This Is Why European Trucks Are So Different...

[@back2lay]

I did 15 years as a driver in the UK. Drove everything from small vans to abnormal loads that needed police escorts. I don't agree with the guy in this video that said the comfort of cab over trucks is worse. Yes it's a small space to live in, but driving down the road is like sitting on an almost silent cloud. The cab rides on its own airbag suspension separate to the chassis and engine. I've ridden in a couple of American trucks in the UK, they mostly get used as recovery rigs, so don't fall under the total length issue, and the ride comfort was horrible. Not to mention that the cabs are very narrow compared with euro style trucks.

[@chemieingenieur6536]

At least, on my experience. The full air ride Cab Overs in Europe with the extra air suspension on the cab and air suspension seats, ride much smoother than the standard hood truck in the states. And the smaller engines? I don't know if I have seen a Truck lower than 480HP on long distance in the last 10-15 Years. Something around 550-650 HP has become quiet normal. Over 700HP is also nothing mystical anymore. Volvo and Scania have >750HP engines available. It's more like your going down a perfect flat street on a hoover craft in the newer trucks. And mountains aren't scary anymore. But the old MB SK is more fun. Good old 16l V8 Diesel. 👍

[@michaelairheart6921]

Recovery rigs or any trucks used for towing vehicles have stiffer suspensions. I was a truck driver in the USA and the trucks were all air ride and very comfortable. UK and Australian trucks are no better than American trucks. There are cabover and day trucks in the US also.

[@AlexKall]

@@michaelairheart6921 Can't compare a European COE to a US COE however, completely different trucks.

[@boek2777]

I just wrote a lengthy comment that could have been an 'i aggre, in this thread 😊 When the drivers seet cost more than the average car, you often have a smooth ride 👍

[@Kelters]

Not to mention the "forward view". Cab over trucks have a very high ride for the driver. No experience of US trucks, but they seem to have less "forward view". Having experience with most makes and models, I can happily say - The higher, the better.

[@DeputatKaktus]

In case you did not know: The truck maker‘s name „MAN“ is short for „Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg“, or „Machine works Augsburg Nuremberg“.

[@PingPongDerGroße]

and the name is called letter by letter, not like "man"

[@aussiebattler7789]

My next door neighbor recently purchased an scania cab over ex road train v8 780hp prime mover with auto trans to move grain, hay , stock between farms and to markets . he needed a driver for the grain harvest and asked an old mate who was a die hard kenworth man to drive it . He got the usual "you want me to drive that piece of European shit" and the answer was yes .When the job was finished the neighbor said that he needed a crow bar to get him out ,old mate said he could not believe how easy and comfortable it was to drive .

[@gorka16]

Those v8 scanias are insane

[@tntfreddan3138]

Since the cab sits on air, I bet the ride is even smoother than most American conventional trucks. Don't think it was a 780hp, though, but a 730, since that was their flagship engine since the beginning of the 2010s. I would also bet the Scania is more reliable than almost all other trucks in the world. Only manufacturer that rivals Scania is Volvo. Ironically, both are Swedish and they are the only ones to make engines with over 700hp from factory. If you see a timber truck in Sweden, it's with a 99% certainty that it is either a Scania or Volvo. Almost the same with excavation trucks but I've seen some heavily modified Ivecos and a few Dafs and MANs here and there. Overall, though, the Swedish truck market is dominated by Volvo and Scania.

[@S3pra]

@@tntfreddan3138 Scania are more comfortable than US-equivalent, but they have more complex systems and things that can fail in the outback. The difference is that if a Kenworth/Mack fails, they can often be fixed by "bush mechanics."

[@tsugumorihoney2288]

@@tntfreddan3138 now they got 770 hp version

[@tsugumorihoney2288]

@@S3pra more complex systems which are more reliable and yes it is pretty simple to fix, you only need spare parts, we had problem with out Volvo FM12 we fixxed it in couple of hours from which repair by itself took 20 minutes

[@norbertlevas3819]

I was driving them in North American and Europe. Most of European drivers drive in comfort of S class compared to America. Some of trucks like Scania are just dream to work with. So comfortable and luxurious 😊

[@JorgeForge]

@vw arteon shooting brake He means Scania, EU truck.

[@zoltanv7289]

@united nordic 🇸🇪 just look at my comment bro. european trucks are way more comfortable. bigger engines, never less than 450hp, 500 600 is common, and have 730 750 770 options, tractor units are smaller than american trucks, but the same weight! its because quality. airbag suspension front and rear, the cab is on a separate airbag system, and the seat is on air too. a youtuber put a studio mic into a freightliner which he had to shout to speak and road noise and engine noise was terrible, then put it into his own volvo fh, with double glated windows and all the extras, cameras all around etc, and it was like sitting in a living room. at max speed you could hear no wind no engine noise, you could hear if he touched one of his fingers with the other. the cab is also higher and wider than american cabs, a mack anthem or pete cab is as wide as a car, while european cabs are max widt from front to the back, and same height fron to back. american cabs are narrow and low on the front, nobody knows why.

[@Blackadder75]

@@zoltanv7289 "american cabs are narrow and low on the front, nobody knows why." maybe they think it;s better for airflow?

[@coastallab5526]

04:12 in Italy is not rare to witness that scenario, you might even see regular people go and try to help the truck driver, giving indications on how much they can reverse or turn-in, for example

[@flopjul3022]

same in some older parts of the Netherlands but mostly due to industry being mostly outside of housing area it isnt that big of a problem, however if you have a city destination for example for some shop then might be a real issue

[@Pidalin]

Here in Czechia we see it very often too, mostly when driver doesn't know that place and GPS sends him somewhere where he is not supposed to be, but in some cases, they have no other option when they have to transport something to center of historical city and for some reason his boss decided to use a big truck for that. What really scares us are polish truck drivers, they always stop at train crossing and waiting for train. 😀

[@alexandrshevtsov8]

@@Pidalin if you see a truck with Polish license plates, then in 80% there will be a driver from Ukraine, Belarus or another country of the former USSR.

[@Pidalin]

@@alexandrshevtsov8 Yeah, that's pretty much the same even here, but our Ukrainians are Romanians. 😀

[@alexandrshevtsov8]

@@Pidalin o yeah... Romanian drivers it is something "special". )))

[@shadow_wolfen]

Hi Ian, from New Zealand here, I work with trains but have friends that are truck drivers, and they tell you that even though American trucks are very cool looking, that the ride comfort in the European trucks wins hands down every day. There is a lot of misinformation in the video that the creator even corrects in the description as well. Like cab overs having smaller engines, when Scania and Volvo both have factory option 700+HP V8 engines.

[@KristoferOlsson]

Volvo is an I6 750 hp and Scania is an V8 770 hp.

[@Beanione]

And also NZ's roads are straighter and wider. Haha yeah nah. Watching the logging trucks blast down twisty hills is insane.

[@michaelwalker1145]

Since the trailer length was increased some companies went for the longline cabs and kept the original trailer length. This is on your run of the Mill truck's. It's a whole different ball game on abnormal loads regarding cab and trailer size , plus the abnormal load guys run at lower speeds. P S that white box truck is primarily used in city centres, it has a very low cab.

