

this one is 8x6 8x8 is really unnecessary 8x4 is not enough best is 6x4 but transport prices nowdays are not good so we need 4axle tippers

also in uk are popular 6x2 tractors with lead axles which are not steerable i dont know why someone buy this they use too much tires


i just want to ask why us trucks use 12v since they have same batteries as we have always is better to have higher voltage this higher current lower losses....

 

I have drove a truck designed for the European/Asian market and worked on it. Wether or not it is actually used there is a different story. The truck had a 24 volt system, had the turning radius of a small car and the last axle was a tag axle on it.

 

where you do operate?

i thought south africa have good roads

but i have seen some images of trucks in south africa imported from UK in shop where they convert their cab suspension

 

I'm pissed the coast guard sunk that thing. IMO those guys deserve to live here and they should be hired as engineers. How many ACTUAL engineers could make a 50's truck motor across a portion of the ocean using nothing but scrap steel?

Agreed! What's funny about the "Buy American" crowd is most have no idea where things are made. I have 3 vehicles: an '05 Dodge Cummins where the truck was made in Mexico and the engine was cast in Brazil! A Honda Civic and a Acura TL both made in OHIO!! But to most the pickup is "American" because of the name, not where it was actually made. As far as Paccar is concerned the last time I was there I believe Chillicothe was in Ohio and Denton TX, Renton WA, are all still considered USA.

Exactly, which is my point. I believe more EU trucks would be designed differently if length laws weren't such an issue. Here there would be little advantage to having an extremely short truck driving across Texas.

I still can't understand why some countries like Australia have length limits on trucks pulling the road trains!

 

What has to be done when hooking an American tractor to a EU trailer designed for 24 V to make them compatible?

 

I know why americans do not like EU trucks... They used to drive old US COE trucks and when they see EU truck they think that it is like an old US COE...

Yeah, I like conventional trucks for easy engine access, no tilt cabine, lower cab entrance, longer wheel base (it is becouse CIS roads are generally bad) and US truck parts are cheapper (for Freightliner and International).

It is really amazing but any EU truck runs much smoother then Freightliner ore International.

 

king Q hit it on the head
the reason americans dont like eu trucks is because they are different---something we dont see everyday--yes it is --i guess truck racism
different countries need diferent arrangements for the type of operating conditions they are in

 

Better question is why do europeans hate to drive american trucks?

 

My only experience with european trucks is a Volvo 670. I must admit, I liked my Volvo much better than the Freightliner Century I'm in now and all the other Freightliners I have had in the past. The interior layout, cabinets and such just seemed more functional and well thought out. The Volvo was much more stiff in the suspension which made for a rough ride. Though I think some adjustments in the air leveling could of improved that. Anyway, just my 2 cents.

Also, Most non-US trucks are cabovers because of the ancient city streets in the rest of the world. If you think New York is bad, take a look at the streets in London, Hong Kong, Berlin and other places like that.

P.S, I would take a International ProStar+ over anything.