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This red and white cabover turned up at the last Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS)recently, catching eyes and causing cameras to flash.
It’s a 1982 Freightliner and I’ve heard it has a 6v92 and a 13-speed transmission, which was used since 74 and became quite a popular engine in the 80s and early 90s in North America.
Most people who’ve driven a cabover will tell you that the view is incredible (although it’s harder to orient yourself exactly to the road and know just where you are without the hood to help with distances), but the fear of being that close to an accident causes many owner-operators and drivers to avoid them (except in Europe, where the length restrictions compel many to build and use cabovers).
Do you like these old school COES?
Want to see more about the MATS trucking show? OverDrive Online does a great job of this (click here).
The Most Unusual Looking Truck Out There Maybe
Harnessing the power of steam (once again), this diesel/electric future semi tractor cuts waste — both fuel and space! How? First off, the power comes from a combustion turbine coupled with an electric generator to charge a battery. Thermal energy from the combustion turbine also produces power by making steam throughout the cooling system (and that cooling system also reduces the need for large engine ventilation, and therefore aerodynamic drag).
Second off, to maximize space for the owner-operator or driver who drives this vehicle — called the “Atropos” by designer Peter Azzouni — because the cab converts between a cab and a sleeper by tilting its position. When tilted, storage compartments and a dresser are also revealed.
The bed is a memory foam matress created by the seats folding down.
And yes, that cab is entirely glass, so be careful driving this one. On the plus side, the glass is ionized so it can tint according to the darkness that suits the driver.
Unusual shape? Well, that’s for aerodynamics, and its based on the shape of locomotives and DTM race cars.
What do You Think of This DAF Future Truck?
How many truckers out there are familiar with the company DAF? You might have heard some news somewhere back in time that they were bought by Volvo, and you may have seen some of their concept trucks (like the one above).
Actually, DAF wasn’t bought by Volvo … at least not all of it. Volvo bought their car division in the 70s, but the family kept the truck part of the company until PACCAR bought it in the 90s.
And today, DAF is one of the top selling types of trucking vehicles in Europe and the Middle East.
The purple on is called the “XRC”. It’s quite different from most of the future trucks we’ve seen — even when it comes to the standards of future truck concepts! Maybe that’s because they’re starting from a European truck base rather than a more familiar Peterbilt or Kenworth.
The other one is a XFC”. Both are streamlined beyond the flat front of today’s cabover trucks, both in Europe and North America. Like them?