[@Cbyneorne]

@@Beanione Wait, someone thinks we have wide straight roads in NZ? We don't even have wide, straight roads in our cities, let alone out in the wops.

[@achiruel]

@@Cbyneorne I love how "wops" has such an innocent meaning in NZ vs US.

[@b101uk]

it was all going so well until it reached the misheld fallacy of smaller engines (displacement or power\torque) or aerodynamics or the overall fuel use for a given distance vs relative weight of goods moved. your average US 80,000lb GTW truck (6x4 tractor unit and dual axle semi-trailer) amounts to ~36.29 tonnes GTW that you will see on the interstate, your average European counterpart is 40 tonnes (88185lb) GTW (4x2 tractor unit and tri-axle semi-trailer) or 44 tonnes (97003lb) GTW (6x2 or 6x4 tractor unit with tri-axle semi-trailer) which is permitted to operate anywhere in Europe (the equivalent of the US interstate operation) in relative terms the US truck requires less power which is why the off-the-shelf power options are lower than in Europe. and in terms of displacement (the physical size of the engine) they are all currently using much the same displacement range of 12L to 16L (732.3CU IN to 976.4CU IN). but in the past it was not uncommon to also find >16L to 976.4CU IN to

[@TopiasSalakka]

Some European countries also have their own weight limits, like here in Finland we can do 76 tonnes, and 104 tonne HCT combinations being evaluated for safety.

[@pino_de_vogel]

They are not less comfotable. These days they have full cab suspension that may actualy be MORE comfortable. On top of that they have amazing seats with full suspension.

[@Griffindor15132]

You're right. i drive one Mercedes Actros 1851 from 2021. You have complete air suspension, air-sprung cabin and an air-conditioned and air-sprung comfort seat. It's not a ride, it's more of a slide. Very comfortable. It's so comfortable, you have to be careful not to fall asleep. 🤣

[@pino_de_vogel]

@@Griffindor15132 Yeah i took some trips in a 2001 scania 158 topline and they already had full air suspension back then.

[@clintonburr852]

Yes watch some tight trucking vids

[@jlammertink]

Hi, I’m a Dutch (Netherlands) truck driver. Driving a DAF XF480 trailer combination 16,5m with temperature controlled goods (mainly food: cheese, butter, dairy, biscuits, baking oils, etc). We deliver at big distribution centers, but also inner city (Amsterdam, Rotterdam) at small businesses on pallets using our hydraulic tail lift. So tight spaces, small roads and I still love it. Love your video’s. Best regards!

[@ChrisLovett1]

Would 100% love to see you reacting to the tight manoeuvres done by Eu trucks

[@verttikoo2052]

There was one guy in Netherlands. The place he took the truck was smaller than the truck itself 😱🤭

[@peterharvey1762]

You can’t screw an American truck round on a mini roundabout like you could with a Euro truck I’ve done it with a MAN TGX and full length trailer

[@trampingfitness2]

I'm a driver in the UK currently in a scania R450. The part where it says 9 hours driving time can be abit misleading. We can do 9 hours driving a day which can be extended to 10 hours twice a week. However working time is 13 hours a day with 11 hours rest but can be extended to 15 hours a day with 9 hours rest three times a week.

[@KristoferOlsson]

A normal engine in an US semitruck and Volvo European truck is pretty much the same Around 12-14 liter 500 hp and 2600 NM. But when it comes to the Top end models European models in Scania or Volvo the European engines are larger and stronger. US largest is normaly 6 cyl 16 liter 550hp and 2800 NM. Volvo FH16 is 6 cyl 16 liter 750 hp and 3550 NM. Scania 15,4 liter V8 770 Hp and 3700 NM. The big difference is how they are geared. US semi trucks are geared for top speed, European is geared for power and fuel economy. A good exampel for that is a Video from Scania Denmark (in Danish) driving a Scania truck in US. Us trucks overtaking him all the time until the mountains. But over the mountain pass the Scania walks past them like nothing.

[@МиколаРиндя]

weird to read 16 liter engine and fuel economy in one sentence

[@KristoferOlsson]

@@МиколаРиндя it is but compared to an 30 year old 16 liter engine they are more fuel efficent.

[@shaggings]

@@МиколаРиндя an empty combination has a highway fuel economy of around 27-35liters per 100km. not horrible when you take into account that it is a 16 liter engine making over 700hp.

[@tomast9034]

@@МиколаРиндя per liter of engine displacement its way less as a passenger car . i get 4,4l /100km out of a 1.5liter diesel with a 1ton car. that 16liter engine should eat up 45liter ..and it does around 25-30 but moving 40tons.

[@tntfreddan3138]

@@tomast9034 Move up to 64 tons with my 16.4* liter, 580hp V8. Uses about 48L/100km, but since I have to idle when loading fresh or frozen cargo to keep the reefer going, I'd say it's pretty good fuel economy.

[@Maricavdven]

I was a truck driver and worked with Renault, Volvo, DAF and MAN semi-trucks. All of these were very comfortable to drive. The newer Volvo FH500 I had, was having adaptive cruise control! Very nice to have on our Dutch roads

[@LMB222]

I've developed parts of the ACC for MAN - I'm happy to see someone found it useful.

[@stevekenilworth]

to me it sound's like a very american point of view in this vid. lots vid ive seen of usa trucks there cabs seem to be very cluttered, not a lot room.example look at the ice road truckers most cabs were not that big. but i feel not much bigger if bigger at all than a European truck exp some newer ones, but we also have the longline cabover and T and they have huge space. it seems a lot trucks what over 500hp are v8's in europe but as the eco nuts take hold more and more engines are getting smaller sadly

[@Happymali10]

There's actually a handful of US-trucks here in Germany, most are owned by enthusiasts and occasionally driven as "sunday darlings" (without a trailer, usually), and a few are used with special shortened trailers as promotional vehicles (like the famous Coca Cola Trucks). Occasionally the promotional ones have standard trailers, but then they need special permits and fulfill special requirements for oversize vehicles.

[@aavaadams3941]

Hello how are you doing

[@chryschrysostomou5392]

Hey Ian! I was a truck driver in the UK and I can confidently say that European truck manufacturers make amazing trucks! I have had the pleasure of driving most makes of trucks, because I was tasked with assessing which manufacturer was best suited for the company I worked for. Comfort is incredible with seats that weigh the driver before starting to counter weigh him for comfort and bump absorption. Although the truck space seams small, some have built-in showers, fridges, microwaves and coffee perculators. The beds are massive with extendable width. Driving is a pleasure, with a commanding view and a drivetrain that is powerful, yet efficient. Believe me when I say, driving a truck in the UK is an art that gives you job satisfaction and pleasure.

[@hugodacosta]

If you can find drivers after Brexit ; )

[@wullaballoo2642]

@@hugodacosta much easier ironically as we can now train our own drivers without the stupid EU regulations in the way

[@hugodacosta]

@@wullaballoo2642 it’s a surprise to read that, here the latest news we’re that it was being extremely difficult for you there to hire drivers. Glad to eat that’s not accurate.

