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 Body - Driver's cab



Composed of relatively easily interchangeable modules.

There are as many driver's cabs as there are trucks. But first you should click on one or both links at the bottom and don't miss a 360° view in a comfortable and a compact modern driver's cab.


As you can see in this picture in comparison with the one at the top, the cabs in Europe and, for example, the USA are very different. In this country, the front-wheel drive determines the image of the truck, in the USA the bonnet. This has to do with the fact that the length of the entire truck, including the driver's cab, is limited in the former, while only the trailer is limited in the latter. The driver's cab can be as long as one wants in the USA.


Under previous legal provisions, we also had trucks with short and long noses. In the picture above one of the so-called short-nosed vehicles that were not only available from Mercedes. They basically have the advantage of better aerodynamics and the disadvantage of greater weight. The Americans often use glass fibers for this, but they are not always easy to tame in conjunction with a rough diesel engine. An engine in front of the driver should actually be quieter than one directly below him.


In the meantime, you often sit so high in the forward-control truck that the floor above the engine can be relatively flat. Laypeople often have difficulty imagining driving without any orientation, such as a bonnet. Professionals, on the other hand, appreciate the good overview. But for what is happening directly in front of the front they need a mirror. The actual mirror to the rear is now about to be replaced by a camera. In general, additional help with docking on a ramp is very welcome.


Narrower cabs are those less than 2.30 m wide, mostly for distribution and construction site traffic. Loungers can be designed to be foldable for a shorter period of use in case of only medium-sized dimensions. These are usually closer to the road, require fewer non-slip steps for frequent entry and exit, but also allow the encapsulated motor to protrude into the ground. Nevertheless, easily accessible handholds are also common here.


In long-distance transport, there are more than 2.4 m wide cabs. Here one sacrifices the payload-guzzling extra weight for greater comfort for the driver. However, European trucks cannot compete with some American trucks, which can even have bedrooms with double beds next to each other and a kitchen. But air conditioning with ventilation via the roof, a refrigerator and sufficient storage space (picture above) despite one or two beds are also quite standard for us.


Here you can see one of the many attempts to become even more streamlined, with a prototype with an electric drive, because this is of course very important for the range. In addition, every manufacturer must be careful to stay within the company's own aesthetic. The differentiation from the competition is very important especially in this area, which is so difficult for peculiarities. Truck drivers identify very strongly not only with their vehicle, but mostly also with its brand.

A cab has to be light, but still stable. It is connected to the frame via up to four damped springs, so it has a certain life of its own while driving. Since there are always people inside, passive safety is very important, especially since there is hardly any crumple zone. But it is also no longer so pronounced in cars, since the deployment of airbags can not only be controlled in two stages, but also in a much more targeted manner.

Better aerodynamics are achieved through larger radii on the shape of the cabs. In general, they seem much more rounded today. Nevertheless, there must be enough air left for cooling, but the opening must also be lockable. It's unbelievable how deep the front aprons are today. The large mirrors will probably disappear and the step treads will be locked with the door closed. A lot of effort is put into the area towards the trailer.

Air plays a major role, not only in terms of throughput through the interior and when blowing free the windows, but also in terms of the suspension. But here, too, not only for the entire vehicle, but also for the suspension of the driver's cab. Both systems are quite comparable in their effort. So it's not surprising that there is also a level control system for driver's cabs. And then there is the suspension of the seat and its ventilation with possibly even warm air (picture below).


kfz-tech.de/PKa1

Comfortable driver's cabin

kfz-tech.de/PKa2

Compact driver's cabin







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