[@RushfanUK]

@@hugodacosta Across the EU there is estimated to be a 400,000 shortage of truck drivers, not just a UK problem.

[@johnnada1917]

@@RushfanUK Truck driving isn't for everyone.... It takes a lot of dedication and is more of a lifestyle, instead of just another regular job.

[@suffocatdevil]

I’m a truck driver in the UK. We do have long nose trucks here but they are rare as rocking horse s**t. We definitely have tighter roads than you guys do, but the “cramped” cabs really aren’t that bad

[@garethreece]

It's to do with the length regs. If you run a standard rather than a COE, then you have to run shorter trailers. Fine in a job where you'll hit 44T before you run out of space but it limits the usefulness of the unit. Some of the modern cabs really are like the Tardis aren't they! You wonder how they get so much space into a relatively petite cab...

[@flopjul3022]

in the Netherlands American long noses are almost unseen but we have a company the makes long noses from Scania's(Vlastuin truckopbouw) and those you see more often, the Scania Torpedo/T-Cab is the official name for it i believe, apparently they also make long nose new Volvo's

[@1chish]

@@flopjul3022 The Scania T series were standard Scania products. I was a Scania Master tech and the cab was basically the same as a COE but was further back down the chassis. Almost impossible to set the valves and injectors on No 6 on a T Series 6 cylinder engine.

[@terencejay8845]

A chap near me, a village in the East Midlands, has a gleaming Kenworth. It's very impressive, sitting in his driveway, but he uses it for country fairs, day rides, and generally for parking up at any event for people to have a look-over.

[@liamhastelow2059]

Company I used to work for had two T Cab Scanias, one R reg (1997) and one 66 reg (2016) they were both used for hauling canal boats. The 1997 I believe is still in bits after its engine blew but they were both spectacular units. But same cab as cabover basically, just a long bonnet stuck on the front.

[@jacobhaagerup7816]

One aspect left out is trailers. US trailers generally have two axles with twin wheels set very far back (some are moveable). This is great for stability on long straight roads going on forever. European trailers mostly have three axles with single balloon wheels and set much further forward, which aids in maneuverability while being able to carry the same load. Downside is that the load on each wheel is fairly high and they all run in the same track, which increases wear on the roads and when making tight turns the three axles have to twist or pivot across the road surface which also increases wear significantly to the extent that in corners with heavy truck traffic the asphalt gets deformed into berms or ridges.

[@dirkschmidt2276]

Here in Germany you can see these long nose Kenworth or Feightliner Truck too ... but here they are most used as Show trucks with Show Trailer for promotion campains etc....like Coca cola christmas Trucks

[@chryschrysostomou5392]

Also, in Europe, some trailers have axles that can be raised so aiding tight manoeuvring.

[@Fetguf]

and trailers can have steerable axels.

[@aluminium3574]

I’ve you would drive a truck in the us are Europe and everywhere else in the world! I’ve you could decrease tire degradation fuel consumption, and any downtime! You can make a profit.... that’s the most important thing. But regulations are different in any other country. So you have to adapt to the regulations and make the most out of it....

[@Fetguf]

@@aluminium3574 could you try running that backwards thru google translate. It gives 0% meaning.

[@MsDenisejoyce]

Me as Dutch born living for a decade in North America I can say the technical aspects in the trucks is ten years ahead compared to north america If you want to import a Europe truck to north america it has to be minimum 15 yrs old..to protect their own north american market

[@marco_grt4460]

15 in Canada, 25 in USA to import a vehicle if I'm not mistaken

[@MsDenisejoyce]

@@marco_grt4460 also 15

[@marco_grt4460]

@@MsDenisejoyce ah, maybe for commercial vehicle, in any case good to know

[@marco_grt4460]

@@MsDenisejoyce ah, maybe for commercial vehicle, in any case good to know

[@highlandmalt6368]

Something not mentioned here - a standard European semi has a much higher permitted gross weight. In the UK it's 44 metric tonnes.

[@michaausleipzig]

That time behind the wheel limit is also heavily enforced over here in Germany as a tired truck driver is considered to be a catastrophe waiting to happen. This leads to other issues however. Often truck drivers have big problems finding a free space to park when their driving time is up. They'd literally commit a crime if they kept driving yet there's no free (and legal) space in sight for them to park their trucks.

[@stickystick1048]

Unfortunately that's not the case in Czechia. Here the employers break the law very commonly without any trouble. :(

[@johan.ohgren]

I drive truck in Sweden, and while it's true that our driving times are shorter (4.5+4.5=9) we have 45 minute mandatory break. That means 10 hours and on top of that you loading/unloading so your workday could be anywhere up to 13 hours.

[@itseperkele181]

The narrator did specify that he meant driving time :) I also drive a truck in Sweden half of the week, the other half in Finland :P

[@SordoBjorn]

If you take the 'short rest' you can occasionally have 15hr workdays (my job was delivering gasoil to people's homes for heating, so my total driving time per day was usually about 5-6 hours bc most of it was unloading and carrying/dragging the hose to and from the tank about 20 times a day... most in shape i've ever been)

[@johan.ohgren]

@@itseperkele181 yes, but a workday is more than just the driving hours.

[@idasiek]

yeah it was a bit odd, my brother is hgv driver in UK, he's work day is rarely below 12h, and yes, driving time is lower, but overall, with wait time in the docks etc it comes up to pretty much the same.

[@chenzy1879]

And 3 times a week up to 15 hour workdays

[@oldbloke204]

US has had way cheaper fuel than Aust. and Europe so fuel efficiency is paramount if you want to make a profit. I get the impression that the US truck scene is way more of a lifestyle type deal for many whereas here it's a very cut throat game and every inch of the truck is used to carry as much as possible.

[@IWrocker]

I'd Say that is a Fair Assesment

[@poplaurentiu4148]

@@IWrocker Here are some of the cooler truckers : kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKbHhaClfaqAkLc But in West Europe - Germany, Netherland, Denmark, Austria truck race with straight cabins of semi-trucks racing in a championship on few great tracks something like a DTM is a thing and also in US few semi truckers brave enough did the Pikes Peak records (Bruce Canepa, Mike Ryan & Scott Birdsall ..

[@JBobjork]

The maximum lenght of a truck varies a bit in Europe. For example, here in Sweden you can have 25.25 m (82.8 ft). Which is a trailer on a dolly, pulled by a truck for example. Some exceptions exists in northern sweden where they may be 30m long and is used by log trucks. Finland has even longer trucks.

[@AlexKall]

25,25 is a EU wide directive.

[@artonissinen8014]

in Finland, the maximum length is 34.5 m

[@kholdanstaalstorm6881]

Yes, please check out trucking precision driving! On an unrelated note, please check out videos on the length of Norway and how deep into Europe the same distance reaches!

[@EnjoyFirefighting]

what has the length of Norway to do with it? Driving from the southern tip to the northern end you wouldn't even stay in Norway but drive through Sweden instead

[@kholdanstaalstorm6881]

@@EnjoyFirefighting Because the length of Norway is probably longer than the average American or other country's citizens would know? Because how maps are, it looks a lot shorter than it is?

[@EnjoyFirefighting]

@@kholdanstaalstorm6881 Norway would roughly stretch from Boston to the north-eastern bays of the Gulf of Mexico, but anyway: Americans often don't have an idea of the size of [insert ANY country] ... let it be large or small.

[@alexfaurie9475]

I was an Long Distance trucker for 11 years in South Africa . I drove all the various trucks from Mercedes Powerliners to Volvo , Scania , Daff , MAN and Freightliner . All GREAT trucks. It was never just a job for me , it was like an permanent holiday as i was and still am pasionate about these big rigs . The more wheels , the better , i enjoyed them tremendously , especially every CHALLENGE to manuevor them around tight corners and reverse them into tight spots . I drove the big 26 wheeler Superlink trailors , 6 and 12 meter articulate trailors in the form of Side tippers , Flatdeck and Tautliners and Refrigerator . I wouldnt want any other countries roads other than South Africa . Love my own nation and its roads and its people .

[@rowanbrecknell4021]

2:24 You get a different steering feel just like a VW bus as you are in front or on top of the steering wheels as opposed to being behind.

[@DrZalt]

I'm a truck driver in the Swedish army, and it's awesome to see just how well the 6x6 scanias actually perform off-road, as long as you're doing your part. On road is kinda meh without anything on the truck or a trailer.

[@paulkemp4559]

My cousin is a heavy lorry mechanic in the UK, the latest ones are all automatic trans and some with GPS initiated gear change i.e. the transmission will change down at the right speed prior to a gradient change. There accident prevention features such as auto braking and of course all the car features of cruise control with distance setting and slow and resume speed

[@notsure7060]

its no fun anymoore after atomatic gearshift became mainline ....

[@tntfreddan3138]

@@notsure7060 Drove a manual Scania R420 semi for a year. Now I drive an automatic R580 rigid with a 4-axle full trailer. Not sure if I want to go back to manual. Sure, it was a bragging right but Scania's OptiCruise and Volvo's IShift has come so far that they can do everything a manual can do and then some. If you don't like the truck changing gear for you, then go into manual mode. All you have to do is press a button on the side of the mode selector beside your seat (Ishift) or pull or push the lever behind the steering wheel (OptiCruise). I'd also say it's also easier to reverse with an automatic as well. No cramping left leg and you can put your focus elsewhere. If you're desperate for a clutch, you can always opt for the 3-pedal OptiCruise. You only use the clutch for start atop and even if you have a clutch pedal, it's usually optional if you want to use it in the newer trucks.

[@IWrocker]

That sounds like some incredible Tech in these trucks!!!

[@notsure7060]

@@tntfreddan3138 I know all this i drove a Scania up untill 2011 and a 720 you could not get with a manual gear shift . BUT my point to all this is human beaings are soon not capable of opening a door, let alone downshift 40 ton uphill no matter the truck name . i grew up in my fathers F12 and leater he got a 143 1996 mod and it was tha bomb i even had to steal it when we was in Wuppertal in Germany cause he was so strickt . this was in 98 and im still repairing the cpu driven bulls shits of trucks... Like i said its no fun anymoore

[@notsure7060]

@@IWrocker Incredible is when an old god damn trucker can do the same job as an opti-cruise or I-Shift , but better ..... the old geezer would not give full trottle downhill just to use the retarder or (jakebrake) exhaust breake ..... i still can hear them going outside my window . Im glad im getting my welders sertificate so i dont have to worry about this pezz any moore Best regards from a former Norwegian trucker now turnes welder

[@australiantruckspotting8883]

You sure don’t see many bonneted trucks in Europe, but you see plenty of European trucks in Australia.

[@cadifan]

Cab overs are more popular in New Zealand but conventional US trucks are by no means uncommon. It just depends on what you to use the truck for and where it's going to be used. Trucks transporting big heavy-duty machinery or loads of rocks, scoria or dirt will be conventional while freight trucks will be cab over.

[@LocalmotionSpain]

Great video 👍 Just to clarify one point.... while normal EU driving time is limited to 9hrs per day (extended to 10hrs twice per week), actual working hours is restricted to 15 hours so a lot of time is spent in the cab, even if it is not all driving. Also it's wrong to assume that because journeys are generally shorter than in the USA, drivers don't often need to sleep / live in their cabs... often they do for several weeks. I'm lucky that normally I'm home at night, because in older cabovers like my Iveco, space is definitely limited! Thanks for the interesting videos. Greetings from a fellow Ian, in Spain 🍷

[@jonathanfinan722]

The small town I live in in northern England is a hotspot for Harvey goods vehicle training and testing, allegedly due to the lack of traffic lights. However, on a weekly basis big articulated lorries get stuck going around a little roundabout. It’s a busy spot and traffic soon builds up as does the horror on the driver’s face.

[@draken68]

As a previous driver/mechanic. Cabovers are better to drive, same comfort better visbility, much better to work on, much better engine and transmission access. Even if the tilt ram fails it is an inconvience but not that hard to repair. As for turning circle it is a ratio of steer angle and chassis length. I have seen a tow truck driver swear black and blue his Western Star has the best turn circle. Not Sure about that. I go by Maths SIN(Steering tyre angle)/chassis wheelbase.

[@vinsgraphics]

My father drove various trucks in Australia over his career. In Mackay for a time, there was a special “breed” of truck designed to transport sugar from the mills out to Mackay harbour. They were cab-over MAN diesels with dual steering axles and a single trailer, shorter overall design for navigating downtown (they would have to go through town before a new bridge was built over the Pioneer River), and also designed to tip sideways at the harbour facility. McAleese had the MAN diesels, a competitor (Zarb) used Leader trucks, a home-grown brand built in Queensland. The MANs were very comfortable. Dad made a hobby of annoying drivers through town getting right up on their ass. Then again, he had a hobby of annoying everyone.

[@MK7.5_Most]

2:16: tip from a european Guy: MAN is not spoken as a word, each letter stands for itself. M.A.N. .... its a shourtcut for: "Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg AG" ... in english: "Machine Factory Augsburg-Nürnberg AG" Greetings from Central Europe, Austria

[@georgebarnes8163]

A lot of the rigid trucks in Europe also have additional rear wheel steering which helps in small towns and villages, tight corners are not a problem.

[@metalmad89]

I like this type of content, exploring the differences instead of constantly trying to argue which is better, with obvious biases.

[@Darryl_Frost]

My father was a truckie in Australia for years, I sometimes used to go out with him. Their ability to reverse those trucks are the most impressive things. A few things when he was driving coaches, he was driving the longest coach (bus) in Australia at the time, got on the cover of 'Truck and Bus' Magazine driving it. He held the very unofficial track record for BATHURST, IN A BUS, So imagine driving fast around Bathurst racetrack IN A BUS!! One last thing, when he was driving coaches, he used to drive from Sydney to Perth AND back every second week, with a week off in between. 3 days to drive to Perth, 1 day rest and 3 days to drive back, every second week. I miss my did.

[@frenchys_prospecting]

Not a truck driver but used to load trucks in a tight af yard and watched some absolute magic trick driving happen when those B-doubles backed in through a dogleg loading yard

[@notthisguyagain4635]

My dad used to drive trucks fuel tankers mostly and he used to take me on runs from Adelaide to Whyalla and other numerous “local” spots. I thought I was king of the world sitting up there looking down on traffic while he was winding down his window to give a taxi driver a earful for being a dick.

[@johncunningham4820]

His " Lap of Bathurst " must have been a long time ago . 5 tonne limit on the Mountain these days . Has been for quite a while . 3 days across Australia East-West , is GOING LIKE F++K speed . Yes the Coaches are Fast , but Holy Shit , Batman .

[@Darryl_Frost]

@@johncunningham4820 for the Bathurst thing is was a LONG time ago LOL.. (early 80's). 3 days is continuous driving, with two drivers. It's still damn impressive... :)

[@KyrilPG]

Wow if you want to see huge convoys passing through tiny places (hum...), have a look for A380 parts delivery convoys. The final assembly was in Toulouse but parts were built in several different locations around Europe and brought to Toulouse via air (Beluga), boat and massive trucks. The truck "exceptional convoys" passed through narrow streets of tiny countryside villages. People living in the nearby buildings could almost touch parts of the convoy by extending their arms through their second floor windows ! Prior to the beginning of the first delivery, authorities had to rearrange street lights, cables, road signs, flowers, etc. And before every convoy, some fixtures were temporarily removed or displaced. Images of these deliveries are epic, with fuselage sections on trucks being larger than the houses they squeezed in between. Some of the most complicated moments were in December when Christmas lights had to be dismantled every time a convoy was planned. Streets of these villages are so tight that public lighting isn't standalone but fixed on streetside buildings and some of them had to be removed for the trucks to pass. Airbus logistics transported fuselage sections, wings, tails, ailerons and cockpits like that for more than 10 years. Every convoy attracted tourists and enthusiasts as it was a massive operation.

[@KyrilPG]

Here are some videos about the A380 special convoys : Last convoy of A380 plus additional Beluga XL parts : kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGXWhHdrnc2Ce6M Enthusiasts attending the convoy : kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2e7on5smbqXeJo A380 convoy : kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5Onp4OjiK6ChZY French documentary about special transports, from A380 parts and the largest traveling circus in Europe to organ transport and invaluable historical vehicles from between the Paris car show and their home museum. You can activate KZbin's auto translation of auto subtitles. Parts about the A380 are the following : 0:00 > 15:30 --- 43:30 > 52:20 kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2K5pIqFe9B6sKs Maybe you can find documentaries about the A380 parts delivery in English from either the BBC, SKY TV, Discovery Channel, Channel 4 or ITV.

[@ROBOTRIX_eu]

..i was semi-truck driver in Europe.. 2x per week we could drive 10hours.. i was with a fridge..most of times mars chockolats.. 90km/h is the speed (80km/h+10% tolerance)..so trucks all same speed, nomater how much we put acelerator down, they are electronicly restricted..I had some episodes of low bridges.. there are some cool videos of skillfull drivers..i love them!

[@TheCyberSalvager]

My Dad was a truck driver at the local US air base (Civilian, employed by the British Ministry of Defence). There were quite a variety of US and UK trucks in the fleet. They started out with International S1800s (Normal control) but they gave way to Seddon Atkinson 401s (Forward control, or cabover), just like the RAF used at the time.

[@stanleywiggins5047]

The truck licence I just recently gave up was a HR heavy rigid (non articulated/ bendable) the HR truck could go up to 10 drive axles & 10 steer ad a payload as much as a 100Ton if someone actually built one. I mainly drove a light HR, payload of 12T & gross a little over 16T & 99:9% of my loads full bins of orange's & empty return's, local trips 38k round trip Between the latest 5 year licence renewal & the one before I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes & I had no idea had to get a medical certificate from a specialist, unfortunately I didn't find this out until the day before it was due, & the waiting list for the specialist was 3 weeks, so I gave up the truck licence & just keep the car. 😔

[@HepauDK]

My dad was a truck driver for more than 40 years before retiring. For a short period, he had his own trucks (effectively owned by my mom before she died in '82). The three trucks I know of, are a Volvo F89, Scania 140 and a Scania 141. He hauled goods all over Europe and the Middle East. I still have the light sign that was on the 140 stored in my attic. When I was still in school, I used to spend at least 1 week every summer going with him, so even though I have never been on vacation outside Denmark, I have seen most of central Europe and Scandinavia. Funny story: my dad has hauled sand to Iraq once. Seems a bit odd, but the desert sand is not very suited for concrete. We don't have that many natural rescources, but if there is something we have plenty of here in Denmark, it's concrete-grade sand. This is due to the glaciers depositing a lot of sand in what is now Denmark, during the last ice age. Once he found himself in some small alleys somewhere in Italy, and couldn't get round a corner because of parked cars. A police officer told him to go forward and clear the road, as he was blocking traffic. My dad pointed at the parked cars, indicating that they were in the way. The officer waved him forward anyway, so my dad had to push the cars out of the way with his truck. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why italian cars have a reputation for being so dented. :) By the way, MAN is an acronym, and should be pronounced as such (something like "Em-Ar-En" in german). MAN stands for "Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg", or "Machine Works of Augsburg-Nürnberg" in english.

[@lowrangemaniac5326]

The question of less comfort on european cabovers is a thing of the past... If you take a look at the newer Volvo FH or the new Scania S750, they're very comfy to drive, almost like a car

[@Scoobydcs]

meanwhile the rest of us peasents get ivecos or dafs lol

[@lowrangemaniac5326]

@@Scoobydcs well, I used Volvo and Scania as an example... Ofcourse every new european truck as become very comfortable that their predecessors... P.s. I'm from Italy and I can tell you that Iveco trucks are great work horses, especially the mining and quarry specialised ones and the more specialistic division made from Astra

[@Scoobydcs]

@@lowrangemaniac5326 the iveco ive used are awful, cheap nasty and they rattle your teeth out at idle, daf are ok apart from the 58 million sensor faults that flash at you all the time lol

[@lowrangemaniac5326]

@@Scoobydcs where are you from?

[@Scoobydcs]

@@lowrangemaniac5326 uk, you?

[@austinmatthews347]

Us cabover design is different to our european cabovers. The wheels are further back allowing for steps infront of the wheel which imo is far nicer

[@locotenentu.16]

My dad is a truck driver in Romania and european trucks are more silent then the american trucks

[@ispbrotherwolf]

A friend of mine is a Truck-Guide here in Stockholm. They meet up Truckers from other countries and drive their trucks to the destination. Like Pilots for ships.

[@helloweener2007]

I had a coach for English who is Canadian and was a truck driver in Canada. When we told him that we think it is difficult going backwards he said that he is not able to do this and he never had to. When you really need to turn, you further until you have the space to do a U-turn.

[@tntfreddan3138]

In Sweden it's impossible to get a truck+trailer license without being able to reverse with a trailer.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

​​@@tntfreddan3138 and a lot of the oldest and the youngest of the really skilled truck drivers in our country got the most intense and advanced parts of their training in the army as conscripts 😄

[@kimreinikainen]

I am a truck driver in Finland and things here are a bit different when it comes to trucking. The truck i am driving is 25.25 meters long which is longer than european standard. It is made up from about 12 meter long truck and about 13 meter long towbar trailer total of 8 axles. Total of about 20 meters long and 2.4 meters wide cargo space. Max total weigh in my case is 68 000 kg. Couple of years ago the total weight was increased from 60 000 kg to 68 000 kg if the truck meets the certain criteria. Then we have the HCT trucks (high capacity transport). With total of 76 000 kg in normal use and 34.5 meters of max lenght they are the bigest trucks what you can find in Finland if we exclude any special trasport. They are made from a tractor unit and 2 standard 13 meter trailer where the first trailer has a turnable rear axle.

[@zsoltlukacs8438]

In Finland logging truck maximum 104 metric tons...

[@aavaadams3941]

​@@zsoltlukacs8438 Where are you from?

[@zsoltlukacs8438]

@@aavaadams3941 Hungary..

[@aavaadams3941]

@@zsoltlukacs8438 im from usa whats do you havê instagram?

[@aavaadams3941]

@@zsoltlukacs8438 do you have instagram?

[@zontarr22-zon]

Very not in-depth comfort definition on the European trucks vs US one’s . The comfort in cabin comes from the amount of space, noise and insulation. The European ones have a lot of space, the full size ones, the noise in driving is kept very low as the engine noise goes away from cab, on the US ones the engine noise goes in the cab because physic’s and insulation is infinite better on the European trucks, don’t believe me try one, any of the full size cab one( yeah it’s comes in sizes )

[@sidewalkere]

"They can get away with smaller engines" Most powerfull Freightliner - 600hp. Meanwhile Europe laughs in Volvo 750hp FH16 and Scania 770hp V8... Both cab overs.

[@Xaid0nTT]

You should watch a compilation of European lorries leaving shows. Some of them sound absolutely amazing.

[@johngoard8272]

Yes Ian I think that truck drivers are so skilled at what they have to do and I am sure you would find some KZbin footage of say British truckers who navigate what I think are impossible places. I think it is also good to note that a lot of the longer trailers do have their own steering system built into them in order for them to get into and around spots non-steerable trailers would not be able to get into. There are some good docos on British truckers that show how they do it too. I also think that a lot of the steerable trailers are made in Germany though I cannot think of the manufacturer of them.

[@bertnl530]

John Krone or Schmitz Cargobull. Also a lot of Dutch trailers have steering axles, and lift axles because the streets demand it and it saves on tyre wear and fuel. Crazy thing is that a lot of effort is put in the truck and less in the trailers, although I see changes. Ofcourse the truckcabin is the workspaces and for the driver it is the most important part of the truck, but from a financial point of view, investing in modern trailers, high cube trailers of very energy efficient freezers is very interesting. Normally trucks are leased for 3 or 4 years and owned trucks perhaps 6 or 8 years. Trailers however can last 15 years with ease, so it is easier with writing them off and get profit from them.

[@MrToradragon]

4:25, that seems more like "I have trusted the navigation" type of situation. It sometimes happen and then they got stuck in some strange place like wooden bridge in middle of nowhere.

[@flatline9737]

i would love to see your reaction to a video of trucks maneuvering down some narrow roads!

[@kroon1930]

Don't know much about trucks. But I live near the gigantic DAF truck factory in Eindhoven. My dad used to work for a company that developed and altered production lines (transport, robotics etc). Once they had to alter the assembly line for the cabins. I got to go with him into the factory. HUGELY impressive!!!!!. As a kid (like upto 16) I always wanted to be a truck driver. Unfortunately I'm not allowed my truck drivers licence due to a sleeping disorder. Im an exelent car driver, but the rules excluding me from driving a truck, hower unfortunate, is actually good thing.

[@TheYUKATI]

I don't know about that aerodynamics argument at the end of the video. The front of a vehicle matters much less for aero than the back. Plus, while speed limits for trucks are a bit lower, fuel cost is still higher in the EU because of diesel prices. Also, respect to the truck drivers squeezing those huge things through tight spaces. I get stressed just watching them XD Nice videos btw.

[@Scoobydcs]

it can be bloody hard lol, especially when alot of car drivers are uiterly oblivious to whats happening aroudn them

[@tomast9034]

the best way to lower fuel consumption is lowering the speed...trucks or pasenger cars , planes, boats ...doesnt matter

[@TheYUKATI]

@@tomast9034 Yes! Drag=V^2*0.5*rho*S*Cd So velocity is the best way to reduce drag since it's squared. My point was that in the EU reducing fuel consumption matters a lot too, even if speed are already lower.

[@ImForwardlook]

A friend of mine recently exchanged his aero Kenworth for Peterbilt 389, he says that there is no noticeable difference in fuel consumption. He is not the one clogging the right lane either but often exceeds 1500 miles per day.

[@stefanrus4723]

@@ImForwardlook is hi driving 20 hours per day with no breaks?

[@johnchristmas7522]

My Brother in law was a long distance Truck driver in the UK and had every license required to drive ANY truck. I asked him once which was the most difficult to drive. He said Tankers were normally considered the ones depending on the fluid. Tankers have baffles inside the tanks to contain fluid movement, but he explained that all disappears with a milk tanker! So with fluid movement back and forward, the truck becomes its own worst enemy- good fun he replied! Now he teaches truck drivers. I watched him once on the skid pan for London Double Deck Buses with full dummy load and slide it like second nature. Great driver.

[@exoterric]

As a man who was an expert HMMWVs flipper in the Marines, I love watching extreme driving. Driving crazy loads in crazy places is always a good time. Bring it brother

[@sleepwalker3130]

I'm a truck driver from Europe and I'd say the turning in tight turns and driving in narrow spaces is probably the most important skill in this job. Sure, most of the new industries are located in the industrial zones which makes our job slightly easier, however still the majority of businesses, the older ones, can be found in the places beyond the imagination of a non-trucker species. To find that only relatively safe road to client can be an issue of the day sometimes. It's like a puzzle and you must have a degree in it. And now as I'm driving the oversized cargo truck....boy it is the bloody challenge on whole different level. But challenges are why I'm into this job and enjoying it.

[@572Btriode]

As you many commentators have said Ian, that video is quite erroneous in many places. I live in France and it is quite incredible how the truckers negotiate some of the tiny roads and villages here, but I notice they have a secret weapon that I have seen also on some long rigid trucks; rear wheel steering.

[@marco_grt4460]

And trailer wheel steering

[@Tguson]

At 4.01 the illustration shows the benefits of a trailer with the rear axles steering.

[@marco_grt4460]

@@Tguson advise: for the timestamp write like this 4:01 so the they can see directly

[@brianjohnson5063]

The Renault AE 500 ive been in back 92 at Millbrook testing ground when it first came out cab overnight sits above the engine so you can walk around the cab unlike other trucks in the UK and Europe

[@maurizionaldi1124]

I'd love to see you react to tight manuvers in Europe, especially in my home country Italy. We have some of the narrowest roads here ;)

[@SonsOfLorgar]

As a Scandinavian, I wouldn't want to drive myself in any of the Latin European countries, especially not mountain or city traffic, and not in any of the Eastern European countries either, I'd much rather pay a local cab driver colleague who knows the habits and quirks of his regional geography and driver behaviours than risk ending up in a crash by my own foreign ignorance.

[@libbypeace68]

I don't even drive but I love watching big trucks manoeuvring and am in awe of the drivers' talent.

[@SergeyPRKL]

A Finnish guy here. HCT (High Capacity Transport). They didn't mention our HCT trucks that are 34.5m long (113ft) and max weight in regular traffic is 106 tons. These does not require special measures in advance like permissions or warning vehicles. HCT rolls with regular rules and requires only a sign in rear that it is a "Long vehicle". HCT could also be shorter, if it is standard maximum length of 25.25m (82.8ft) but if it weighs more than 76 tons, then it is HCT. The catch with HCT is that not all roads accepts them, like in Australia for the road trains, but with a difference. Majority of regular highways are OK, but not all of them, the problem is that the bridges are designed for max 80 tons. When a bridge is due for maintenance, they usually get the HCT upgrade, and the HCT network is getting bigger and bigger slowly, a 30-40 year project nation wide. These HCT:s aren't allowed in other countries than Finland. With special permission with planned routes okay in Sweden and Norway. That comment that they are not as comfortable, is a bit harsh and nonsense. The driving experience is wayyyyyy better than any American, because the driver's ergonomics are mandatory by law in EU, in US just luxury that you can buy if you wish. But living quarters are not like in Americans, they are tight but rarely the distances are longer than 4 nights in one setting. This already means a trip from Portugal to Finland and that is extremely rare. Usually, the trips are less than 5 days, so you get home every weekend.

[@rowanbrecknell4021]

4:45 Best driving I have seen and they get used to it is a B double slipping in sugar syrup in the sugar sheds. It is like drifting a B double but they get it to slide under the hopper. In the Frontend loader some times you drift into the wall so you steer at the wall to use the hard parts of the loader if you steer away you hit the aircon and hydraulic tank that does real damage. Fun in the sugar syrup. Getting a bit now on the forklift at the Mill. Great for practicing under and over steer.

[@rowanbrecknell4021]

750 000 tonnes I was wrong. Still a lot of sugar.

[@Utxtreme]

🤣 @3.20 the dude has an angle that wakes everybody up 🤣

[@Pappa_66]

Thanks bro! Yes pls, more crazy skilled truck driving! The main reasons are, like you said, very tight corners, narrow roads (highly regulated truck sizes) and especially fuel/gas prices, thus smaller but more powerful engines and gas emission limits. Much shorter driving periods, there has to be a recording "device" inside the cabin, which tells everything necessary to the authorities like police and the Trucking company you work for, cause the pauses are mandatory by law. Pub quiz, did you know, that according to German law, the operation of trucks over 7.5 tons and trailers is prohibited on Sundays and public holidays between 00:00 and 22:00. Of course exceptions are like food, medicine and other "must" have goods/items.

[@1chish]

Just a small correction on UK / EU regulations. 9 hours is the DRIVING hours limit not the total DUTY hours limit and even then it can also be extended to 10 hours twice a week. The rules do not define daily hours duty as such but defines the mandatory rest periods which must be at least 11 hours rest every day - you can reduce this to 9 hours rest 3 times between any 2 weekly rest periods. Which means your working day can be 13 hours or stretched to 15 hours on 3 days. So overall not that different. I think the main differences are in the driving time limits before a break must be taken. Here it is 4 1/2 hours. Having driven trucks all over the Continent for over 25 years I never felt the need to bring an apartment with me and for many years I was an Owner Driver.

[@aavaadams3941]

Hello

[@tombchaser]

saw like 2 weeks ago while eating at work how a truckdriver from a special load company backed his truck up on the dock next us in 1 go. he had a very tight 90° corner to take with streetlights (some trees and buildings as wel) and cars on all sides of the dock. his load : a dredging pontoon of about 25 meter (82 ft). he had some help for the blind spots from a other truckdriver (from the same company) but its a impressive sight. i wasn't expecting them to be able to make that tight ass turn with that 1 parked car making his turning corner a lot smaller but they did.

[@edwinsiesem5865]

Hey, a Dutch driver here also. I'll drive containers from Rotterdam with a 25 mtr Iveco S-WAY 460hp., So I can load 1 20 feet and 1 40feet container, I have 2 semi trailers connected together , total 10 axels through Holland.

[@tompettersson3814]

I am a truckdriver in sweden. I live in my truck 4-5 nights a week. I drive a DAF xf 510 (paccar) from 2015. typical swedish combo 24 meters long.

[@kankerbende]

For your information, the MX13 engine is developed in Eindhoven in The Netherlands. The engine is also used in the US, bud only with a different exhaust system because other environmental rules/laws.

[@tompettersson3814]

@@kankerbende yeah i know, but the truck is still paccar owned. My first daf was not paccar thou. It was an 1989 95 ati 380 space cab.

[@ToreHansen]

Some years ago I worked in Norways largest private trucking company, and they wanted/neede a long nose for more heavy and shorter cargo like fuel/gass and so on. Also learned that barriers on the side and back is normal in Europe so a motorcyclist cant end up under the rig... Great video!

[@NikesZ28]

Not all of EU is the same, as a Swedish truck driver of 20 years i have most of the time been driving trucks that are 25.25 meters long. Unique to Sweden. If im not wrong Australia is the only country that have longer trucks!? But its all about maximize cargo space, shorter truck means more cargo space and that gives more money. All tho it might seem strange to some a 25.25 meter long truck and trailer is more maneuverable then a 18 meter long semi trailer. Oh and i forgot to say that we also have a much higher max weight of the vehicle at 70 metric tones.

[@aavaadams3941]

Hello how are you doing

[@aavaadams3941]

@@Nilsson91 Hello how are you doing

[@Fantaman900]

Have you ever sat in a euro truck. Chassis has leaf springs up front and most air in the back. Cab has 4 coilover suspension and driver seat has air suspension. You float, roof tall enough to stand in the middle and double bunk bed behind the seat is pretty good for few days from home. Longest trucks are 25.something long and they don't ever come into a city, smaller trucks are used in city because space is limited.

[@bertnl530]

At 5:20. With current diesel prices of $7 or $8 in the Netherlands and Germany ,the companies do everything to cut down on fuel usage. Driver training, also demanded by law. Digital planning to prevent riding (almost) empty. Coöperations with other companies to prevent empty rides. A lot of effort is put in aerodynamics, but it is more on the trucks and not so much on the trailers. things like skirts on the back of trailers I ve never seen here, because length regulations are a problem.

[@Utxtreme]

@5:20 there saying we have smaler engine infact we have the same size or bigger up to 16 ltr. Generating up to almost 800hp factory

[@stacydornan9765]

I was a truck and trailer mechanic here in Ontario Canada for almost 30 years cab overs for some jobs are 1000 times easier than a standard cab.For example a Hanover clutch job can be done in approx 4 hrs where some standard cabs could be a 17 hrjob

[@tonys1636]

That truck at 1:58 in the shown video was attempting to negotiate Petworth, West Sussex, UK, I hope he made that corner without damage to his rig or the shops.

[@bastiwen]

If you liked seeing trucks go in narrow streets, you should check out trucks or busses in the Swiss Alps, it's really fun to see a huge bus go through a tiny tunnel. There's a bit of misinformation in this video regarding the confort, cab over trucks are REALLY confortable, I've had the chance to go inside one and it's like you're driving on a cushion of air, like a cloud.

[@aloh5613]

North American... European trucks are so cool! European... American trucks are so cool!! 😂😂

[@kingthor1031]

From Ireland here who have done Europe . Italy was fun to see six Italian lads bouncing a fiat punto on a foot path so I could get around the corner in Napoli.

[@chriswilliment3304]

Yeah the smaller engine thing is only really for the smaller city trucks. But trucks like scania R and S series start at 500hp and 540hp for the 6 cylinder engines then go 580hp 620hp and 730hp for the V8 engines. And have options for coffee machines and microwave ovens double fridge or freezer combinations units. Heaps of storage. And with there new air-ride set-ups are comfortable as. The Volvo's too have engines that go form 540hp to 600hp 700hp and 750hp. With similar options inside the cabs aswell (not sure about the coffee maker though) MANs offer similar options in the cab with engines from 540hp 560hp and 625hp. Mercedes have engines of 540hp up to 625hp I think aswell maybe higher. And DAFs aswell have engines 540hp 560hp that I've seen. But think they have higher hp aswell. All set-up with cab options. And I know in England and Europe they live in there truck for the week maybe longer. As my dad did afew years of Tramping in the UK when we lived there. And myself driving In Australia I've done interstate in Kenworths and Scanias and Volvo's and MANs and perfered the Euro trucks. But that's me.for comfortable time in the truck driving and sleeping for me the Scania is the the one I liked the most.

[@FelipeAllison]

My father used to be a city bus driver here in Brazil, now he is a truck driver, he drives a VW Constallation, a cab-over truck, I travelled a bit with him and I can say that cab-overs are very confortable, the bed is huge and there is a lot of space to put usefull stuff

[@Nebs1]

Australia is going hardcore on cabovers. Many B-doubles are cabover now

[@leifgunnartoth8070]

1. It's 19,5m! Not 18,75m. It's a long time since that changed. And that is for truck and trailer. Semi is 17,5m 2. Engines in european lorries are bigger and more powerful than americans. Even though we use the cabover style, they are getting quite aerodynamic and fueleconomy is a HUGE deal here. Volvo and Scania has the biggest engines, boasting 750hp 16l i6 in the Volvo and 770hp 16,3l V8 in the Scania. The cabs are on airsuspension, and so it the seats. The driving comfort is fairly high. Been driven since 2010, and I love it. Had a few years off now, but might get back into it soon.

[@DubiusTheWolf]

Hi, I'm Xandro and I'm trucking in Germany. The legal length limit for semis in Germany (and I think most of Europe) is 15.50 m, or 16.50 m for the longer ones which have to fulfil different requirement. The max length of 18.75 m is for truck and trailer combos, because they take corners better, using less space. Max length for a solo truck is 12 m btw. If you guys are interested in some informations about trucking in Europe, I guess somebody from over here could make a video. But I bet there's already videos out there. Greetings

[@torbjornsultan9152]

I drive a truck in Sweden and we don't have that many semi-trucks here, mostly foreign trucks that are semi-trucks here. The truck I drive is 25.25 (82 feet) meters long. You should take a look at them

[@samihyleh865]

AH that straight pipe Scania V8 sound. That is just sooo cool... but loud too.

[@craigsowers8456]

Greetings from a Texan living in France. The insert explanation covers well the differences between USA and EU (emphasis on Roadways/Planning thousands of years in evolution). Trust me when I say that most European Truckers envie/love our big rigs ... but remains something they can't have as a reason ... just too damn big for over here. What I can offer is a perspective from just a simple everyday deal for me. I own an old Toyota HiLux 4x4 Diesel Quad Cab (short bed). Driving it here has to be well thought out just considering destinations ... forget about "underground parking lots" ... can't make the corners in most (or 3 attempts). You and I consider it a "Tiny Truck" ... now think what it's like to get a Peterbilt around !!! LOL Enjoyed your post !!!

[@davidgriffith8292]

Have a look at Train Truckers which follow some super heavy lift and carry of old steam and diesel locomotives being transported from one place to another in the UK. Massive respect to the drivers who can manoeuvre their rigs and huge loads down some of the tightest streets and gaps.

[@SweetSallyRadio]

I've always worked around all types of trucks, specially semi. Here in Spain, the drivers have a "tacógrafo" (idk the translation) that counts the hours the driver has been driving (including waiting times uploading/downloading). When they hit the maximum allowed by law they have to stop the truck, wherever they can and wait till next day before they can continue. All this is digitally controlled, attached to the driver (so they can't drive another truck). If you get caught driving over the maximum allowed, the sanction is huge, for the driver AND the transport company (if it's not a particular). Drivers have to rest in order to not endanger themselves and others.

[@martynromaine8518]

Always have complete respect for Truck drivers. They are the backbone of the world

[@quadproper]

My 1,5yo son always waves at trucks and most of them honk back which makes him smile from ear to ear. Thanks truckers!

[@haukurthorsmarason5267]

Former driver, currently a heavy vehicle mechanic, technical leader and inspector. What surprised me about US trucks is that they have 12V systems. Everything here that's bigger than a pickup is 24V. Other than that they're pretty similar.

[@garyriley5236]

Have you seen European truck racing? Well worth a watch. Trucks on tracks used for car racing. Carrying water to dump on brakes to cool them...

[@lydiaanderson9807]

@Hello Gary how are you doing?

[@RumperTumskin]

The coolest trucks are the MAN 8x8 ones, followed by the last Mercedes Actros and current Scania R with the 16L+ V8

[@clarksonoceallachain8536]

Ginaf 8x8 with the big tires

[@davidbakker-wester113]

I live right next to a 1952 build loadingbay on a 1952 street in the Netherlands. 2022 trucks are twice the length compared to what it was designed for or what they are licenced to load there. But they only destroy the sidewalk, gardens, and the fences 8 to 10 times a year.

[@samihyleh865]

i drove this delievery truck at city of Helsinki Finland. The truck was 18 metres long with 2 axels. It was low to get to the tunnels under the city. It had 360hp straight 6 engine, so it had some power in it. It was day drive cabin. And ofcourse SCANIA. But that lenght was bit problematic at some streets. lots of people walking, cycling and all those trams, busses, traffic sings etc. It was sometimes hard, but when u know your trucks corners it is quite easy. i drove 3 years, and 1 collision with the traffic sign, when i was reversing to my customer. No damage neither one. I just pulled the sign back straight up. And oh no matter the weather we drove summer and winter .